Could Saturday’s Big Ten game between No. 11 Ohio State and Rutgers be a trap game in the College Football odds? Perhaps, as the Scarlet Knights will play this like it’s their bowl game, while OSU could be looking ahead to tougher games on the schedule. They are still more than four-TD favorites on the NCAAF lines for Week 5.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Kyle Bolin completed passes to eight different receivers last week and ranks ninth in the league with 159.8 yards of total offense per game. Gus Edwards paces the team with 259 yards on the ground, while junior Jerome Washington leads the team and ranks tied for sixth among all tight ends nationally with 15 receptions. Senior Robert Martin is just six yards away from becoming the 14th player in school history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.
Defensively, Rutgers has collected five interceptions the last two weeks and has held opponents to 19-of-63 on third downs this season, ranked 28th in the nation. Hester is one of five players in the conference with two picks and ranks third in the nation with 2.0 passes defended per game (six break-ups, two interceptions). In addition, junior Trevor Morris logged 12 tackles at Nebraska to take over the team lead with 28 stops (25 against the run) in 2017.
The season-ending injury suffered by top cornerback Blessuan Austin means that Damon Hayes moves into a starter’s role on the outside. It also bumps three inexperienced players — Zane Campbell, Kobe Marfo and Edwin Lopez — up the depth chart.
How to Bet on Ohio State at Rutgers Week 5 College Football Odds & Game Preview
When: Saturday, 7:30 PM ET Where: High Point Solutions Stadium TV: Big Ten Network Stream: BTN2Go Radio: 97.1 FM (Ohio State) / Rutgers IMG Sports Network (Rutgers) Opening College Football Odds: OSU -29 (51.5)The @bigten season is really on now. 😤#BeatRutgers #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/5s40jOYfW6
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 25, 2017
Series History
Ohio State is 3-0 all-time against Rutgers with wins in 2014 (56-17), 2015 at Rutgers (49-7) and last year (58-0). In the 2016 game, J.T. Barrett broke the school record for career touchdown passes with the third of his four TD tosses. Ohio State’s defense never allowed the Scarlet Knights to penetrate deeper than the Ohio State 38-yard line. They sacked quarterback Chris Laviano three times and allowed just 33 passing yards. They forced Rutgers to punt on each of its 10 drives that didn’t end a half. OSU piled up 669 yards of total offense, including 410 on the ground. Barrett threw touchdown passes to four receivers.- Total Meetings: 3
- First Meeting: October 18th, 2014. Columbus, Ohio
- Last Meeting: October 1st, 2016. Columbus, Ohio
- All-Time Series: Ohio State 3-0-0
- Largest Margin of Victory: Ohio State 58-0 (2016)
- Longest Win Streak: Ohio State 3 (2014-2016)
- Current Win Streak: Ohio State 3 (2014-2016)
Clemson Visits Virginia Tech in Week 5 as College Football Odds Favorites
Why Bet On Ohio State?
Uh, the Buckeyes’ second-teamers would probably all start for Rutgers. OSU comes off a 54-21 win over UNLV. Seven different Ohio State receivers caught touchdown passes and the Buckeyes threw for a school-record 474 yards. The seven receivers catching TD passes was also an OSU single-game record, breaking the old mark of five which was set four times previously. In all, 13 Buckeyes caught passes on the day for a record 474 yards. That total surpassed the 459 yards at Penn State in 1997. Three Buckeye quarterbacks combined to set the mark as Barrett completed 12-of-17 passes for 209 yards and five touchdowns. He was pulled early with the game a blowout. C.J. Saunders and Parris Campbell each had 100-yard receiving games. C.J. had career highs of six catches for 102 yards and a score while Campbell notched 105 yards on just three catches. They were the first teammates to record 100-yard receiving games in the same game since Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn Jr. in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame. Urban Meyer’s Ohio State teams have scored 50 or more points 20 times and they rank third nationally since 2012 in total points scored (2,888) and in points per game (40.7). Despite having the opportunity to give more players extended playing time against UNLV, Ohio State has made no significant changes to its published depth chart for this week’s game against Rutgers. Mike Weber is still listed as a co-starter at running back even though J.K. Dobbins has started each of Ohio State’s first four games. Demario McCall is still listed as a co-third-team running back even though he played exclusively as a wide receiver on Saturday against UNLV.Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 40.75
- Total Yards: 493.75
- Rush Yards: 289
- Passing Yards: 204.75
- Average Score Against: 17.25
- Total Yards: 263.55
- Rush Yards: 66
- Passing Yards: 197.55
Why Bet On Rutgers?
Rutgers is led by former Buckeye co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash, who spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons in Columbus before taking over at Rutgers prior to the 2016 season. It marks the return of former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano to High Point Solutions Stadium as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator. The Scarlet Knights (2-2) come off a 27-17 loss at Nebraska. The Scarlet Knights scored a touchdown on their first offensive series. Rutgers later led 17-14 in the third quarter after a pick-six interception by Kiy Hester. Nebraska scored the game’s last 13 points to hand Rutgers its 16th straight Big Ten loss. Rutgers managed just 194 yards of total offense, including 126 through air. The passing attack now ranks No. 117 nationally only one year after ranking last in the nation.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Kyle Bolin completed passes to eight different receivers last week and ranks ninth in the league with 159.8 yards of total offense per game. Gus Edwards paces the team with 259 yards on the ground, while junior Jerome Washington leads the team and ranks tied for sixth among all tight ends nationally with 15 receptions. Senior Robert Martin is just six yards away from becoming the 14th player in school history to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.
Defensively, Rutgers has collected five interceptions the last two weeks and has held opponents to 19-of-63 on third downs this season, ranked 28th in the nation. Hester is one of five players in the conference with two picks and ranks third in the nation with 2.0 passes defended per game (six break-ups, two interceptions). In addition, junior Trevor Morris logged 12 tackles at Nebraska to take over the team lead with 28 stops (25 against the run) in 2017.
The season-ending injury suffered by top cornerback Blessuan Austin means that Damon Hayes moves into a starter’s role on the outside. It also bumps three inexperienced players — Zane Campbell, Kobe Marfo and Edwin Lopez — up the depth chart.
Team Statistics
Offense:- Average Score For: 40.75
- Total Yards: 493.75
- Rush Yards: 289
- Passing Yards: 204.75
- Average Score Against: 17.25
- Total Yards: 263.55
- Rush Yards: 66
- Passing Yards: 197.55
Latest College Football Odds Trends
- Ohio State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
- Ohio State is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games
- Buckeyes are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game
- Rutgers is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games
- Rutgers is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games at home
- Scarlet Knights are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 conference games.
