After a week away from the action, Urban Meyer and No. 13 Ohio State will get back at it this Saturday when they host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
It will be a big game for the Buckeyes, who are looking to build on the momentum they gained in a trio of consecutive blowouts over Kent State, Cincinnati and Maryland. Those routs, in addition to a number of upsets to higher-ranked teams in the last two weeks, have Ohio State back in the College Football Playoff race.
To stay in that race, the Buckeyes will need to hold off the upset-minded Scarlet Knights. And while Ohio State is favored by 19.5 points, according to Odds Shark, Meyer will need his team to bring its best to the field this weekend.
Here are three X-factors for the Buckeyes in their matchup against the Scarlet Knights.
Ohio State’s Secondary
The last time Rutgers saw the field, quarterback Gary Nova was torching the Michigan defense, completing 22 of 39 passes for a career-high 404 yards and three touchdowns against no interceptions. The senior signal-caller kept the Wolverines off balance, finding 10 different pass-catchers in a 26-24 victory.
Nova was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for his performance, and he earned the praise of Scarlet Knights head coach Kyle Flood.
“I thought he played an excellent game,” Flood said of Nova, according to Keith Sargeant of NJ.com. “I thought he made good decisions, he made good throws. He made some plays under duress that guys…
Continue Reading: The 3 Biggest X-Factors for Ohio State vs. Rutgers
