Get a Free Pick
  • By submitting my phone number, I proved my electronic signature and consent to receive text message offers to purchase sports picks from this site and its commercial partners at the wireless phone number I provide. To unsubscribe via email, simply hit the unsubscribe link at the bottom of your email pick. I know this is not a condition to purchase goods or services.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Blog

Game Preview: Ohio State at Rutgers

by Jeff Allen of Jeff Allen Sports

Saturday’s prime time feature game showcases No.1 Ohio State (7-0) and new starting quarterback J.T. Barrett taking on the feisty Rutgers Scarlet Knights in Piscataway. The line opened has stayed at Buckeyes -21. There has been no total posted in Las Vegas or offshore due to injury considerations on both teams. Weather is not expected to be a factor as there is no precipitation in the forecast and temperature at game time expected to be around 55 degrees. 

Despite being undefeated, Ohio State is just 1-5 ATS and has not come close to playing like it did in last year’s second half National Championship run. The offense has sputtered with no true No.1 quarterback and the defense has been far from dominating, especially against the run where OSU allows a tick under 160 yards-per-game. Barrett
made his case last week with 102 yards rushing and two scores plus two touchdowns passing in Ohio State’s rout of Penn State last weekend. Barrett is a proven commodity have thrown 34 TD passes last year before getting hurt just before the Big Ten championship game. He should do some business against a Knight defense that us ranked
118th against the pass out of 128 Division I teams. 

Rutgers (3-3) plays hard and figures to do so here but would seem to be up against it versus the defending National Champs. The Knights get their head coach back after serving a three game suspension for violating school academic policy and flying high after scoring the final 28 points in last week’s 55-52 win over Indiana. That said, the Hoosiers 
went up and down the field for 627 yards. Rutgers does some nice things on offense but top weapon, WR Leonte Carroo(21, 479, 9TDs) sustained an ankle injury at Indiana and is questionable here.

Ohio State easily handled Rutgers last year winning 56-17 at the Horseshoe rushing for a whopping 324 yards on just40 carries. The Buckeyes led 35-7 (-20.5, 62) at half  and cruised to victory. Ohio State figure to get its points regardless of who is under center but you also have to figure that Barrett will look to put any further QB controversy to bed with a razor sharp effort. This could be the breakout game for a Buckeye squad that flicks the switch and starts getting serious about defending their national title.

hola