How did Ohio State football grade out vs Rutgers?

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How did Ohio State football grade out vs Rutgers?

Ohio State football rolled over Rutgers 42-9 on senior day Nov. 22, keeping the Buckeyes‘ record perfect before heading to Michigan next week.

Without Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, Ohio State’s offense totaled 430 yards and scored six touchdowns, including four rushing scores. After a slow start offensively in the first half, the Buckeyes blew the game open with four consecutive touchdown drives in the second half.

Ohio State controlled the line of scrimmage on defense and sacked Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis four times. Defensive end Caden Curry’s strip sack and fumble recovery in the third quarter led to a Buckeyes touchdown and swung all the momentum in Ohio State’s favor.

 How did Ohio State grade against Rutgers?

Ohio State offense (3 leaves)

Using long drives and controlling the line of scrimmage, Ohio State played it safe to start and took control in the second half.

This was quarterback Julian Sayin’s first test to lead the offense without two NFL-bound wide receivers available downfield, playing against a defense that gave up the most yards per play in the FBS entering the week (7.48 yards per play). But the offense missed the downfield throws that have made Sayin a Heisman Trophy favorite. He finished with a modest 13 of 19 completions for 157 yards and two touchdowns. The run game exceeded the pass game in production for a second straight week, averaging 6.7 yards per carry with four rushing touchdowns.

Tight end Max Klare had several plays that allowed him to show off his yard-after-catch ability. Klare led Ohio State receivers with seven receptions and 105 receiving yards, his most as a Buckeye. He had a wide-open touchdown grab in the third quarter thanks to a pick set by David Adolph.

Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Max Klare (86) runs past Rutgers Scarlet Knights linebacker Dariel Djabome (8) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 22, 2025.

The Buckeyes foreshadowed a run-heavy playbook on the first drive, giving the ball to Bo Jackson seven times. Though efficient, Jackson fumbled at the goal line, but on the next drive he rushed for a 15-yard TD. He finished with 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Starting with Klare’s score, the offense scored four consecutive times in the second half, capping the day off with a 49-yard James Peoples touchdown.

Ohio State defense (5 leaves)

The defense did its job and again showed why it’s considered by many to be the best in college football.

Rutgers entered the game averaging 277.4 passing yards per game, ranking 21st in the FBS. Kaliakmanis completed 10 of 21 passes for 81 yards. The Scarlet Knights found the end zone late in the game.

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Caden Curry (92) reacts after sacking Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) in the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.

Caden Curry relentlessly bullied his way to the quarterback all day. He led the team with six tackles and came up big with a strip sack in the third quarter on the 1-yard line to set up a Buckeyes touchdown three plays later.

Line of scrimmage play across the board was spectacular. Ohio State had six tackles for losses resulting in minus-34 yards total for Rutgers and had four sacks, two from Curry, one from Caleb Downs and half sack each for Eddrick Houston and Sonny Styles.

The only weakness for the defense was two pass interference penalties on Jermaine Mathews, one that set up Rutgers for its lone touchdown, and an illegal-hands penalty from Houston. But still, Ohio State’s 7.6 points per game allowed is the second-fewest by any team through 11 games since 1990. (Georgia allowed 7.5 in 2021.)

Ohio State special teams (3 leaves)

After back-to-back weeks of flawless special teams play, the unit had a careless hiccup to open up the second half. After receiving the kickoff, Inniss threw a lateral across the field to James Peoples, but the ball sailed over Peoples’ head and he recovered at the 7-yard line. Ohio State scored on the drive minutes later.

The rest of the day for special teams was quiet. Jayden Fielding went perfect on extra points while the rest of Inniss’ returns resulted mostly in fair catches.

Ohio State coaching (3 leaves)

Without Smith and Tate, the offensive coaching staff lacked a concrete plan to move the passing offense downfield when the Buckeyes needed big plays against a subpar Rutgers offense.

The notable head-scratcher call came on a fourth down late in the second half. Despite having a Heisman Trophy favorite, Day and Brian Hartline opted to use dual-threat backup quarterback Kienholz, who threw a broken-up pass intended for Christian Bennett. Ohio State was bailed out from the questionable play call because of a roughing-the-passer call, and the Buckeyes scored two plays later.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day reacts during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 22, 2025. Ohio State won 42-9.

Trickery from the special teams unit also failed in the third quarter and sent the Buckeyes back into unfavorable field position.

Matt Patricia commanded an excellent game on defense and Ohio State’s offense picked up steam in the third quarter.

Fun factor (1 leaf)

It’s just not as much fun without human highlight reels of Tate and Smith on the field. While Rutgers kept the game close competitively, both offenses had a sluggish first half. Ohio State took control of the game in the second half and made the game non-competitive before the third quarter ended.

The day’s shirtless fan moment took a celebrity mold when the broadcast came back from commercial break to reveal comedian Bert Kreischer enjoying his football Saturday on the Buckeye sideline.

And in case you missed it, Brutus had the best tackle of the game by far during a commercial break.

Rutgers (3 leaves)

Rutgers’ defense put together one of its most impressive halves of the 2025 season by holding Ohio State to just two scores. If it weren’t for the roughing-the-passer penalty, it might have been a one-score game entering the second half.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano watches his players in the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.

Offense was a different story. Ohio State held Kaliakmanis to his second-lowest passing yard total of the season, and Rutgers averaged less than two yards per carry. This was a mismatch from the start, but the Scarlet Knights had the Buckeyes in a bind on offense in the first half.

Officials (4 leaves)

The officiating staff correctly managed the two biggest calls of the game − a roughing-the-passer call on a fourth down and a illegal hands call on Houston that kept a Rutgers field goal drive alive.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) motions at the line of scrimmage during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 22, 2025. Ohio State won 42-9.

There was only one call, Jermaine Mathews’ first pass interference penalty, that was questionable, but all in all, the officials called a good game.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football vs Rutgers: How Buckeyes grade in Big Ten matchup

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