The Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ first Big Ten conference game of the season will not be a cakewalk. They will host the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on BTN (live stream it on BTN2Go.com).
Ohio State vs. Rutgers 2017 live stream: Start time, TV channel, and how to watch online
Can former OSU coordinator Chris Ash’s defense stop J.T. Barrett and the Buckeyes in Week 5?
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Head coaches for both teams go way back. Rutgers’ Chris Ash was the co-defensive coordinator for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes in Columbus from 2014-15. In those seasons, Ohio State’s Silver Bullets were among the most feared in college football, and now Ash is bringing that mentality to the Scarlet Knights.
Ohio State’s pass offense struggled early this season, and if there’s one coach who will know the intricacies of stopping a Meyer offense, it’s Ash.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
Ohio State vs. Rutgers news:
- RB Mike Weber is back for the Buckeyes this week.
- Rutgers head coach Chris Ash talked to the media about being without CB Blessuan Austin.
Blow for our team, but opportunity for Damon Hayes to step up and be the full-time starter.
- Which J.T. Barrett will show up on Saturday?
After an up-and-down day against a newly-feisty Indiana defense and an absolute collapse against playoff hopeful Oklahoma, Barrett has looked like a new man.
Fighting for a top spot in the Big Ten East Division
The Buckeyes won 54-21 in Week 4 against UNLV, but they still slid to No. 11 in the AP Poll. Beating an unranked opponent isn’t enough for Ohio State to usurp other ranked Big Ten teams like Wisconsin (No. 10), Michigan (No. 8), and the top-seated Penn State (No. 4). All but the Badgers are in the East division of the conference and will face each other in the next few weeks, but the Buckeyes could use the momentum as they get deeper into their schedule.
Ohio State vs. Rutgers prediction:
Urban Meyer is 8-1 against former assistants, and Ash on Saturday should make it 9-1. Ash has done a lot to energize the Rutgers team, but he hasn’t had long enough to establish his own culture within the program. Ohio State gets the win but still doesn’t crack the top 10 in next week’s ranking.
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