Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will beat Rutgers
By Alec Hartman
The Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action this weekend as they visit the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Many teams are just beginning conference play this weekend but the same can’t be said for the Bucks. In fact, the Bucks decided to take care of business right out of the gate by thrashing the Indiana Hoosiers to open their Big Ten play in Week 1. The Bucks will look to take home another conference victory against Rutgers on Saturday.
Conference play is when the fun starts in college football. Yes, there have been some entertaining games in the past few weekends already but those don’t compare to what is coming. The competition level rises and anything is possible with any opponent.
Rivalry season is just beginning as familiar foes are reunited on the gridiron to even up a long fought series. Teams know who they’re going up against and are looking forward to the challenge.
Most importantly, this is an opportunity for the Bucks to stake their claim in the Big Ten. Considering the loss already taken in this season, it should be understood that it is win or go home time for the Bucks from here on out. There has never been a two-loss team to make the College Football Playoff.
One positive that can be taken from the early loss to Oklahoma is that it will push the Bucks even harder to play their best in every game. This is especially important in Big Ten conference play.
A fact that Buckeye fans should find solace in is that this loss won’t count toward their Big Ten record. This means that the Bucks don’t have any less of a chance of winning the Big Ten than they had before.
All that matters now is focusing on taking it one game at a time. If the Bucks win out in the Big Ten and go on to win the conference championship then there’s little doubt that the Bucks’ season will come up short of another playoff berth.
As for now, a road win against Rutgers means one more tally to add to the Bucks’ Big Ten record. Rutgers isn’t one of the better teams in the conference by any means but a win against them will increase the Bucks’ confidence level for when they do play the upper echelon teams down the road. Here are a few reasons why the Buckeyes will cruise passed Rutgers on Saturday.