Rutgers vs. Ohio State picks, predictions: Will Scarlet Knights pull off Pandemonium in Piscataway 2?

Rutgers football achieves a massive goal the last time it took the field, clinching traditional bowl eligibility for the first time in nine years with a win over Indiana.

Two weeks later, the Scarlet Knights have a chance to snap a few more skids, and all they have to do is pull off the biggest upset in program history.

Rutgers (6-2, 3-2) hosts No. 1 Ohio State (8-0, 5-0) at SHI Stadium in Piscataway on Saturday. It marks the Scarlet Knights’ first meeting with a No. 1 team since the Buckeyes visited them in 2015, delivering a 49-7 rout before returning to Columbus. It was one of the nine wins Ohio State earned in its nine meetings against Rutgers, a lopsided series in which the Buckeyes scored at least 49 points in every game and is averaging a margin of victory of 53-11.

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Much like the majority of the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights have been dominated by Ohio State. But they have a chance to change the narrative on Saturday, an opportunity to further show their progress as a program in the fourth season of head coach Greg Schiano’s second stint.

Rutgers’ defense is stout, the favorite to win the matchup against the Buckeyes’ good-but-not-great offensive attack spearheaded by Scarlet Knights legacy Kyle McCord. Its offense has been solid under first-year coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, with quarterback Gavin Wimsatt limiting his turnovers and Big Ten leading rusher Kyle Monangai on pace for the best season for a Rutgers running back in over a decade. Its special teams has made a big scoring play in back-to-back games, and against an Ohio State unit that has struggled for stretches, it could be poised to do so again on Saturday.

Will that be enough to spring the biggest upset in program history, its first-ever over a No. 1 team, first-ever over the Buckeyes, first win over a ranked opponent in 14 years after failing in its last 36 attempts?

That will be played out on the field Saturday, and predicted by us right now.

As we do every week, the cast of the Rutgers Rant shared their predictions for that game, and will do the same for this Saturday’s contest against Indiana.

Here’s the leaderboard through eight games:

Here’s what the NJ Advance Media crew thinks about this Saturday’s matchup:

This is the sobering reality for Rutgers when it comes to facing Ohio State: It is quite possible that the Scarlet Knights will play their best game in their 10 th meeting against the Buckeyes and still get blown out. The Big Ten’s powerhouse has never scored fewer than 49 points against Rutgers in nine meetings, with a 53-11 average score. This will be the best defense that Rutgers has ever put on the field against the Buckeyes, and for that reason alone, this game should be closer. Unfortunately, Ohio State’s defense is just too good for me to expect a close game.

PICK: Ohio State 33, Rutgers 7.

Pat Lanni, beat reporter

Rutgers is averaging 214.8 rushing yards per game in its six wins and 70.5 in its two losses. It would be naive to think that tells the whole story, but at the macro level it tells you all you need to know. Rutgers has the best chance to win when it can establish the run. It would take a herculean effort from tailback Kyle Monangai and the offensive line for the Scarlet Knights to have a shot at pulling off an upset against the nation’s No. 1-ranked team. Yes, Rutgers is closer to Ohio State this year than its previous nine meetings but not close enough.

PICK: Ohio State 27, Rutgers 10

Brian Fonseca, beat reporter

Rutgers has never had a better shot at upsetting Ohio State. The Buckeyes may be No. 1, but they certainly seem vulnerable without the explosive offense they’ve accustomed the college football world to in the past decade. But the visitors still have one of the best defenses in the sport, exponentially more talent across the field and the motivation of battling for a national championship. The Scarlet Knights will keep it close, but after their offense struggles to stay on the field and commits a costly turnover or two, their defense will eventually wear down and allow Ohio State to open up the floodgates.

PICK: Ohio State 31, Rutgers 10.