Ohio State vs. Rutgers: 3 keys to victory, X-factor, more

Rutgers will host No. 11 Ohio State in a Big Ten East Division battle on Saturday at SHI Stadium in Piscataway.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

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Here is a closer look:

KEYS TO VICTORY

Win the battle in the trenches: One might remember the history of the Ohio State-Rutgers series and think we’re kidding. But Rutgers is coming off a week in which it dominated a Big Ten power on both sides of the line of scrimmage for an extended period of the game. Seriously, Rutgers held Michigan scoreless in the second half of its 20-13 defeat in Ann Arbor, forcing the Wolverines to 3-and-outs on four straight possessions after intermission and out-gaining the home team 231-42 in total yards during the second half.

Slow down Ohio State’s play-makers: Ohio State boasts a pair of likely NFL first-round picks at the wide receiver spot in Chris Olave (18 receptions, 255 receiving yards, 3 TDs) and Garrett Wilson (23 receptions, 391 yards, 3 TDs). Sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba (16 receptions, 283 yards, 3 TDs) is no slouch either. The Buckeyes also feature a three-headed monster in the backfield, with freshman TreVeyon Henderson (432 yards, 6 TDs) leading the Big Ten’s second-best rushing attack. There’s a reason why Ohio State ranks first in the Big Ten in both scoring (43.3 points-per-game) and total yards per game (559.3), and it’s their legion of play-makers. It’s hard to imagine Rutgers winning a shootout. For the Scarlet Knights to have any chance, they’ll need to pick their poison and contain at least a few of the Buckeyes’ dynamic weapons.

Win the turnover battle: Rutgers remains among the nation’s leaders in turnover margin despite not forcing a fumble or an interception over the past two games. That’s because the Scarlet Knights haven’t turned it over themselves, committing just one (a Noah Vedral fumble late in the Michigan loss) through the first four games. Rutgers’ plus-1.75 turnover margin stems from a plus-8 tally in turnovers gained. Ohio State ranks 53rd nationally in turnover margin, gaining six while losing four during its 3-1 start.

X-FACTOR

After being held in check with an average of 50.7 yards-per-game through Rutgers’ 3-0 start, Isaih Pacheco broke through for a season-high 107 yards on 20 carries against Michigan’s stout defense. It marked the seventh career 100-yard game for the senior from Vineland, who now has 259 yards and three touchdowns on 65 carries for the season and ranks 13th in program history with 2,054 career rushing yards. Pacheco rushed for 68 yards on only seven carries last year against Ohio State and he’d like nothing better than to duplicate that 9.7 yards-per-carry against an Ohio State unit that ranks 13th in the Big Ten in rush defense (155.3 yards allowed per game).

DID YOU KNOW?

Ohio State has four players from New Jersey high schools on its roster — sophomore safety Ronnie Hickman (DePaul Catholic), linebacker Cody Simon (St. Peter’s Prep), offensive lineman Luke Wypler (St. Joseph-Montvale) and senior defensive end Tyler Friday (Don Bosco Prep) — and three of them are listed as starters. Hickman is expected to start at safety, Wypler is expected to man a spot along the offensive line, and Simon will likely man a linebacker spot. Friday, a senior defensive end who played in 25 games over the past three seasons, is reportedly sidelined for the season with a torn ACL.

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Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com.