Rutgers at Ohio State Picks and Prediction, Saturday, November 22nd, 2025
Use Code WWWC In this Rutgers at Ohio State prediction, the Scarlet Knights travel to Columbus to take on the undefeated and top-ranked Buckeyes in a Big Ten matchup. Rutgers comes into this game at 5-5 overall and 2-5 in Big Ten play. Ohio State is 10-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play as they attempt to win their second straight National Title. The opening kick is scheduled for 12:00 pm EST. Don’t get sacked this football season! Try our College Football Picks!
Rutgers Chasing a Bowl Bid
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights improved to 5-5 overall with a critical 35-20 home win over the visiting Maryland Terps last Saturday. The win now puts the team within one victory of earning an automatic bowl bid. They will have their hands full, however, with their final two games against #1 Ohio State and then the visiting Penn State Nittany Lions in two weeks.
“Excited for our team. Really proud of our team. Kind of been a stretch where I think guys really trusted what we were asking them to do and they did it. I was glad to see them get the result that they did.” Head coach Greg Schiano, who won his 99th game for Rutgers, said after the win.
Running back Antwan Raymond and quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis led the way for the Rutgers offense. Raymond tied a school record with 41 carries while rushing for a career-high 240 yards. Raymond also rushed for a score while compiling the third-highest rushing total in the country this season. Kaliakmanis threw for four touchdown passes, tying Rutgers’ record for most touchdown passes in a Big Ten game. The primary beneficiary was wide receiver Ian Strong. Strong caught three of Kaliakmanis’ four TD strikes, setting the program mark for most receiving touchdowns in a Big Ten game. In all, Rutgers compiled 485 yards of total offense, including 256 yards on the ground.
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On the defensive end, the Scarlet Knights allowed 403 yards of total offense, just 98 of which came through the air. Defensive lineman Eric O’Neill had a big day with a career-high 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss. Defensive back Jett Elad recorded his second interception of the season. A major area of concern was Maryland's ability to run the ball against the Scarlet Knights. The Terps ran for over 300 yards in the losing effort.
As noted above, the Scarlet Knights are now within one victory of qualifying for a bowl game this season. They will have a tall task this week, going up against the top-ranked Buckeyes. Rutgers comes into the game ranked 70th in the nation in points per game. They are just 105th in rushing the football this season, despite the team’s 256 yards rushing against Maryland. They are 26th in passing, however. In the red zone, the Rutgers offense ranks 115th in the country. They are just 121st in the nation in sacks allowed per game, an issue against the stout Buckeyes’ defensive front. Defensively, Rutgers is ranked just 109th in points allowed per game. The Scarlet Knights are a miserable 136th against the run, last in the FBS. The defense ranks 95th against the pass and just 113th in red zone defense. They’ve struggled to get to the quarterback as well, ranked 129th in sacks per game. The Scarlet Knights are sixth in fewest penalty yards per game and 76th in turnover margin.
Key Injuries for Rutgers:
- DL Darold DeNhohe, WR Dane Pardridge, and DB Chris Jones are out.
Buckeyes Pushing Toward Playoff Spot
Once again, the Ohio State Buckeyes are in a prime position to earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs with a perfect 10-0 record heading into this weekend’s matchup. The Buckeyes throttled UCLA last week, 48-10, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Horseshoe.
"I think we had the right approach coming in. We found out this morning that Nico [Iamaleava] may be out, so that sort of changed things a little bit, just in terms of our approach and our game planning, but not in terms of our mindset and mentality. That's the thing that we want to make sure, as we've talked about before, to bring it every day and have that look in our eye." Head coach Ryan Day said after the victory.
Their ground attack led the Buckeyes’ offense. They rushed for a total of 222 yards, the team’s highest in Big Ten games this season. Bo Jackson led the way with a career-high 112 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah West rushed for a career-high 61 yards and a touchdown, and fellow back James Peoples chipped in with 42 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Julian Sayin continued his stellar play, connecting on 23-of-31 passes for 184 yards and a score. Brandon Inniss led the receiving group with a career-high six catches. The Buckeyes finished with 440 yards of total offense.
The Buckeyes’ defense did its part against the Bruins’ offensive attack. They held UCLA to just 228 yards of total offense, including just 68 yards rushing. Linebacker Sonny Styles led the way with seven tackles for the Buckeyes. His brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr., finished with five tackles and also added a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. It marked the first kickoff return for a touchdown for Ohio State since 2010.
The Buckeyes are down to their final two games, and a win here all but assures a playoff berth. They’ll close the season next week at Michigan, hoping to end a two-game skid against the Wolverines. Ohio State comes into this matchup ranked 19th in the country in points per game. The Buckeyes are 43rd in rushing and 25th through the air. They are ranked 24th in the red zone offensively and fourth in sacks allowed per game. On the defensive end, the Buckeyes have been dominant. They are ranked 1st in scoring defense in the country. They are sixth against the run and second against the pass. The Buckeyes are also ranked first in red zone defense. They are 21st in sacks per game and 18th in penalty yards per game. The Buckeyes are 44th in turnover margin in the country.
Key Injuries for Ohio State
- WR Jeremiah Smith (undisclosed) is questionable. Has 69 catches for 902 yards and 10 TDs.
- WR Carnell Tate (undisclosed) is out. Has 39 catches for 711 yards.
- OL Joshua Padilla is out.
Rutgers vs. Ohio State Prediction
Point Spread pick for Rutgers at Ohio StateÂ
- Ohio State -31.5 (4 units)
Ohio State is a perfect 10-0 against Rutgers historically. The last matchup was in 2023, a 19-point Buckeyes win on the road. Before that, the Buckeyes outscored Rutgers by 39 points in back-to-back meetings. The Buckeyes have the nation’s 44th-ranked rushing offense and are coming off a 250+ yard effort on the ground. The Scarlet Knights are last in the country against the run and gave up over 300 yards rushing last week. The Buckeyes will run up and down the field on Rutgers, setting up the play-action pass for the nation’s 25th-ranked passing offense. On the other side of the ball, Rutgers has to contend with the best defense in the country. The Scarlet Knights are 26th in passing, but the Buckeyes have the 2nd-best defense against the pass in the nation. Ohio State will be ready on Saturday in the home finale for the regular season. Don’t expect this to be a trap game. The Buckeyes will win this one convincingly.
Take the Buckeyes -31.5
Over/Under Pick for Rutgers at Ohio State
- Under 56.5 (4 units)
The Buckeyes have the top-scoring defense in the country. They are dominant against the run and the pass. Additionally, Ohio State will certainly pound the ball on the ground against Rutgers’ horrific run defense. They might be missing their top two receivers, which means even more running. That strategy will certainly keep the clock moving and result in longer drives. There is a decent chance this could turn into a one-sided shutout for the nation’s top-ranked team.
Take the under.
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