Marvin Harrison Jr. Bails out No. 1 OSU as Buckeyes Fans Lament Offense vs. Rutgers

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Fresh off being ranked No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff Top 25 poll of the season, Ohio State left a lot to be desired in a 35-16 win over Rutgers on Saturday.

As has been the case all season, Marvin Harrison Jr. helped bail out the passing game. The superstar wide receiver actually had one of his least productive outings of the year with 25 yards and two touchdowns on four catches, but he stepped up big when his team needed him the most.

Facing a 3rd-and-goal from Rutgers’ four-yard line, Harrison won on a jump ball for the score to put Ohio State up by two scores early in the fourth quarter.

One reason Harrison was held in check, at least if you glance at the box score, is because Kyle McCord had a mediocre day. There was one play in the third quarter when he was running uncovered down the seam, but the Buckeyes quarterback didn’t even look in his direction.

The Buckeyes were facing a halftime deficit of 9-7 after Rutgers got three field goals in the second quarter. One of the field goals was set up by McCord’s interception in his own territory.

Even after Harrison’s touchdown catch, Rutgers was able to drive down the field on its next possession. The defense finally stepped up when Ty Hamilton sacked Gavin Wimsatt on 4th-and-goal from the six to preserve the lead.

This was a one score contest until Harrison’s touchdown put the Buckeyes up by 12. The offense outside of Harrison and head coach Ryan Day were the subject of much fan criticism throughout the game.

Rutgers has played well overall this season. Head coach Greg Schiano’s team came into the day with a 6-2 record and a good win over Michigan State two weeks ago.

While giving credit to the Scarlet Knights for how they played, Ohio State looked off in a lot of ways throughout this game. The final score only looks the way it does because the Buckeyes got a late score after Rutgers turned the ball over on downs deep in its own territory while trying to make a comeback.

TreVeyon Henderson did a lot of heavy lifting for the offense. The junior running back had 128 yards and a score on 22 carries. It’s the third consecutive game he’s played with at least 100 rushing yards.

Finding ways to survive in ugly games has been a theme for the Buckeyes. They didn’t play great against Notre Dame or Penn State but managed to win both games and keep their perfect record intact.

Saturday was another sloppy showing for the top-ranked team in the Playoff standings that resulted in a largely underwhelming victory.

Ohio State will return home for the next two weeks to host Michigan State (Nov. 11) and Minnesota (Nov. 18) before traveling to the Big House for its final regular-season game of the season at Michigan on Nov. 25.