Ohio State vs. Rutgers score, takeaways: TreVeyon Henderson proves key to offense as Buckeyes avoid upset

The Ohio State star running back powered his team on Saturday in the tough win on the road

No. 1 Ohio State survived an unexpected road scare to beat Rutgers 35-16. While the final score makes it seem as if the Buckeyes were never in danger, it's a bit misleading. Rutgers took a 9-7 lead into the locker room at halftime and appeared on the verge of expanding it in the third quarter ... before disaster struck. That's when Gavin Wimsatt's pass was deflected, picked off and returned 93 yards for a touchdown by Jordan Hancock to reestablish order.

It was not the most impressive performance by the Buckeyes offense save for star running back TreVeyon Henderson, who finished with 22 carries for 128 yards rushing as well as five receptions for 80 yards -- all of which led the team on the day. The rest of the credit goes to an Ohio State defense that was put into a lot of tricky situations but came out on top more often than not. 

• Ohio State has now won 37 straight games against unranked opponents, the longest streak in the nation.
• Ohio State is now 10-0 all-time against Rutgers.
• Rutgers had four red-zone possessions but scored only 16 points, settling for three field goals and turning the ball over on downs once.
• Marvin Harrison Jr. had a quiet day but still finished with four catches for 25 yards and two touchdowns.
• Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai became the second player to rush for 100 yards in a game against Ohio State this season, finishing with 159 yards.
  

CBS Sports was with you throughout the game bringing you live updates, highlights and analysis. Read on below for takeaways from Ohio State's win over Rutgers. 

[Nov 4, 2023 at 3:53 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Greg Schiano is a miracle worker

It's a loss, but it's a loss that was a lot more competitive than the final score. On paper, Rutgers shouldn't have a prayer of competing with the Buckeyes, but this was a one-score game early in the fourth quarter.

Rutgers falls to 6-3 on the season with the loss, but the fact its already bowl eligible is the real takeaway here. And if the Knights ever find a competent QB to pair a passing attack with a ground game that had more success against Ohio State than anybody else this season? This team might start to make some noise in the Big Ten.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 3:53 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Concerning signs in the Ohio State offense

To be overly simplistic, Rutgers' defensive gameplan from week to week isn't that complicated. It does a good job of disguising blitzes and bringing pressure, but at the end of the day, Rutgers likes to keep two safeties deep to prevent big plays.

The theory behind the strategy is sound. The Big Ten just doesn't have the quality of quarterback and receivers across the conference to take advantage. Make your opponent put together long touchdown drives, and you'll get off the field more often than not.

But it's not supposed to work against Ohio State. If there's ever a team in the conference capable of taking advantage of it, it's the Buckeyes. They didn't, though. Kyle McCord completed 19 of his 26 passes, but they were all short throws as he finished with 189 yards (7.3 per attempt). Harrison was effectively corralled most of the game, but even without injured tight end Cade Stover, the Buckeyes are supposed to have plenty of other options.

But the rest of the receiving corps -- including a newly healthy Emeka Egbuka -- was mostly ineffective today. Rutgers deserves a lot of credit for shutting this Buckeyes offense down, but it doesn't inspire a lot of confidence when it comes to the idea of Ohio State being able to score points against tougher teams like Michigan.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 3:54 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Harrison is Ohio State's best player, but Henderson unlocks the offense

Harrison could be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft, and for good reason. He's a phenomenal talent who may only continue to improve. However, he's been available all season long and Ohio State's offense has still struggled at times, often relying on Harrison to do something spectacular to bail them out.

When Ohio State's offense is at its best, it's because TreVeyon Henderson is on the field. He hasn't been available all season, but returned to action last week in Ohio State's 24-10 win over Wisconsin. It was Henderson who scored the touchdown to put the game away last week, and it was Henderson once again putting this game to bed for the Buckeyes.

Henderson led the Buckeyes in rushing and receiving today, finishing with 128 yards on the ground and 80 in the air.

More than the numbers, the difference between Henderson and Ohio State's other backs is his ability to turn a 1-yard gain into a 65-yard gain. He has an extra gear Ohio State's other backs don't have. It allows him to beat defenders to a spot and blow by them, and once he's in open field, he's difficult to catch or corral.

The prime example today was Henderson catching a dump-off pass over the middle in front of three Rutgers defenders. Henderson raced them to the sideline, beat them there and turned up field where he gained 65 yards to set up a touchdown to give the Buckeyes a two-score lead after Rutgers had gotten itself back into the game.

Henderson's presence means defenses can't focus solely on Harrison and take away explosive plays elsewhere because Henderson can turn the mundane play into an explosive at any time.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 3:38 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

FINAL: Ohio State 35, Rutgers 16

No. 1 Ohio State survived an unexpected road scare, beating Rutgers SCORE. While the final score make it seem as if the Buckeyes were never in danger, it's a bit misleading. Rutgers took a 9-7 lead into the locker room at halftime, and appeared on the verge of expanding it in the third quarter when disaster struck. That's when Gavin Wimsatt's pass was deflected, picked off, and returned 93 yards for a touchdown by Jordan Hancock to reestablish order.

It was not the most impressive performance by the Buckeyes offense save for running back TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson finished with 128 yards rushing, five receptions, and 80 yards recieving. All of which led the team. The rest of the credit goes to an Ohio State defense that was put into a lot of tricky situations, but came out on top more often than not. 

[Nov 4, 2023 at 3:26 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Rutgers gets the stop it needs but does nothing with it

After an Ohio State punt pins the Knights inside their 20, they fail to pick up a first down and turn it over on downs. Ohio State gets the ball back at the Rutgers 17 with 4:16 to play. Have to think that wraps this one up.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 3:15 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Ohio State with a goal line stand

Rutgers was able to solve the red zone puzzle on its last possession, but the magic quickly runs out. Another impressive drive by the Knights results in disappointment. This time the Knights don't even get a field goal. Gavin Wimsatt is sacked on fourth-and-goal and it's a turnover on downs. Ohio State holds onto its 28-16 lead and will now look to bleed as much of the 8:14 remaining on the clock as possible.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 2:59 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

The TreVeyon Henderson difference

The biggest difference between TreVeyon Henderson and Ohio State's other running backs? He's capable of turning a basic play into a big play in the blink of an eye. A short 5-yard pass to Henderson turns into 65-yard gain to set up first and goal after Henderson hits the burners and beats Rutgers defenders to the corner.

Three plays later Kyle McCord is finding Marvin Harrison in the back corner for a touchdown and Ohio State is back up two scores once again. It's 28-16 with 12:02 left to play.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 2:50 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Rutgers strikes!

As soon as I finish typing a third quarter update saying Rutgers needs to find big plays on offense it hasn't made all day, Gavin Wimsatt hits a 35-yard pass to Christian Dremel, and follows it up with a 19-yard touchdown strike to JaQuae Jackson on the next play. Suddenly we've gone from a 21-9 game that Ohio State had control of to a 21-16 game anybody could win.

What a turn of events in Piscataway.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 2:46 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

END 3: Ohio State 21, Rutgers 9

We enter the final quarter with Ohio State firmly in control, up 21-9, but it took a long time for the Buckeyes to feel comfortable. After jumping out to an early 7-0 lead, the Ohio State offense was stuck in the mud for nearly two full quarters worth of action, allowing Rutgers to take a 9-7 lead into halftime.

Rutgers looked like it was going to extend the lead in the third quarter but an overthrown Gavin Wimsatt pass was tipped into the air and returned 93 yards for a touchdown by Ohio State's Jordan Hancock. The Buckeyes followed it up by getting another stop, and then put together their best offensive drive of the day, going 71 yards in eight plays to extend their lead to 21-9.

Rutgers begins the fourth quarter with the ball, but has struggled mightily to finish drives all day. While it has outgained Ohio Staet 249 yards to 199, it's had to settle for field goals on each of its three red-zone possessions, with none of the field goals being longer than 22 yards.

The offense will need to make plays it hasn't been able to make to this point for the Knights to pull off the upset.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 2:37 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

The Buckeyes have taken control

I said earlier that Rutgers couldn't keep settling for field goals and expect to win the game, and now here we are with the Buckeyes up 21-9. Ohio State puts together its best drive of the day, going 71 yards in eight plays, leaning heavily on TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson worked as a ballcarrier and receiver during the drive, finishing it off with a 9-yard touchdown run.

Considering Rutgers hasn't scored a touchdown yet, it's hard to believe they'll find the two they need in the final 17 minutes.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 2:13 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Disaster for Rutgers

Gavin Wimsatt fires a pass to Kyle Monangai, but it's overthrown and defelected into the air. That's when Ohio State's Jordan Hancock plucks it out of the air and takes it back 93 yards for the touchdown and Ohio State it up 14-9. We quickly went from Rutgers on the verge of extending its lead to trailing in a matter of seconds.

Ohio State safety Josh Proctor, who delivered a big hit to Monangai to pop the ball in the air, was shaken up after the play, but walked off.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 2:09 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Rutgers Kyle Monangai over 100 yards rushing

Monangai is now up to 124 yards rushing early in the third quarter. He's only the second player to rush for at least 100 yards against the Buckeyes defense this season. The first was Purdue's Devin Mockobee, who finished with 110 yards in a 41-7 Ohio State win.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 1:41 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

HALFTIME: Rutgers 9, Ohio State 7

No, the score is not a typo. Rutgers leads No. 1 Ohio State 9-7 at halftime in Piscataway, New Jersey. Nor is the score a fluke. While Ohio State struck first to take a 7-0 lead, it was the result of a short field gifted to the Buckeyes by a bad Rutgers punt. They went 54 yards in six plays with Kyle McCord finding Gee Scott for a 14-yard touchdown to finish the drive.

And it's been nothing since for Ohio State. The Buckeyes went three-and-out on their first possession and have managed only 67 yards on four possessions since. One drive ended with a turnover on downs thanks to a rogue fake punt gone wrong, and another ended with Kyle McCord trying to force a ball to Marvin Harrison Jr. in coverage and was picked off.

The problem for Rutgers is it hasn't been able to take advantage. After going three-and-out on their first three possessions, the Knights reached the red zone on their final three possessions of the half but were forced to settle for field goals each time. While it's been enough to get a 9-7 lead at halftime, it's hard to imagine it'll be enough to hold up over the entire game once Ohio State makes adjustments.

That said, this is college football, and we've seen far crazier things happen before. I mean, you never saw Rutgers leading this game at halftime in the first place, did you?

[Nov 4, 2023 at 1:29 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

OK, maybe Rutgers can rely on its defense

Kyle McCord hasn't gone to Marvin Harrison as much today, as Rutgers has done a good job bracketing him. This time McCord tries to force a ball to Harrison between three defenders and is picked off by Mohamed Toure. Now the Knights have great field position with 1:42 to work with.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 1:24 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Rutgers is too conservative

They get the short field and get another 1st and goal situation, but settle for a 21-yard FG instead of going for it on 3-yard line. You're not going to win this game kicking field goals. I don't care how well your defense is playing. If you have a shot to get six, you go for six.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 1:15 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Ohio State making this more difficult than it needs to be

The Buckeyes ran a fake punt, and while Mirco picked up the first down, there was a blatant hold on the edge to negate it. It's a turnover on downs and Rutgers gets the ball at the OSU 32. As for the playcall, based on Ryan Day's sideline reaction, I believe Mirco may have gone rogue.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 1:06 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

The Greatest Play of All Time

Move over, Tush Push, we have a new 4th and short play. Facing fourth and 1, Rutgers Gavin Wimsatt lined up under center, took the snap, and then passed the ball between his legs to Kyle Monangai who took off 45 yards as the Ohio State defense all crashed the middle of the line anticipating a QB sneak. 

Unfortunately for Rutgers, Monangai didn't score on the play. Ohio State's defense held them to a field goal, but Rutgers is finally on the board. It's 7-3.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 12:47 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

End 1st: Ohio State 7, Rutgers 0

No. 1 Ohio State leads Rutgers 7-0 after a quarter of what's been a defensive struggle. Ohio State has reached the end zone but with a little help as it came after an 18-yard punt left the Buckeyes with the ball at midfield. The six-play, 54-yard TD drive was the best moment of the day so far. Other than that, the Rutgers defense has done a good job of flustering the Buckeyes offense.

The problem for Rutgers, however, is it can't do anything on offense. The Scarlet Knights had the ball three times and gone three-and-out on all three possessions.

Ohio State's Kyle McCord is 10-of-10 passing to start the day but only has 61 yards. Still, that's far better than Rutgers' Gavin Wimsatt, who is 0 of 3 and missed what would've been a touchdown when he overthrew his target by 10 yards.

Ohio State has the ball to start the second quarter. Its offense isn't firing on all cylinders, but my early theory is it won't have to score too many points to win this game.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 12:44 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Rutgers yet to pick up a first down

The Knights have had three possessions, and they've run 9 plays for 21 total yards. They had a shot at a big play on the latest possession, but Gavin Wimsatt overthrew a wide open receiver. The defense is doing a solid enough job of keeping Ohio State in check, but it may need to do even more if Rutgers has a prayer of scoring today.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 12:24 pm ET · Tom Fornelli]

Where does Ohio State find all these receivers?

Ohio State is gifted a short field by Rutgers and takes full advantage of it. The Buckeyes go 54 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead. Kyle McCord went 4-for-4 on the drive, including a 14-yard touchdown strike to Gee Scott. The senior is filling in for Cade Stover, and made an impressive over the shoulder catch at the back of the end zone with a defensive back draped all over him. 

[Nov 4, 2023 at 11:00 am ET · Tom Fornelli]

Ohio State vs. Rutgers prediction

You could get rich pretty quickly blindly betting the under in Ohio State games this season. For the first six or seven weeks of the season, oddsmakers were confusing Ohio State's 2023 offense with Buckeyes offenses of the last few seasons. Make no mistake, this Ohio State team is much better on defensive than offense, even with Marvin Harrison Jr. While the totals have come down lately, the under remains appealing here. Rutgers will have a tough time cracking double-digits in this matchup, and even Michigan managed only 31 points against the Rutgers defense in Ann Arbor. Pick: Under 42.5

You can read more picks and predictions for the key top 25 games on Saturday below. 

College football picks, schedule: Predictions against the spread, odds, top 25 games in Week 10

Tom Fornelli

[Nov 4, 2023 at 10:30 am ET · Tom Fornelli]

Marvin Harrison Jr. on verge of history

Ohio State has produced a lot of excellent receivers in recent years, but none of them have been able to match a record set by David Boston in the 1990s. In three seasons from 1996 to 1998, Boston finished with at least 100 yards receiving 14 times. Marvin Harrison Jr. enters the weekend with 13 such games in his career. The odds are high Harrison will match Boston's record and pass it this year. Harrison is averaging 111.1 yards receiving per game this year, the most in the Big Ten. Illinois' Isaiah Williams is in second place, more than 40 yards behind him at 70.3.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 10:20 am ET · Will Backus]

Star Ohio State WR set to return

The injury plagued Buckeyes finally got some good news Saturday morning, as ESPN reports that star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is set to make his return against Rutgers. Egbuka hasn't played since Oct. 7's win against Maryland due to a nagging ankle injury. He did warm up with the Buckeyes the last two weeks, but ultimately decided not to play. Prior to suffering the setback, Egbuka -- an expected first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft -- had 22 catches for 303 yards and three touchdowns in just five games. 

[Nov 4, 2023 at 10:00 am ET · Tom Fornelli]

Rutgers looking for more success

It doesn't matter what happens in this game, the 2023 season has already been a tremendous success for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers has won six games to become bowl eligible for the first time since it went 8-5 in 2014 (its first season in the Big Ten). The Knights went to the Gator Bowl following the 2021 season but were 5-7 in the regular season and a replacement in the game for Texas A&M, which withdrew due to COVID-19 spreading like wildfire through its roster.

[Nov 4, 2023 at 9:30 am ET · Will Backus]

Ohio State without key backfield piece

Ohio State running back Miyan Williams will miss the remainder of the 2023 season. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day revealed during his Tuesday press conference that Williams had a procedure done to fix lingering issues, meaning the team will have to navigate its final four games of the season without the No. 2 rusher on its depth chart. 

With Williams sidelined, the Buckeyes have just two healthy running backs with at least 50 carries on the year. This comes at a time when 8-0 Ohio State is pushing for the College Football Playoff and will have its hardest test of the year against Michigan in the regular-season finale if it hopes to keep those CFP hopes alive . 

Ohio State RB Miyan Williams out for season as Buckeyes lose key backfield piece amid CFP push

Will Backus