Ohio State: A few numbers for Saturday's game against Rutgers
Ohio State will return to Big Ten play on Saturday at Rutgers. Waxing philosophic about the dominance of tOSU in the Big Ten can only carry so far … so here are some numbers for the matchup instead:
6
Number of Buckeyes rushers with multiple 200-yard rushing games in their careers. Given TreVeyon Henderon’s 277 yards against Tulsa, he’s halfway to joining the club after just 4 career games. Henderson was just the 5th Buckeye to reach 250+ yards rushing, and if he’s able to top 250 a second time, he’ll be the first Ohio State player ever to do so. The 2×200 club: Eddie George (5 200-yard games), Ezekiel Elliott (5), Chris “Beanie” Wells (2), Carlos Hyde (2), Archie Griffin (2), JK Dobbins (2).
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49
This is the FEWEST points Ohio State has ever scored in a game against Rutgers. Not only are the Buckeyes 7-0 all-time against the Scarlet Knights, but they average over 50 points per game in the series, which began in 2014 with Rutgers’ entry into the Big Ten. In 4 of the 7 meetings, OSU has held Rutgers to a single-digit total, including a pair of shutouts.
1,426
This is the number of days since Ohio State last lost when favored by at least 15 points, the number they’re currently favored by against Rutgers. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 3 in the nation when they fell at unranked Iowa on Nov. 4, 2017. JT Barrett threw 4 interceptions in the loss.
1,804
This is the number of days since Ohio State lost to a team in the Big Ten East. That was Oct. 22, 2016, when OSU, then ranked 2nd in the nation, took a 24-21 loss at Penn State. Despite outgaining the Nittany Lions that day 413-276, the Buckeyes lost a 21-7 lead to open the fourth quarter, largely due to a blocked punt and a blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown. Yes, Barack Obama was the president, the Chicago Cubs had not won a World Series in 108 years, and Urban Meyer was still very much in Columbus. OSU has won its last 25 games in the division.
3,551
This is how many day it’s been since Ohio State wasn’t ranked in the AP top 25. That dates to Jan. 10, 2012, when the final poll appeared for the 2011 season after OSU finished 6-7 under Luke Fickell. This springs to mind because Ohio State fell out of the AP top 10 this week, which is the first time the Buckeyes have done so since the week following their 2017 loss to Iowa (see above), when the Buckeyes also fell to 11th. But to fall out of the top 25, as Clemson is on the verge of doing, well, it’s been awhile.
5,096
That’s how many days it’s been since Rutgers beat a team ranked as high as Ohio State. In the entire history of Rutgers’ program, they’ve beaten just 9 ranked teams. Only twice have the Scarlet Knights beaten a team ranked as high as No. 11 (Ohio State’s current AP ranking) — on Oct. 18, 2007 against No. 2 USF and the year before over No. 3 Louisville. It is worth noting that the Rutgers coach then is the same coach as now — Greg Schiano. Rutgers won 5 bowl games in 6 years under Schiano from 2006 to 2011, when Schiano left to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Aside from that run, the school has just 1 bowl win ever.