Struggles? What struggles?

Setting aside a loss to Oregon and a defense so broken that OSU changed play callers in September, it’s a new month and seems like a new team in Columbus. Ohio State looked remarkably like the best team in the Big Ten and a squad in decent shape to contend for the College Football Playoff on Saturday as they crushed Rutgers 52-13.

“A month ago, we were a much different team,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said after the game. “I felt like we saw a glimpse… tonight.”

October does seem more disposed to be kind to the Buckeyes than a stumbling September to forget. On Saturday, everything OSU touched was coming up gold. It may have been a glimpse of a great team that Day saw, and there’s no reason to think the glimpses won’t form into a full vision of gridiron excellence.

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The defense? Well, Rutgers had 13 points, but 7 came in the 4th quarter once the game was a blowout. The Scarlet Knights gained 346 total yards, but 125 came in that final quarter, when OSU led by 45 and was digging deep into the far reaches of the bench. Honestly, aside from a 75-yard pass from Rutgers QB Noah Vedral to WR Aron Cruickshank late in the first quarter, the Buckeyes rarely hit a sour note defensively.

Day acknowledged the prior confusion.

“Before they were just trying to get lined up and everything they were doing for the first time,” the coach admitted. Not so this week. And now, coach? “It’s a bunch of guys we are expecting to make plays,” said Day.

Offensively? After missing last week’s game with Akron, C.J. Stroud was back at quarterback and was nearly perfect, completing 17 of 23 pass attempts for 330 yards and 5 touchdowns, to 4 different receivers. Garrett Wilson has been OSU’s standout receiver, and he was somewhat quiet, with 3 grabs for 71 yards. But Chris Olave stepped up, snagging 5 passes for 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

TreVeyon Henderson had only 8 carries, but they went for 71 yards including a 44-yard touchdown. He left early after getting dinged up, but Day’s postgame comments indicated that the move was precautionary and he expected Henderson to be back at full strength.

Chemistry? No issues apparent for the Buckeyes on Saturday. It’s funny how racking up 30- or 40-point victories suddenly makes life much more pleasant. Day praised his outstanding young players, from Henderson to Stroud to leading tackler Ronnie Hickman and linebacker Cody Simon.

“They’re not young anymore,” Day said. “They have games under their belts so now we know what to expect.”

What to expect seems to be a Big Ten that’s somewhere between uncomfortable and utterly overwhelmed at matching up with the Buckeyes. Penn State has been solid, Iowa looks good (though OSU would only face them in the B1G title game) and Michigan has had its moments. But Ohio State’s offense has consistently featured another gear, and the defense seems to be building on positive momentum.

October figures to be pretty kind to the Buckeyes. Maryland (Oct. 9)  just got slaughtered by Iowa. Indiana (Oct. 23) is 2-3 and its offense looks pretty broken. Penn State lurks at the end of the month, but the Buckeyes are rolling and they seem much more imposing than a couple of weeks earlier. The Buckeyes opened October showing glimpses of something special.