After a stumbling September, Ohio State looked like a new team in a new month, opening October in typically strong form by blasting Rutgers 52-13.

The Buckeyes moved to 4-1 and will almost certainly move back into the top 10 of both major polls this week. The reality that OSU remains very much active in the CFP selection process was emphasized by a dominant Buckeyes squad that had few issues, offensively or defensive, in dropping Rutgers to 3-2 on the season. Since the series began with Rutgers’ entry into the Big Ten, Ohio State has yet to score fewer than 49 points or be challenged in any way in the series. It was more of the same Saturday.

Freshman QB CJ Stroud sat out last week’s win over Akron due to minor injury, but he was very much back this week. Stroud approached 300 passing yards in the first half and eclipsed the mark on the opening drive of the third quarter, when he also threw his 5th touchdown pass of the game, one shy of the OSU single-game record. He ended up with 330 yards on 17-of-23 passing in perhaps his most consistently impressive performance of the season.

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Rutgers took the opening possession of the game and moved to midfield before attempting an ill-advised fake punt, which OSU defended capably. On the second play after the fake, TreVeyon Henderson popped a 44=yard scoring run that gave the Buckeyes a lead they would not surrender. Ohio State’s advantage doubled 2 plays later, when safety Denzel Burke jumped a pass from Rutgers QB Noah Vedral and returned it 23 yards for a second OSU touchdown, extending the Buckeyes’ edge to 14-0 with 11:33 to go in the first quarter. Later in the quarter, Noah Ruggles connected on a 23-yard field goal after the only failed third-down conversion for OSU in the first half.

Stroud got on the board later in the quarter, hitting Garrett Wilson for a 32-yard scoring strike that stretched OSU’s advantage to 24-0 with 2:34 to play in the quarter.

Rutgers answered with a 75-yard scoring pass from Vedral to Aron Cruickshank seconds later, but that was about the extent of good news for the Scarlet Knights until they scored late in the game when both teams had reserves in the game.

State extended its edge with a trio of second quarter TD passes from Stroud. First, he connected with Mitch Rossi for a 1-yard score with 12:31 to go in the half. Next, Stroud found tight end Jeremy Ruckert on a 19-yard hook-up with 6:27 remaining in the half. Finally, Stroud avoided an on-coming rush and then found Chris Olave for a 56-yard tightroping-the-sideline score that extended Ohio State’s advantage to 45-6 with 3:24 until halftime. State eclipsed 400 yards of offense in the first half, and with the exception of the busted-play score by Rutgers, was nearly as dominant on defense as it was on offense.

State showed no signs of backing off the gas after intermission. The opening drive of the second half was a 10-play, 75-yard march finishing with Stroud connecting with Olave from 11 yards out for their second scoring connection, making it 52-6 OSU with 10:21 to play in the third quarter. A promising Rutgers drive ended in an interception by Tommy Eichenberg, and OSU spent most of the duration getting snaps for the reserves. Ohio State did not punt until the last 2 minutes of the third quarter.

Following the win, Ohio State will host Maryland next before a mid-season bye week. Rutgers will host Michigan State next in their homecoming game.