Ohio State Wins Over Rutgers Despite Offensive Struggles, Injuries Weaken Secondary

Offense plagued with errors and secondary seeing key injuries, but strong performance from TreVeyon Henderson and Marvin Harrison Jr. secures 35-16 victory over Rutgers for Ohio State's ninth straight win.

Ohio State's offensive struggles continued as they committed several self-inflicted mistakes including issues with the offensive line, dropped passes, and an interception thrown by Kyle McCord. Despite this, they managed to win over Rutgers 35-16 due to a strong performance from TreVeyon Henderson and Marvin Harrison Jr.
Injuries took a toll on the Buckeyes' secondary, as they were missing key players including safety Lathan Ransom and cornerback Denzel Burke. Mid-game, safety Josh Proctor was also kept on the sideline due to a hard hit, necessitating the use of true freshmen in the secondary against Rutgers.
Despite conceding 361 total yards, their highest this season, the Buckeyes' defense was particularly effective in the red zone. Rutgers only scored one touchdown and had to settle for field goals three times when they got within the 5-yard line of Ohio State's endzone.
Marvin Harrison Jr. had a significant role in bailing out the Buckeyes, scoring two touchdowns and proving instrumental when his team needed him most. His performance was vital, given quarterback Kyle McCord's mediocre outing.
TreVeyon Henderson's contribution was key to Ohio State's victory, with 128 yards and a score coming off his 22 carries. This marked his third consecutive game with at least 100 rushing yards.