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Sitting on the edge of October, it's only fitting that J.T. Barrett is again poised to terrify Rutgers. Barrett has done some of his best work in lighting up the Scarlet Knights — accounting for ten touchdowns through the air and four more on the ground en route to three blowout victories.
Rutgers of course is no stranger to getting blown out — especially by Big Ten foes. The Scarlet Knights are one of those programs whose long history is filled with head-scratching 'Did You Know' trivia. One fact neatly sums up their performance against the current roster of Big Ten schools: Rutgers first beat Penn State two days before WWI ended in 1918 — they would not win again against the Nittany Lions until 1988. Rutgers is 17-53-0 all-time against the Big Ten (a record that looks mighty fine compared to a 2-25 mark against Penn State).
The 2014 season marked Rutgers’ first year in the Big Ten as well as their first matchup with the Buckeyes. Ever since, Ohio State has used the game against the Scarlet Knights as a glorified scrimmage, winning by an average of 46 points per contest. Below is a short history of the lopsided series.
2014: Ohio State 56, Rutgers 17 — The first ever meeting between the two schools saw J.T. Barrett account for five touchdowns and 368 total yards. The game would serve as a tune-up for the No. 13 Buckeyes, who would beat Penn State in double overtime on the road the following week on the way to an eventual national championship.
2015: Ohio State 49 vs. Rutgers 7 — The No. 1 ranked Buckeyes again capitalized on five J.T. Barrett touchdowns to trounce the Scarlet Knights. The win extended a 21 game winning streak and moved the Buckeyes to an 8-0 mark on the season. Three games later, OSU would fall to Michigan State — going on to finish the year 12-1.
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2016: Ohio State 58 vs. Rutgers 0 — Coming off a 45-24 victory against Oklahoma in Norman the previous week, the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes opened the Big Ten season in the Shoe by blanking Rutgers. J.T. Barrett set the school record for career touchdown passes, tossing for four scores. Rutgers, coached by former Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash, would be outgained 669 yards to 116.