Behind Enemy Lines: Rutgers
The Buckeyes will match up with Rutgers on Saturday at 12pm and while this one appears to be a mismatch on paper, neither team is going to go into this game expecting the game to be predetermined.
The Scarlet Knights have a lot of ties to the Buckeyes with new head coach Chris Ash and some of the things that he has borrowed from the Ohio State program as he tries to put his own mark on the Rutgers program. Ash inherited a team that is only in its third year of Big Ten play and still has a lot of catching up to do to get competitive in the Big Ten as a whole and in an ultra-competitive east division.
What do we know about Ohio State's next opponent however? We went to Bobby Deren of ScarletNation.com, part of the Rivals.com network to get some answers as we go behind enemy lines to scout the Scarlet Knights.
BuckeyeGrove.com: How has Chris Ash come in and changed things at Rutgers in year one? How is Chris Ash and his changes being accepted not only by the team but by the fanbase?
Bobby Deren: Ash has changed the entire culture of the program. He has instilled competition in everything the players do and they have really embraced that. He’s also made strides in the strength and conditioning department with the help of strength coach Kenny Parker. Ash even brought a nutritionist on board and the team is much stronger and better conditioned than it was last season. Those changes have translated into positive results when it comes to recruiting as Rutgers now has the No.22-ranked 2017 class in the nation. The fan base has embraced all of the changes Ash has made, especially after suffering through some rough years with Kyle Flood as the head coach. Ash seems to have rejuvenated Rutgers football and while the rebuilding will take some time, he has received positive feedback for the results thus far.
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