In 100 days, Ohio State will be playing in its fifth-straight home game to start the 2022 season, taking on former Buckeyes defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and Rutgers at home at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 1.
What will the Scarlet Knights be bringing to Columbus?
Here's a look at what they could look like heading into the 2022 season.
Ohio State has dominated Rutgers
Since Rutgers joined the Big Ten in 2014, Ohio State has had the Scarlet Knights' number.
Rutgers has met up with the Buckeyes in each of its eight seasons inside the Big Ten, losing each of those matchups by at least three touchdowns.
While the Buckeyes have never scored less than 49 points against Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights have never scored more than the 27 they recorded in 2020, recording four games from 2015-18 in which they scored 10 combined points in four losses.
But ever since Rutgers joined the Big Ten, this has been pretty typical.
Ever since their first 8-5 season in their first season in the conference under head coach Kyle Flood, Rutgers has not won more than five games in a season, recording a record of 21-61 in each of the past seven seasons, including nine wins in 62 conference games.
Since joining the Big Ten, the only teams Rutgers has beat inside conference play has been Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, Illinois, Purdue and Michigan State.
Things could be looking up for the offense
Rutgers didn't have much success moving the ball down the field in 2021.
The Scarlet Knights were one of three teams in the Big Ten along with Indiana and Northwestern to average less than 20 points per game, while being one of four along with the Wildcats, Hoosiers and Iowa, to average less than five yards per play.
There were bright spots at times, whether it was Isaih Pacheco's five rushing touchdowns, or wide receiver Bo Melton's three receiving touchdowns, leading the team with 618 receiving yards. But both are gone now, leaving the heavy lifting to wide receiver Aron Cruickshank, who had an 102-yard game against the Buckeyes, and running back Kyle Monangai with redshirt senior quarterback Noah Vedral.
But hope could be on the horizon at the quarterback position.
One of three four-star recruits in the 2022 class along with defensive back Alijah Clark and linebacker Kharyi Banton, Owensboro, Ky. native Gavin Wimsatt was the No. 10-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class, and the Scarlet Knights' highest ranked quarterback prospect since it entered the Big Ten.
Wimsatt didn't get much playing time as a true freshman completing nine of his 21 pass attempts for 45 yards and two interceptions, while averaging 7.4 yards per carry on nine rushes.
But he provides something Rutgers really hasn't had in the past: something to plan for behind center.
All the defense can do is go up
Rutgers had a struggling defense to match its struggling offense in 2021.
The Scarlet Knights allowed 25.6 points per game, 396.7 yards per game and 5.9 yards per play, allowing the second-most rushing yards in the Big Ten last season (161.8).
And things could get harder in 2022, losing five-year linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi, who led the Scarlet Knights with 86 tackles and 11 tackles-for-loss a season ago.
However, Rutgers does have some experience returning on defense, including redshirt sophomore Max Melton, who led the team with two interceptions at cornerback, redshirt junior linebacker Mohamed Toure, who recorded 7.5 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks last season, and redshirt senior defensive back Kessawn Abraham, who posted 10 pass deflections in his first season as a starter in 2021.
