The calendar says late November, and anyone wearing Scarlet & Gray knows what that means — one final Saturday stands between Ohio State and its annual pilgrimage to Ann Arbor. But before the Buckeyes can fully turn their gaze north, there’s business to handle. Rutgers rolls into Columbus this weekend for Ohio State’s final home game, and while the stakes feel smaller than what awaits next week, the margin for error is just as thin.

If the Purdue and UCLA games were about sharpening edges, this week is about finishing the prep work. Getting healthy. Cleaning up the last few details. And for Ryan Day, making sure his team doesn’t drift even one inch into “Michigan Week” mode before the clock says it’s time.

It’s a tough balancing act. Rutgers isn’t beating Ohio State straight up — not with the Buckeyes outgaining UCLA 440–222 last Saturday and holding opponents to just 9.1 points per game this season, the fewest in the nation. But Rutgers can hit you with enough odd looks, blitz pressures, and backfield chaos to make you regret taking your eye off the ball. So here are the musings that matter most as Ohio State heads into its final dress rehearsal.

1. The Smith & Tate Question: Rest, Rep, or Risk?

The biggest storyline this week might not involve Rutgers at all — it’s what Ohio State does with its two All-America receivers.

Carnell Tate: Missed two straight games with lower-leg tightness. Jeremiah Smith: Played one half vs UCLA, limped off, and never returned.

Ryan Day said Saturday he’s “not worried” long-term, but the question is whether “not worried” means “play them vs Rutgers” or “bubble wrap them until Ann Arbor.”

There’s a strong argument that both should sit:

Ohio State already proved it can score without them (48 on UCLA, 34 on Purdue). The younger WRs — Inniss, Graham, Rodgers, Klare — played confident, mistake-free football. Tate and Smith have nothing left to prove in a game where OSU is favored by nearly 40.

But there’s also value in rhythm. A handful of early-drive snaps might be enough to keep timing sharp without risking extended exposure.

Musings verdict:

If they aren’t 100%, let them watch in sweatpants and a winter coat. Ohio State’s season depends more on a healthy Smith and Tate next week than it does on hanging 50 on Greg Schiano.

2. How Much Load Management Is Too Much Load Management?

Ohio State is 10–0 for a reason — they’ve managed this roster like a playoff basketball team. Day and Patricia have been surgical with snaps:

Starters rarely play deep into the 4th quarter Rotations are huge Injured players sit immediately, no hesitation Even Julian Sayin has been protected from unnecessary hits

But this week presents a philosophical question: Do you treat Rutgers like a tune-up, or a bubble-wrap session?

Rutgers struggles offensively:

16.5 points per game (113th nationally) Just 5 passing TDs all season Averaging barely 117 rush yards per game

But Schiano’s defenses fight:

Top-35 in yards per play allowed (5.0) Physical corner play Lots of run blitzing They force turnovers — the one place Ohio State hasn’t been flawless

Ohio State doesn’t need full-throttle effort to win. But it does need sharpness — especially along the offensive line, where reps matter more than rest.

Expect Day to play starters into the mid-3rd quarter. Past that?

Helmets off. Slippers on. Apple cider ready. Because no one needs a rolled ankle or twisted knee with Michigan looming.

3. Rutgers’ Rushing Attempts: Annoying or Actually Dangerous?

Rutgers can’t score with Ohio State, but they can shorten the game.

They run the ball 38 times per game, often out of compressed formations, relying on misdirection and QB keepers to stay on schedule. It’s the classic Greg Schiano survival formula: try to bleed the clock, frustrate you, and hope you make the mistake.

Bad news for Rutgers?

Ohio State has allowed:

Just 55.6 rush yards per game since Week 4 Zero 100-yard rushers all season Mobile QBs have averaged 8 total yards against Patricia’s unit

And they’re about to face a defense where Arvell Reese (55 tackles, 10 TFL, 6.5 sacks) is playing like the future Butkus winner he probably is.

Rutgers can annoy Ohio State for a quarter.

They can’t threaten them for four.

4. One Last Chance to Polish the Run Game

The UCLA performance was the closest Ohio State has looked to the rushing attack it wants to be:

222 yards 6.7 per carry All four TDs on the ground Career-best night for Bo Jackson (112 yards, 7.5 YPC) James Peoples’ national-highlight hurdle Isaiah West with another burst-heavy outing

But Rutgers is a different type of test — more physical, more gap-disciplined, and far less likely to give up free yards.

This is exactly the type of game where OSU needs to prove the run game can win between the tackles…the kind of runs they’ll need next week, when weather, emotion, and chaos always play a part.

If the Buckeyes can punch the ball in consistently inside the red zone, they’ll go into Ann Arbor with the most balanced offense of the Ryan Day era.

5. How Much Michigan Prep Sneaks Into This Week?

Here’s the honest answer:

None publicly. Plenty privately.

Ohio State won’t admit it, but this week the staff begins layering in tendencies they want Michigan to see — and tendencies they want Michigan to think they’ll see.

Just like Michigan does every year.

Expect subtle hints:

More under-center formations More heavy personnel Wrinkles in the run game Simpler defensive fronts to keep the real stuff off film Maybe a new motion package — but not the one they’ll use next week

This game is about tuning the engine without revealing the blueprint.

6. Rutgers Might Be the Last Warm-Up…but Don’t Forget Indiana

Indiana nearly blew a 17-point lead to Penn State last week.

And with the Hoosiers sitting at No. 2 in the polls, struggling to protect Malik Washington, and showing cracks in their run fits, OSU may have found the matchup advantage it needed for a potential Big Ten title game.

This week isn’t just about beating Rutgers.

It’s about getting healthy, sharpening fundamentals, and scouting two teams Ohio State could face in back-to-back top-5 showdowns.

Final Thought

Ohio State has reached the point in the season where the mission narrows into something simple:

Stay focused. Stay healthy. Stay lethal.

Rutgers won’t derail the season, but lapses in attention or discipline could. Saturday is one final tune-up, one final chance to sharpen the blade, and one final reminder that everything they’ve worked for — redemption, a Big Ten title, a playoff run — sits just one week away.

Photo Credit: Adam.Cairns/The Columbus Diapatch