Buckeyes dispatch Rutgers, Michigan up next

COLUMBUS – Ohio State passed the eye test in its 42-9 win over Rutgers on Saturday. Now it's on to the Michigan test, an exam the Buckeyes have not fared well in the last four times they've taken it. Playing without its two best receivers, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, Ohio State started slowly but hit its stride in the second half to do what it always does when it plays Rutgers – win by several touchdowns. No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) will play at Michigan this Saturday, trying to end a four-year losing streak against their rival. "This game is coming fast. There's a good look in everybody's eye in the locker room," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. "We're excited about this one and just need to focus on what really matters and that's everybody just doing their job. We've got to be at our best, everybody has to be at their best and play really hard." The chances of Smith or Tate or both of them playing against Michigan will be determined in the days leading up to game day. "The only thing I'll say really is they're day to day. The staff and those guys are working really hard to get ready to play next week," Day said. "We'll figure that out when we know what their status is. But the ultimate goal is to win the game. We're going to do everything we can to win the game based on what we have." Ohio State led Rutgers only 14-7 at halftime, thanks in part to a fumble at Rutgers' 1-yard on its first drive of the game. But 28 second-half points gave OSU its eleventh straight win over the Scarlet Knights by a comfortable margin. Bo Jackson rushed for 110 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns and James Peoples had a 48-yard touchdown run for the Buckeyes' final score. Julian Sayin was 13 of 19 for 157 yards and threw two touchdown passes. With Smith and Tate out of action, tight end Max Klare was the leading receiver with 7 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.'] Ohio State had 430 yards of total offense – 254 yards rushing and 176 yards passing. It amassed 280 of those yards after halftime. Its defense, ranked No. 1 in the country, held Rutgers to 147 yards of total offense. Klare said having a defense like Ohio State's allowed the Buckeyes' offense to focus on its job Saturday and has done that all season. "We have confidence in them and what they're going to do on a weekly basis and that gives us confidence to just go out there and let loose," he said. "I give the guys a lot of credit for focusing. "I think not having both Jeremiah and Carnell helped us focus a little more on the job at hand," Day said. "This week has to be the best. We've been working toward this all year. We want it. We know what's at stake," he said. "Whether it was defense, special teams or offense nobody really flinched. It was more like, 'Let's go play.' It will be the same this week." Ohio State's first touchdown on its second possession of the game was set up when the defense stopped Rutgers on fourth-and-one at its own 29-yard line. Three plays later Jackson went 15 yards for a touchdown. Rutgers (5-6, 2-6 Big Ten) cut OSU's lead to 7-3 early in the second quarter on a 44-yard field goal by Jai Patel. The Buckeyes increased their lead to 14-3 with 2:27 left in the first half on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Sayin to Brandon Inniss at the end of an 11-play, 98-yard drive. OSU's next touchdown was also set up by the defense when Caden Curry sacked Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, forced a fumble and recovered it at the Scarlet Knights' 1-yard line. After a penalty forced OSU back to the 11-yard line, Sayin connected with Klare for an 11-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-3 and the lead grew to 28-3 after three quarters on a 10-yard touchdown run by Jackson Ohio State got touchdown runs by C.J. Donaldson and Peoples in the fourth quarter. Rutgers got its only touchdown on a 1-yard run by Antwan Raymond with 6:43 left in the game, chose to go for a two-point conversion and didn't get it