3 KEYS TO THE GAME

Look out for trick plays

Ohio State saw quite a bit of trickeration from Rutgers in last season's game in Columbus. Pulling out all the stops, the Scarlet Knights scored one touchdown on a pass to a left tackle and another on a punt return that involved a cross-field lateral. Will Rutgers again dig into the old bag of tricks? It's only guesswork, but the Buckeyes should be mindful of the approach from an undermanned team in search of an upset.

Fighting for turnovers

There isn't much flair or explosiveness to Rutgers' offense, but it's disciplined. Noah Vedral is one of only two Big Ten starting quarterbacks who haven't thrown an interception this season. He's gone 112 passes without a pick. Plus, the Scarlet Knights have lost only one fumble. By avoiding turnovers, they won't hand easy points over to Ohio State, which has already returned two interceptions and a fumble for touchdowns in four games. But the Buckeyes' defense will need to find a way to cause disruption nonetheless.

Prioritize playmakers

After being held without a catch against Tulsa, wide receiver Chris Olave got the ball early against Akron when he caught a shovel pass and burst into the end zone. In a similar fashion, running back Treveyon Henderson saw a bulk of the early carries in the win over the Zips. It paid off as the Buckeyes scored a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter after slow starts in previous weeks. Going back on the road in conference play, Ohio State should look to keep feeding its game-changing players.

Key matchup

Treveyon Henderson vs. Rutgers rush defense

Since making his first start against Tulsa and breaking the school's singlegame freshman rushing record with 277 yards, Henderson has looked like an emerging star in the Buckeyes' backfield. But Rutgers' defense will his biggest test yet. The Scarlet Knights held Michigan to 112 rushing yards last Saturday after the Wolverines had averaged 350 yards on the ground in their first three games. One side will have to give.

Key stat

22: The narrowest margin of victory for Ohio State over seven all-time meetings against Rutgers.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.

WILLIAM BRETZGER/DELAWARE NEWS JOURNAL Rutgers coach Greg Schiano greets his offense after a touchdown in the second quarter of Delaware’s 45-13 loss at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., on Sept. 18.