Roundtable
Kaufman: It unfolded much like Stroud's starting debut, no? Early jitters. Some passes were way off. Then he found his groove. The most interesting part about the dynamic at quarterback is that coach Ryan Day could go with either of them moving forward. Either decision would be defensible. Both have had flashes of potential. Of course, the X-factor is just how injured is Stroud's shoulder. Day didn't commit to a starter immediately after the game.
Rabinowitz: I think it really all depends on Stroud's shoulder, and that's something we just don't know. The Buckeyes practiced Sunday and presumably were going to reevaluate Stroud's shoulder then. I would think that if he's not close to 100%, Mccord will start again. Rutgers is much improved from the pushover it was a couple of years ago, but the Buckeyes should be able to win with either quarterback. You don't want to risk a setback with Stroud's shoulder. But if he's healthy, I would expect him to start.
Kaufman: A lot of the strides made by the Scarlet Knights have been on defense. Rutgers has one of the best statistical defenses in the FBS, ranking No. 7 in scoring defense (13.5 points per game) and No. 11 in total defense (262.8 total yards per game). Ohio State can't get too cute with a quarterback decision this week.
Rabinowitz: If Rutgers is able to slow the Buckeyes' offense, the Akron game gives some evidence that OSU'S defense might have turned the corner. The Zips' ineptitude certainly helped, but Ohio State's defense played with a confidence we hadn't yet seen. The pass rush came alive with nine sacks, and you can see some players —Tyleik Williams, Cody Simon and Steele Chambers are a few — who are emerging.
Kaufman: The emergence of Chambers comes at a pretty important time for the Buckeyes, who saw two veteran linebackers leave the team within a span of five days. Dallas Gant entered the NCAA transfer portal, then K'vaughan Pope was dismissed from the team following his emotional outburst and subsequent expletive tweet directed at Ohio State. Despite just switching from running back in preseason training camp, Chambers looked like he has good instincts for the position and snuffed out a couple of runs. His five tackles against Akron were the second-most on the team, and he's now in the mix there with Teradja Mitchell and Simon.
Rabinowitz: The Buckeyes are down to five healthy scholarship linebackers plus transfer Palaie Gaoteote. OSU has changed its base defense to a 4-2-5, so the numbers crunch is manageable for now. The defensive line, which was missing several key players last week, still played well after position coach Larry Johnson acknowledged his unit hadn't played to expectations. Haskell Garrett had three sacks. With the secondary still in some flux, it's crucial that the line lead the way defensively.
Kaufman: The bigger test for the Buckeyes' defense (before the Oct. 16 idle weekend) will likely come from Maryland. Taulia Tagovailoa has looked like the best quarterback in the Big Ten and leads the conference in passing yards, touchdowns and efficiency. That should be the best gauge for how much of this improvement is real.
Rabinowitz: October will be the month when we really find out about the Buckeyes. Maryland is followed by games at Indiana and against Penn State. It's not hard to see Ohio State going either way. The optimistic side is that an offense featuring a quarterback gaining experience and confidence handing off to Treveyon Henderson and throwing to talented receivers can carry the Buckeyes. The pessimistic side is that the QB position is unsettled and the defense doesn't continue its progress. We'll just have to watch and see.