Eric Boggs
With just two weeks left in the regular season, the view from the top of college football hasn’t changed: everyone is still chasing Ohio State. The Buckeyes once again held firm at No. 1 in both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll after their 48-10 dismantling of UCLA under the lights at Ohio Stadium. It was another statement performance from a team that has controlled every phase of the season, leaving no doubt about who deserves the top spot.
Behind the Buckeyes, Indiana and Texas A&M kept their positions at No. 2 and No. 3, with the Aggies narrowly escaping an upset after erasing a 30-3 halftime deficit against South Carolina. Meanwhile, chaos swirled among the other contenders. Alabama took a hit, sliding to No. 10 in both polls, and Texas suffered a devastating 35-10 loss to Georgia that nearly wiped out its playoff hopes and sent the Longhorns tumbling to No. 17 in the AP Poll.
The Coaches Poll left no room for debate, awarding Ohio State all 65 first-place votes. Rounding out the top five were Indiana, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Oregon. The AP Poll featured the same top four, though Ole Miss edged into the No. 5 spot, while Ohio State claimed 57 first-place votes. The handful of remaining first-place ballots were split between Indiana and Texas A&M.
From a Big Ten perspective, the conference continues to shine behind the Buckeyes and Hoosiers. Oregon and USC held places in the Coaches Poll’s top twenty, while Michigan—hanging on despite an inconsistent season—sat at No. 17. Still, it’s clear which Big Ten team the country views as the standard, and that team resides in Columbus.
That dominance also shows up in the betting markets. MyBookie opened Ohio State as a massive 31.5-point favorite against Rutgers, and the line surged to 33.5 within hours. At 10-0, the Buckeyes haven’t just been winning—they’ve been covering, posting an 8-2 record against the spread and a 5-1 mark inside Ohio Stadium.
Rutgers arrives at 5-5, with its record against the spread matching its on-field results. The Scarlet Knights have covered in two of their last three outings, but history sits firmly on Ohio State’s side. The Buckeyes are 10-0 all-time against Rutgers, including five wins under Ryan Day since 2019. This will be their first meeting since 2023, and on paper, it looks like another mismatch between a playoff titan and a program still fighting for bowl eligibility.
Oddsmakers set the point total at 56.5. Ohio State has hit the over in only four games this season but has begun trending upward on offense, going over in two of the last three. Rutgers, by contrast, has seen the under land in three straight games, leaning on a conservative style that may not hold up if the Buckeyes impose their usual early pressure.
Kickoff is set for noon at Ohio Stadium, televised nationally on FOX. As Ohio State continues to distance itself from the rest of the field, Saturday presents another opportunity to reinforce what Buckeye Nation already believes: this team isn’t just No. 1—they’re playing like a program determined to finish what they started and claim the top spot when it matters most.
