It is now official. On Saturday, Rutgers football will be facing the No. 1 team in the nation as Ohio State was just crowned atop the College Football Playoff rankings.
The CFP rankings, released on Tuesday night, have Ohio State as the top team in the nation. They are followed by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Florida State and No. 4 Michigan.
The committee has Penn State at No. 11. Rutgers will play Penn State in two weeks.
As for this Saturday, Rutgers (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) faces a tough task against Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten). Ohio State has faced a tough schedule this year, having beaten two top-10 teams (No. 9 Notre Dame, and No. 7 Penn State).
Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano spoke to the media on Monday. He refused to say that Saturday was a potential measuring-stick game for his program.
“I do very little big picture when it comes to that stuff. We’re trying to be 1-0 at the end of the Ohio State season. We have to have a great week of preparation to do that, and then we have to go play our best game and see where that stacks up against theirs,” Schiano told reporters.
“And I can’t control anything about them but I certainly can us. And that’s going to be my focus; that we have a great, consistent week of practice, and then go play our best game of the season.”
Rutgers has never beaten Ohio State and has not beaten a ranked opponent since they joined the Big Ten in 2014.