[Westside]

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Even when Rutgers was doing something well, the Scarlet Knights couldn't get out of their own way.

Back-to-back snaps of good pressure on Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett, including a sack, gave way to a third-and-long play on which Rutgers again flustered Barrett and flushed him out of the pocket. The problem is someone forgot to cover receiver Johnnie Dixon.

Dixon stood alone near the Rutgers 30, caught a soft-tossed ball from Barrett and walked in for a 70-yard touchdown. That was the first of two scores for Dixon, and three touchdown throws for Barrett in No. 11 Ohio State's 56-0 win on Saturday night in New Jersey.

Barrett continued to get into a groove throwing the ball, finishing 14-of-22 for 275 yards and three scores. He also ran 10 times for 89 yards. In the process he moved into first place all-time at Ohio State in career passing yards.

More importantly you saw the Buckeyes continue to build off the passing stepping stones made in the last two weeks against Army and UNLV. It went short bubbles and swing passes against Army, more intermediate throws against UNLV and then a couple of deep shots on Saturday night.

Dixon's long touchdown was set up in part because a safety came down to cover Parris Campbell on a crossing route. Dixon had another long score called back for offensive pass interference. That ball from Barrett was thrown on the money down the right sideline. Barrett also hooked up with Binjimen Victor on a 46-yard completion in the first half, and a 23-yard score in the third quarter.


Then Barrett's day was over. Early rest again for a quarterback who's running out of records to break at Ohio State.

Beating Rutgers isn't going to get anyone excited, and any progress the Buckeyes make offensively comes with the obvious caveat that we've seen this before and it hasn't meant much against better competition. But all you could ask for from the offense through this boring stretch of games was to show improvement, and blow teams out. And that's happened.

Running back Mike Weber, in his most extended action of the season, had a season-high 10 carries for 44 yards and three touchdowns.

Any time Dwayne Haskins is in the game whetting our appetite in the third quarter, that usually means good things. Haskins was, and he didn't disappoint, spinning a ball with good touch to Demario McCall on a wheel route for a touchdown that put the Buckeyes up 49-0 with 13:56 left.

McCall also scored on a 48-yard run on the next possession. The flood gates opened early and remained open. The Buckeyes put up 628 yards of offense.

The defense was solid again, even without two starters. Linebacker Chris Worley, who sprained his foot against Army, dressed but didn't play. Tuf Borland and true freshman Baron Browning saw the majority of time at middle linebacker in his place. Browning seemed to get more snaps than Borland, who's started the past two weeks.


Defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones didn't make the trip after suffering a cut to his leg this week after a practice. Defensive end Jalyn Holmes got the start at defensive tackle in his place.

The shuffling parts didn't seem to have much of an effect on a defense that held an anemic Rutgers offense to 209 yards and notched its first shutout since blanking Rutgers 58-0 a year ago.

When it looked like Rutgers might have an opportunity for points in the third quarter, it opted to skip the field goal that would've ruined the shutout and tried to run the quarterback. Linebacker Malik Harrison chased the play down short of the sticks on fourth-and-5.

Rutgers then missed a field goal with 43 seconds left.

Ohio State has outscored Rutgers 219-24 in the four games since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten in 2014.

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