The Ohio Bobcats will open their season on August 28, when they host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights of the Big Ten. The game will be the first encounter of Week 1 of this season, but not the first of the season, as other programs have already played some games on Week 0.
In 2024, Ohio had a successful year, winning the Mid-American Conference, the Cure Bowl, and finishing with an overall record of 11-3. Rutgers, playing in the much more competitive Big Ten, finished with a 7-6 overall record and managed to get invited to the Rate Bowl, which they, in turn, lost to Kansas State.
Ohio vs Rutgers: Key Players to Watch
Ohio Bobcats
Parker Navarro – QB
Parker Navarro is in his final season of college football, and his fourth with the Bobcats. 2024 was his first year as a starter, and it was overall a successful year for him. He was named an All-MAC Second Team selection, and he won the Cure Bowl MVP award. In numbers, he had 2423 passing yards with 13 touchdowns. His most worrisome stat line was his 11 interceptions.
Rutgers
Athan Kaliakmanis – QB
Kaliakmanis is a veteran quarterback, also, with 3.5 seasons of experience as a starter in the Big Ten. He started his career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, where in his second season, he was a starter for half a season and took over starting duties for the 2023 campaign. However, they finished with a 5-7 record, and he was shipped out to Rutgers. With the Scarlet Knights, things went better, with an overall record of 7-5 last year, a career high 2459 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Odds and Betting Lines for Ohio vs Rutgers
As a Power Four team, the Scarlet Knights are clear favorites to win the game according to ESPN Bet, which has them as 15-point favorites. The over and under is set a 45.9, while the money line is +475 for Ohio and -750 for Rutgers, and the open is over 47.5 for Ohio and -10.5 for Rutgers.
Picks and Predictions for Ohio vs Rutgers
Expect Rutgers to easily win the encounter; the power disparity between a Power Four and a non-Power Four team here is clear. According to the moneyline’s implied probability, Ohio only has a 16.7% of winning the game. Rutgers’ record against the spread last season was 5-5-0, while Ohio’s was 9-5-0.
Prediction: Ohio 14-33 Rutgers.
The game will air on BTN, and it’s set to start at 6:00 pm ET at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.
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