TE Max Klare displayed his potential as Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate deal with injury ahead of the Michigan matchup.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Julian Sayin was without his best two weapons in Ohio State’s 42-9 win over Rutgers, while a new weapon finally broke out.

Ohio State cruised against Rutgers, 42-9, without standout WRs Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. But how concerning was their absence?

Julian Sayin found Max Klare for an 11-yard TD to extend the Ohio State Buckeyes' lead over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

No. 1 Ohio State came into Saturday’s game against Rutgers without top receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. That gave Max Klare the chance to step into the spotlight. Klare finished the game with seven catches and led the team with 109 receiving yards,

Ohio State hits 'The Game' while accomplishing 52-year feat originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Ohio State shook off a slow first half and the absence of its top two receivers to stay unbeaten with a 42-9 win over Rutgers on Saturday.

A second-half offensive outburst led to No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0) defeating visiting Rutgers (5-6, 2-6) 42-9 Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Julian Sayin completed 13-of-19 pass attempts for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

The Ohio State Buckeyes scored touchdowns on four straight drives in the second half to beat Rutgers 42-9. See highlights from the game:

The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0) hit the road for a Big Ten battle against the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines (9-2) on Saturday, November 29, 2025 at Michigan Stadium. Below, we provide our prediction on which team will emerge victorious.