It's finally time to begin preparations for The Game and the Buckeyes, as they were last year, are massive favorites heading into the final week of the year.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/rutgers as 3 Keys to Winning for the Scarlet Knights Against Buckeyes . The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) will face the No. The Ohio State Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) will play at Ohio Stadium on Saturday at noon.

Follow along here as Rutgers football takes on the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Unspecified injuries kept Ohio State’s two top receivers, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, out of action and might have revealed a depth issue for the Buckeyes at wide receiver. Quarterback Julian Sayin completed 13 of 19 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns but without Smith and Tate the deep pass was absent from OSU’s offense.

No. 1 Ohio State’s defense hit a historic NCAA milestone with a 42-9 win vs. Rutgers, achieving something not done since 1987.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day spoke highly about sophomore running back James Peoples after making the most of his touches in the UCLA game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Poking holes in Ohio State for the last 10 weeks has felt a bit like nitpicking. The Buckeyes are 11-0 and have played just a single one-score game (Aug. 30 vs. Texas). They have the best defense in the sport, a Heisman Trophy quality quarterback and clearly the best wide receiver tandem — when healthy.

The "Big Noon Kick" crew discussed what makes the Ohio State Buckeyes' defense historically dominant and debated whether they can win back-to-back championship.