Ohio State might head into its final home game of the regular season without a full deck on offense. Coach Ryan Day did not rule out star receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate for this weekend when the top-ranked Buckeyes play host to Rutgers,

Matt Patricia's approach to facing Rutgers provided a glimpse into how Ohio State football might defend Michigan.

Devin Royal had a double-double and Ohio State used a balanced scoring approach to take care of business against Western Michigan at Value City Arena.

"This whole season we've been preaching to peak at the perfect time," Michigan football QB Bryce Underwood said. "I feel like it's coming along."

Ohio State offered Phillip Daniels a chance to come home when he transferred in from Minnesota. He’s a Cincinnati native who’s also the cousin of former OSU All-American Paris Johnson, who’s since become a first-round pick and the Arizona Cardinals’ franchise left tackle.

Ohio State was atop the College Football Playoff rankings for the third straight week. It was again ahead of Indiana and Texas A&M, the next highest-ranked teams and the only others in the Football Bowl Subdivision who remain unbeaten entering the penultimate weekend of the regular season.