The Ohio State Buckeyes were trying to drive their offensive car on Saturday without the two front tires.

With the program's star wide receiver duo of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate missing Saturday's game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the Buckeyes appeared to cruise to a giant 42-9 victory.

However, looking into it a little bit further, the Buckeyes' offense was gifted a touchdown drive thanks to a strip sack, and the backups punched one in in the fourth quarter. Ohio State's offense truly only put up 28 of its own points and looked out of sync all day long. 

Redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin specifically didn't have his best stuff today. In terms of the outcome of the game, it was never in doubt. The Buckeyes' defense is good enough, and the unit looked like the great equalizer that I wrote about last week.

But, against a better opponent, today would have been a much larger issue.

Sayin finished the day completing 13 of his 19 attempts for 157 yards and two touchdowns. The numbers were subpar compared to the rest of his historic season; he didn't do anything egregiously bad, but he also approached today in a very conservative fashion. It was reminiscent of his performance against Texas, but this time, there was a major disconnect between him, the play caller, and his wide receivers. 

Of Sayin's 13 completions, three went to a wide receiver, with one of the three being a check down. 

I have no problem getting attached to your tight ends and using them, which he did, but to beat better competition, Sayin must have a better performance. 

Instant Analysis: Buckeyes Get Conservative in Win Over Rutgers The Ohio State Buckeyes did not look ike themselves without their two superstar wide receivers. Neither Carnell Tate nor Jeremiah Smith played, and that open...

Ohio State was able to lean on its run game today for the majority of its yards, and thankfully, tight end Max Klare had his best day as a Buckeye. 

The Verdict: C+

Sayin was solid in his Week 13 performance; he did enough to win the football game over a bad team, but he was not his normal self.

Behind closed doors, the Buckeyes have to face the harsh reality of their two star wide receivers. If they are going to be out for next week or for a long stretch of time, they need to prepare to have Mylan Graham, Bryson Rodgers, and David Adolph ready for action.

Day and the Buckeyes simply cannot go into a game likes of Michigan, Indiana, or the playoffs with one arm tied behind their back. This team is built on their ability to pass the football, and they need to figure it out and figure it out quickly.

When Smith and Tate are on the field, Sayin is a Heisman Trophy candidate. When they are off the field, he loses that super power, and they have six days to find it again.