Bottom line: How did the Buckeyes grade vs. Rutgers? How did OSU's offense grade?

Saturday's 35-16 win at Rutgers was a tale of two halves for Ohio State. The offense struggled badly at the outset, and Rutgers led the No. 1 team in the nation 9-7 at the half.

Then TreVeyon Henderson and Marvin Harrison Jr. got going, and the Buckeyes pulled away by scoring 14 points in both the third and fourth quarters.

How did the Buckeyes grade in their win over Rutgers? Leaves are awarded on a zero-to-five basis.

Ohio State offense (3 leaves)

After a poor first half that included an 0-for-5 showing on third downs, things got going thanks to Henderson, who finished with 128 yards rushing and 80 receiving. He repeatedly got the Buckeyes out of trouble, most notably when he went 65 yards on a catch-and-run on third-and-9 to set up one of Harrison's touchdown catches.

Harrison had only four receptions for 25 yards, but two touchdowns. Quarterback Kyle McCord was inconsistent again, going 19 for 26 for 189 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.

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Starting tight end Cade Stover was out injured even though he was left off the team's injury report. Gee Scott Jr. filled in and caught three passes for 24 yards and a touchdown, but had a drop in the open field that would have been a big gain.

Ohio State defense (3 leaves)

At some point, members of the Ohio State defense are going to stroll over to the offensive side of the room and demand help. On Saturday, Rutgers had a 35:37-24:23 advantage in time of possession and frequently had good field position because of the Buckeyes' struggles on offense and a fourth-down play on which Jesse Mirco tried unsuccessfully to rush for a first down.

Ohio State’s defense was backed up inside its 5-yard line three times in the first half on Saturday. All three times, the Scarlet Knights settled for field goals. Opponents have made eight trips to the red zone over the past two games, but the Buckeyes have allowed them to reach the end zone only twice.

The Scarlet Knights averaged 5.7 yards per rush, aided by a 45-yard chunk on a fake play. The Buckeyes were helped by the inaccuracy of Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, who completed 10 of 25 passes for 129 yards.

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Safety Josh Proctor was a standout for Ohio State before leaving injured in the third quarter. He was hurt while breaking up a pass that led to Jordan Hancock's 93-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg led the Buckeyes with 12 tackles, but he, too, left the game injured.

Ohio State special teams (2 leaves)

The Buckeyes had a terrible fake punt that wasn't called by coaches. Coach Ryan Day described it as a "miscommunication" and added, "That can't happen." But it did, and it's not clear why it happened or why OSU has had several other strange gaffes on special teams this season.

When Mirco does punt the ball, he's a solid weapon, and he averaged 39 yards on four punts and dropped two inside the 20. One could have been inside the 5, but his coverage team was unable to grab it as it bounced into the end zone.

Ohio State coaching (3 leaves)

Half and half. The offense still is not smooth, and the defense continues to be solid. Something to keep an eye on is injuries, as Proctor, Eichenberg, cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Lathan Ransom are banged up.

Rutgers (4 leaves)

The Scarlet Knights were outmanned yet battled hard in a game that was closer than the final score. Give them a better quarterback and they could have won this game. Rutgers again pulled off a nifty trick play, using what coach Greg Schiano called a "bye-week wrinkle" to fake a "Piscataway push" with a double snap to the running back. On a fourth-and-1 at their 43-yard line, Wimsatt took a snap and hiked it between his own legs to running back Kyle Monangai.

“It was a nice trick play," said Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

The Knights were hanging in until a deflected bass breakup resulted in Hancock's 93-yard touchdown.

Fun factor (4 leaves)

This game was in question into the fourth quarter, and star power − Henderson and Harrison − was needed to avoid a major upset.

Officiating (4 leaves)

Officials were clean and cohesive. Nice ruling on a Rutgers incomplete pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter, and another on a Knights touchdown in the fourth quarter on which receiver JaQuae Jackson and Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun looked to catch the ball simultaneously. Review showed both on-field calls to be correct.

One missed call that hurt Rutgers in the third quarter: On third-and-2, McCord hit Carnell Tate on a 22-yard pass. Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons started early but did not draw a flag. The Buckeyes scored five plays later to take a 21-9 lead.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football grades after OSU's win over Rutgers