Rutgers football vs. Ohio State: What Greg Schiano says about Marvin Harrison and loaded Buckeyes

PISCATAWAY – After eight games in eight weeks, Rutgers football finally had a chance to catch a breather during its bye week.

Now the Scarlet Knights have four games remaining, beginning with a big challenge against No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday (noon, CBS) at SHI Stadium.

Greg Schiano’s team went into its off week after beating Indiana to secure its sixth win of the season and traditional bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014, a significant step for the program.

But Rutgers still wants more in its final four games – after Ohio State, it plays at Iowa, at Penn State and home against Maryland.

For now the Scarlet Knights are only focused on the Buckeyes, who are coming off a 24-10 win at Wisconsin to improve to 8-0 this season.

Is Marvin Harrison Jr. the best player in college football?

Unsurprisingly for the third-ranked team in the country, Ohio State is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. It has a potential Heisman Trophy winner in Marvin Harrison Jr., who is sixth in the nation and first in the Big Ten with 889 receiving yards on 48 catches with eight touchdowns.

The Scarlet Knights managed to limit him last season – Harrison finished with three catches for 18 yards in Ohio State’s 49-10 win in Columbus.

“Marvin Harrison Jr. is arguably one of the best players in the country,” Schiano said during a press conference at the Hale Center on Monday. “He's continued to improve. You can see he's a real professional the way he's prepared, and again when you're going against players of that skill, they are very dangerous.”

How good is Ohio State QB Kyle McCord?

Schiano was also complimentary of Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord, a Mount Laurel native who played at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound McCord this season is 148-of-231 passing (64.1 percent) for 2,163 yards with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions.

LOOKING BACK How a 'crazy' 11 recruiting days helped shape bowl-bound Scarlet Knights

“He's a really good quarterback,” Schiano said. “I've been able to watch them on TV, so a little TV scouting. He's a fiery leader, and you can see his teammates believe in him. He's a young quarterback who is getting better every week. So again, part of the challenge of playing a team that has so many skilled people.”

The Buckeyes' dominant defense

Ohio State has been just as solid defensively, allowing an average of 10.0 points per game, second in the Big Ten behind Michigan (9.8 in the Buckeyes’ five Big Ten games).

There’s a reason why Schiano believes a large portion of Ohio State’s defense will eventually be playing on Sundays.

“They have got a lot of good players,” Schiano said. “You're looking at a front that is probably all NFL players. Their front seven will be all NFL players. But the good thing is, the back four or five are all NFL players as well. So you're looking at a defense that is probably - I don't want to be exaggerating – I think every single guy there will be an NFL player, including some depth players. It is what it is. That's why they are one of the top defenses in the country. We'll have our hands full for sure.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Rutgers football vs Ohio State: Greg Schiano on Marvin Harrison Jr., Kyle McCord