Obviously, when you play on the road against arguably the most talented team in the country — a school that hand-picks its players every year in both the transfer portal and on the high school recruiting trail — odds are going to be stacked against you. That’s why the Gophers came in 23.5 point underdogs against the Buckeyes.

But this season, OSU came in as less of a high-powered team on offense, and more so built on the juggernaut it has built on the other side of the football. Entering Saturday, the Buckeyes defense ranked 1st nationally in points allowed per game (5.5), 8th in yards allowed (132.0) and 6th in first downs allowed (12.5).

What We Learned – Minnesota vs Ohio State

And the Minnesota Golden Gophers found out pretty quickly tonight in Columbus that, not only is the Buckeyes defense legit, but their offense is still unbelievably dangerous.

We’ll get into all of the numbers below, but what we learned on Saturday night is that our favorite college football team does not belong on the same field with the best teams in the country, which the Buckeyes clearly proved they are tonight at the Horseshoe, during a completely dominant 42-3 romping of the Gophers.

Minnesota Gophers start hot… then go ice cold

If Minnesota was going to have any chance to keep the game tight in Columbus, they had to play near perfect offensively and defensively. On top of that, they needed redshirt sophomore quarterback Drake Lindsey to do something this program has never really seen out of its QB.

The MN Gophers needed the right arm of their 20-year-old quarterback to keep them in it. Early on, he looked like he might be up to the challenge, starting the game 7-of-7, including an eye-opening first drive that seemed to catch the Buckeyes defense off-guard.

At least we'll always have Drake Lindsey's first drive vs Ohio State.. pic.twitter.com/PbW6bLVdMN

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2025

Unfortunately, that first 13-play, 66 yard drive ended in a field goal, which ended up being the only three points Minnesota scored in the entire first half. After his smoking hot start, Lindsey completed just 4 for his next 12, passes and finished the half 11-of-19 for only 99 yards.

It was Drake’s efficiency during the Gophers initial drive that made everyone watching believe, if only for a couple of minutes, that Minnesota stood a chance tonight vs the best team in the country.

But once Ohio State went to man defense, receivers struggled to get open, reads dried up and Lindsey was a sitting duck for the Buckeyes’ immensely talented pass rush… a recipe for disaster.

Minnesota does not belong on the same field as Ohio State

The second half on Saturday night didn’t get any better. After gaining 74 yards in the first quarter, the Minnesota Golden Gophers offense managed just 36 total yards in the second and third quarters combined (-1 yard in the 3rd).

Meanwhile, Ohio State’s struggles to find big plays on offense went out the window Saturday, as they hit on SIX pass plays for over 15 yards (232 yards total) and FOUR rush attempts that went for 10 or more yards (66 yards total).

The MN Gophers hit on FOUR big plays total, only one of which came from Lindsey — his 1st drive pass down the seam to Jameson Geers. When the dust finally settled in Columbus, Lindsey was 15-of-26 for 93 yards and 0 touchdowns.

In total, The Gophers offense mustered only 162 yards against Ohio State’s more than formidable defense, where they failed to gain even ONE first down after the first drive of the game. The Buckeyes offense, however, countered with 474 total yards, 326 of which came on the arm of Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin.

Carnell Tate finished the first-half with 163 receiving yards, including this 44-yard TD 🔥

The @OhioStateFB star’s 163 receiving yards are the most in any half by a Buckeye since Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2022 🤯 pic.twitter.com/9nTGsnpvmm

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 5, 2025

Jeremiah Smith gets his 2nd TD of the night ‼️ @OhioStateFB

📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/MmruYizFLv

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 5, 2025

The Ohio State starting QB and Heisman outside candidate went 23-of-27 (85%) passing and threw 3 touchdowns. Wide receiver Carnell Tate caught 9 of those passes for a total of 183 yards and 1 touchdown.

How do the MN Gophers respond to this brutal loss?

While it’s certainly demoralizing in the moment, Saturday’s loss does not reflect on the eventual success or failure of Minnesota’s 2025 season, but it certainly was a reminder just how far away we are from competing with the national elites, like Ohio State.

Thankfully, they do not have to. Next up on the Gophers 2025 schedule is back at Huntington Bank Stadium against the Purdue Boilermakers. After that, they have Nebraska (home), Iowa (away) and Michigan State (home), before they head west to play another elite, the Oregon Ducks.

In other words, the Minnesota Gophers’ 2025 season will not be dictated by tonight’s results. It will be decided by how they respond and play over the next four weeks, between their matchups against two of the best teams, not just in the conference, but in the nation.

Related: How Can Minnesota Gophers Make the 2024 NCAA Tournament?

And boy oh boy did those Gophers come to play in front of a damn good crowd at The Barn. Even on a night where freshman phenom Cam Christie went 1-of-6 with just 5 points on the night and Jamison Battle scored 21 in his return to the Barn… this game was never really in doubt. The first half was played pretty close, but the Gophers tightened their grip early in the 2nd half and never looked back.

B1G dunks to start things off for @GopherMBB at The Barn! 😤 pic.twitter.com/k5tFErtzfI

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 23, 2024

Minnesota Gophers gain big win vs Ohio State

With Christie struggling, Elijah Hawkins took over as Minnesota’s primary backcourt scorer. The nation’s assist leader put up a career high 24 points to go along with another 7 dimes. Garcia had another big night too, posting a double-double with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Pharrel Payne also added 15 points and 4 rebounds, Mike Mitchell dumped in 8 points and 5 assists.

Welcome to the house of Payne. 😎 @GopherMBB pic.twitter.com/RdyBnhqwcH

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 23, 2024

The Buckeyes fought until the very end and even found a way to close the gap to 7 points with 18 seconds left to play. But when the dust settled, the Gophers closed out an 88-79 victory, their second-straight win, leaving no doubt that this is one of the best Gopher basketball teams we’ve had on campus in years.

Related: Iowa Wolves Sign Former Gophers Guard and DeLaSalle Grad Gabe Kalscheur

But as the season goes on, the Gophers seem to believe in their talent more and more and their play seems to improved exponentially on a night-in and night-out basis. And right now, they have themselves playing like one of the best basketball teams in the entire Big Ten and March is less than two weeks away…

But it’s been a particularly difficult week for his Minnesota Gophers defense. Not only did they lose defensive coordinator Joe Rossi to Michigan State, but they’ve had two of their top 2024 commits on that side of the ball decommit, and they’re battling tooth and nail to save a 3rd from doing the same.

• In-State Recruit Jide Abasiri Decommits After Visit to USC
• Brady Pretzlaff Decommits After Visiting Joe Rossi, Michigan State

Safety – Koi Perich – Esko, MN

But this one, Koi Perich (Esko, MN), is by far the most important. Perich was a top in-state high school recruit as a junior too. But his national hype has gone completely through the roof in the last 12 months, especially since committing to his home state Gophers in the Spring.

Watch a couple minutes of Koi’s highlight reel and you’ll quickly see why he’s become so popular among power 5 college football coaches. After a deep dive on Perich’s junior year HUDL film back in April, I knew it was going to be a difficult task to keep him committed.

Related: Did Drake Just Curse the Minnesota Gophers?

He made some crazy promises and clearly thought he would be a Gopher, at the time. But kids are still kids. These are serious life-changing decisions. When Ohio State comes calling, and you want to be a college football star with NFL aspirations, you’re going to listen. Here’s what I wrote back then.

 It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone look as dominant on a high school football field as [Koi Perich] did during his Junior season. Surely, Michigan, Penn State or Ohio State — teams that all have more NIL money and better odds to win an NCAA championship — will swing through later and offer this kid a six or seven figure deal he cannot refuse.

Here we are, eight months later: Perich was just in Columbus, OH over the weekend, visiting the Ohio State University campus. After most major recruiting services re-rated the 6-1, 200 lb safety, he’s now properly carrying a high-caliber 4-star rating, even becoming a top-100 national high school prospect, according to 247Sports.

Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Gophers

As I predicted in the spring, OSU made a late senior season run at Perich. And when those helmet schools come calling… and NIL promises start flying… minds change. After his visit, Ohio State is now the odds on favorite to land the former Minnesota commit. He had a visit planned to Florida State and cancelled it.

Related: Gophers Paying Cole Kramer a Rumored $30K in NIL to Stay for Bowl Game

But, Perich told the Star Tribune on Wednesday, “Florida State is canceled. Nothing is a done deal.” Then on Thursday, Koi took to social media and announced he’ll be announcing his college decision (again) and officially signing a National Letter of Intent next week on December 20, which is early National Signing Day for the 2024 class.

I’ll be signing at 2:30 on Dec 20th in the esko theater everyone is welcome pic.twitter.com/kOleMzK0hC

— Koi Perich (@koiperich3) December 14, 2023

Multiple recruiting insiders at 247Sports are giving Ohio State the edge next week, for obvious reasons. But it seems like the Gophers at least have a fighting chance to keep Koi home.

If nothing else, it seems like PJ and his staff have done everything within their power to land Perich. Sometimes, there’s just nothing you can do, especially in the NIL age.

For the Minnesota Golden Gophers, there is a combination of high expectations but also uncertainty entering this upcoming season. Under head coach P.J. Fleck, the program has seen great heights with three-straight 9+ win seasons (not counting the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season). That being said, the Gophers lost quite a bit of talent this offseason due to eligibility being used up and the NFL Draft.

That being said, the Gophers put together a solid 2023 recruiting class and were very active in the transfer portal. But will it be enough to make some noise in a highly competitive Big Ten? We’ll have to ultimately wait and find out.

For the Ohio State Buckeyes, similar can be said for the most part. The Buckeyes are historically one of the best programs in all of college football and are considered to be a College Football Playoff contender year in and year out. That being said, the Buckeyes will look to replace several key players including quarterback CJ Stroud.

That being said, one of the more anticipated matchups of Minnesota’s 2023 season is their matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes set for November 18, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio

all ???? on the buckeyes ???? pic.twitter.com/eUr2PGQoFv

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) June 23, 2023

It has been a series dominated by Ohio State winning 46 of 53 matchups all-time between the two programs. Minnesota’s last win over the Buckeyes came in 2000, a 29-17 win in Columbus. For their last win in Minneapolis, you’d have to go all the way back to 1981, a 35-31 win for the Gophers. Could this be the year that Minnesota finds a way to upset the Buckeyes? Look no further for the ultimate game-day experience with Ohio sportsbooks promos. Stay in the heart of the action and seize the opportunity to win big as the highly anticipated showdown between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Minnesota Golden Gophers approaches.

While there are no odds released just yet for this game, it’s safe to say barring anything unexpected that Ohio State will be a heavy favorite over the Golden Gophers, likely by three touchdowns or more. As of right now, Ohio State has an over/under win total of 10.5 according to most sportsbooks while Minnesota is quite a bit lower at 6.5 wins. It’s a sizeable difference in the preseason and gives just an idea of how sportsbooks value each program.

The Buckeyes enter this upcoming season with what should be a tremendous offense led by quarterback Kyle McCord, running back TreVeyon Henderson, and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. It should be one of the most dangerous offenses in the entire country and could very well be the nation’s best. Defensively, it will be a bit more of a question for the Buckeyes. After a poor 2021 season, the Buckeyes improved in 2022, allowing just 21.0 points per game. Can that defense take another step in 2023? That might be the question that ultimately decides if these Buckeyes can compete for a national championship in 2023.

Minnesota, on the other hand, will look to replace quarterback Tanner Morgan and running back Mohamed Ibrahim. The Gophers are hoping quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis can take the next step in his development while they’ll look at Western Michigan transfer Sean Tyler to lead the way on the ground alongside a committee of other running backs within the program. While the Gophers’ offense won’t be world beaters in 2023, it should be a quality and competent one. Defensviely, the Gophers won’t be the most talented defense or the fastest but they’ll put together strong performances week in and week out for the most part after allowing under 14 points per game last season.

When it comes to how they match up, in the end, the Gophers likely won’t have the talent or speed to keep up with Ohio State for four quarters. The Gophers will need quite a bit to break their way throughout the game to likely have a realistic chance at upsetting the Buckeyes this November but we won’t rule it out either. Having the game being played in Columbus will make it even tougher for the Gophers as well but as Minnesota fans have learned in the past, you never count out head coach P.J. Fleck who has established himself as one of the best coaches

in college football during his tenure in Minneapolis so far and has the Golden Gophers headed into the right direction

Jamison Battle transfers for NIL cash

Not that they would have been favorites to win it all anyway, but when reports started to surface that their best wing player, Jamison Battle, was unlikely to return for his final season of eligibility, optimism became even harder to come by.

THIS. IS. MARCH.

JAMISON BATTLE WITH A BUZZER BEATER FOR @GopherMBB ????

(via @CBBonFOX)

pic.twitter.com/NPEFUfaxDa

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 3, 2023

Back then, it was believed Battle was looking for a professional job in basketball. It was time to cash in on his talents, whether that meant a G-League job or something overseas. What we didn’t know at the time was that Jamison wouldn’t be leaving college basketball. Instead, he transferred to Big Ten rival, Ohio State.

We knew Battle was receiving NIL compensation soon after his Buckeye commitment was announced but we didn’t know how much he was due to rake in, at the time. All we knew was it had to be a lot more than anything the DeLaSalle product could’ve made by staying home.

NIL number at Ohio State revealed

Turns out, those assumptions were correct. According to local insider and longtime Pioneer Press columnist, Charley Walters, Jamison Battle is being paid a total of $150,000 to play for Ohio State this season through private “Name Image and Likeness” donors or some sort of NIL collective created by boosters and/or alumni. Walters even mentions that Battle would have been willing to stay at Minnesota had he been able to get more money here.

— Pssst: Two months ago, the Gophers men’s basketball team lost a star player to Ohio State, which, legally, is providing a $150,000 name, image and likeness (NIL) deal to the player. Insiders say he would have remained with Minnesota, but for a much richer NIL arrangement.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

It was announced earlier this year that alumni and boosters within the Gopher basketball program were starting a fundraising campaign that should increase NIL funds for both the men’s and women’s teams by hundreds of thousands of dollars over the next few years.

If something like that would have been done sooner, Jamison Battle might still be taking classes in Dinkytown, and surrounded by a much more talented roster on the basketball court. Instead, he’ll wear “Ohio State” across his chest and do his best to push his hometown school deeper into the Big Ten gutter.

Who’s to blame?

And none of this is his fault. I can’t blame him for choosing the best opportunity financially, especially when it will give him a much greater shot at reaching the NBA and continuing his basketball career. On the surface, the University of Minnesota is to blame.

The administration, along with boosters, donors and alumni, fell predictably behind much of major college basketball in understanding how important NIL money would be to building a successful program. When you dig deeper into the issue — like I have in past blogs — the refusal to make major college athletes paid employees of the Universities they help make billions of dollars for, is what’s really at the root of this NIL madness.

But until the legal system forces something to happen with the root problem, the University of Minnesota athletic department, boosters and fans need to find a way to inject more cash into the Gophers’ NIL collective as quickly as possible.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Hometown Jamison Battle Transfers to Ohio State because NIL

Surprised that a hometown kid would make such an in-conference move? You shouldn’t be. There’s one major reason why he, or any right-minded human being, would do what Jamison Battle did. Money.

Battle will make a lot more money playing at Ohio State than he did or would have at Minnesota. This, according to Darren Wolfson (SKOR North, KSTP), who reported the move as NIL driven on his appearance Thursday with Mackey and Judd.

“I texted [Jamison Battle] saying ‘hey, is it Ohio State’? So the buzz started to gather on Tuesday night. And yeah, NIL. He is going to make money. I don’t know what the exact deal is but, you know, there is going to be a financial gain with him heading to Columbus.”

Darren Wolfson – Mackey & Judd

NIL rules Transfer Portal

Doogie says there are other factors in Battle’s decision. He says there is “stuff going on in Jamison’s personal life so leaving town makes sense” but Wolfson continually comes back to Name, Image and Likeness as the main reason why Battle is leaving Dinkytown, saying, “they have so much more to do, in terms of NIL, on campus.”

Remember, it was reported just weeks ago that men’s and women’s basketball boosters were pooling together millions of dollars over the next few years, to help NIL funds going forward. But right now, Battle’s transfer to an in-conference rival shows how behind the University of Minnesota is in the NIL game.

Here is the full episode of Wolfson’s appearance on Mackey & Judd today. Battle’s transfer is discussed at the 20:25 mark.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Last season’s dead and gone game day atmosphere without fans in attendance will be flipped on its head tonight when Gopher fans return to “The Bank” for one of the most difficult opening matchups in school history. The Ohio State Buckeyes are ranked #4 in the country entering the season and they’re the only legitimate National Championship contender in the Big Ten. Win or lose, there’s a ton riding on this week 1 matchup for both schools.

out of the darkness
under the lights pic.twitter.com/becrSfDN5N

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) September 2, 2021

Did you just say “win”?

How confident am I that Minnesota will pull a historic upset in Dinkytown this week? Honestly, I think that’s the wrong question for the wrong side of the midfield coin toss. The better question should be posed to Ohio State fans and media. How confident are they entering this week 1 matchup vs another Big Ten opponent?

If the polled Ohio State faithful chose honesty in their answers, they’d probably have to admit that this is the wrong year for a power five opening matchup. In fact, I will double down and bet this is the best possible time to host a game vs the buckeyes in a decade.

Why? The unknown.

Power Five Opener

Urban Meyer took over the Ohio State job before the 2012 season. If there was one moment you'd want to host the Buckeyes since then, it'd be tomorrow night.

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 1, 2021

Like many schools, Ohio State doesn’t normally open their season vs the cream of the college football crop. They’ve played legitimate P5 schools less than a handful of times during the Meyer/Day Era and the 2021 Gophers are probably the best of the bunch. OSU dominated Nebraska in last season’s opener, put up 71 on Oregon State in 2018, beat up Indiana in 2017 (before the Hoosiers were good) and disposed of a mediocre Virginia Tech team in 2015.

If Minnesota is the team we think they are, this will be the eldest and deepest competition the Buckeyes have faced to kickoff a season in a long time. Veteran depth is key in this conversation because youth is a big part of the 2021 Ohio State team and another reason why this is the right time to play the Big Ten powerhouse.

OSU youth at QB and on defense

Ohio State lost all four of linebackers who took meaningful snaps last season. As we all know, those LB’s will be replaced with some of the best recruits in the country for their respective classes but a wealth of stars doesn’t always translate to the field. Especially right away.

In theory, their youth at linebacker could compound the many issues Ohio State had in their secondary last season. If Minnesota’s offensive line, which is supposed to be a major strong suit, can hold up against OSU’s defensive line… Mohamad Ibrahim and Tanner Morgan could thrive. Our own Stephen Strom wrote about some of these keys to a Gopher victory earlier this week.

But Minnesota putting up points on a turned over Buckeye defense might not matter in most years. But 2021 isn’t “most years” for the Ohio State offense. Their starting quarterback, CJ Stroud, is a redshirt freshman and he’s never thrown a collegiate pass. It’s been a long time since OSU’s entered a season with a quarterback this unknown.

Justin Fields led Ohio State to the National Championship last year.

C.J. Stroud looks to follow in Fields’ footsteps this Thursday in OSU’s season-opener vs. Minnesota

New QB1. New era in Columbus ⭕️ pic.twitter.com/w4SlDYdL4s

— Bleacher Report CFB (@BR_CFB) September 1, 2021

Even when Urban Meyer took over in 2012, he had (SO) Braxton Miller, who started as a Freshman for most of 2011, before Meyer took over.

Nobody’s ready for this new-look Gophers

The Minnesota Gophers, on the other hand, have all of the veteran depth. Unless you’re looking at the wide receiver position, which is featuring a lot of new faces and health concerns with their #1 guy, Chris Autman-Bell. Outside of WR, however, Minnesota has one of the most veteran-laced lineups in the country, both offensively and defensively.

Tanner Morgan has been taking starting snaps under center since 2018 and Mohamed Ibrahim’s been taking handoffs from him for a lot of that time. As previously mentioned, the same o-line has been blocking for both of them, too. If the passing game can keep up with the rushing attack, moving the ball shouldn’t be a problem vs this Ohio State defense.

The Minnesota defensive side struggled mightily, itself, last season. Most of that malfunction was vs opposing rushing attacks. Running backs could be seen busting through the middle of the Gopher defense multiple times per game in 2020.

So, PJ Fleck made very specific transfer portal additions up the middle in the offseason that have already appeared to payoff in camp. From what I’ve been able to watch, the defense has actually been better than the offense and should surprise opposing offenses to start the season.

Especially a young QB named CJ Stroud.

Prediction

And that’s exactly what happens Thursday night. #RTB

Minnesota: 41
Ohio State: 31

Mo Ibrahim: 170 YDS, 2 TD
CJ Stroud: 220 YDS, 2 TD, 3 INT pic.twitter.com/BG0rdnnrI6

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 2, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

In fact, Minnesota hasn’t pulled out a victory over OSU since 2000 and they’ve lost 37 of their last 39 games vs the Buckeyes, dating back to 1966. So how can the Gophers, not just keep it close, but actually come out on top vs a team they haven’t beaten in 21 seasons?

After doing some of my own digging and also chatting with some really smart people, like Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch (listen to the full conversation here), I’ve come up with three keys to a Minnesota Gophers victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday night.

SSS: 161 Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch

????-> https://t.co/FS1rDV8QW6

????-> https://t.co/18uMA8RFCI

-3 things to watch in Vikes final preseason game

Buckeyes beat writer @brdispatch previews Ohio State Minnesota????

BTYB @manscaped, get 20% off+free ship w/ code STROM pic.twitter.com/KyOFnYIKe8

— Stephen Strom (@SStrom_) August 27, 2021

Minnesota’s WR’s Have to Create Big Plays

The Gophers need explosive plays from their wide receivers. That will help stretch a Buckeye defense that was susceptible vs the pass last year. It would also allow All-Big Ten running back, Mo Ibrahim (and an extremely seasoned offensive line) the room and leverage he needs to work in the trenches against a very talented OSU front-four. Last year’s Buckeyes’ pass defense ranked 122nd in the country and, unlike the d-line, their back-seven is one of the biggest questions facing Ohio State entering 2021.

The big splash plays should be there for Minnesota but can they capitalize and who will be be there to make them? With Chris Autman-Bell’s health currently a mystery, Texas A&M transfer Dylan Wright or sophomore Daniel Jackson will have to emerge on a huge stage.

Make CJ Stroud Beat You

Redshirt freshman QB CJ Stroud will be OSU’s starter on Thursday night. The spark-notes version of what I’ve learned about the California product is that he’s a strong, big player, who’s more of a passer than a runner. But, he’ll definitely use his legs and is more than competent when he has to do so.

Stroud is quietly confident and falls under the mold of Justin Fields, in terms of his leadership style. He played in three games last season and never threw a pass, though he did run for a 48-yard touchdown against Michigan State. Thursday vs the Gophers will be his first career start.

A few CJ Stroud highlights pic.twitter.com/9cgsh0FpQI

— Mr. Ohio (@MrOH1O) August 5, 2021

Minnesota’s defense needs to force CJ Stroud to beat them. They do that by slowing down the dynamic OSU run game. Then, force Stroud into quick decisions through the air.

—

We’ll quickly find out how much better the interior of this Gopher defensive line is, after the transfer additions of (DT) Nyles Pinckney – Clemson, (DT) Val Martin – NC State and (LB) Jack Gibbens – Abilene Christian. The Gophers cannot allow Master Teague’s 200 rushing yards and 3 TD’s to become the story, while Stroud completes 8 easy passes.

Plugging the middle against the run and pressuring Stroud from the interior is the key to keeping this OSU offense from rolling. Let’s not forget about the Huntington Bank Stadium’s capacity crowd, which will be trying to bust Stroud’s eardrums all night if Minnesota can keep it close.

Ohio State returns six starters from last season’s high flying offense. They include the aforementioned Master Teague and wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. The o-line returns left tackle Thayer Munford, left guard Harry Miller and right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere. This is still one of the most talented teams in the country and they’re more than capable of torching defenses. Minnesota’s will have to be near-perfect to hang.

Keep Tanner Morgan Upright

Doesn’t it feel like Ohio State always has a 5-star defensive end that could play on Sunday? It’s been Joey Bosa, Nick Bosa and Chase Young, recently. But this year, that guy could be Zach Harrison. At 6’6″, 272 lbs, Harrison is going to test the experienced Gophers offensive line with his speed, strength and athleticism. Harrison, along with Haskell Garrett and Tyreke Smith, is one of the best defensive line groups the Gophers will go up against all season. That brings me to the most important key: Protect Tanner.

You know what you’re getting from standout RB Mohamed Ibrahim, but Tanner Morgan hasn’t been that same rock of stability. But if Minnesota is able to run the ball and protect Tanner, the Gophers can beat the Buckeyes. Yes, I know that’s a giant“if” to be throwing around.

Morgan is coming off a down year, throwing for just 1,401 yards, 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 9 games. His bloated numbers (3,253 yds, 30 TD, 7 INT) from 2019 seem distant but the Gophers may not need the gawdy stats from that season to be successful in 2021. Still, more of this guy you might remember below would be very helpful in winning games.

We lost track, but we think Tanner Morgan was 33-of-33 for about 1,000 yards and 20 TDs in these highlights. pic.twitter.com/p68vNdcxbe

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) July 15, 2020

They need Tanner to hit the occasional homerun, manage games and the locker room, while limiting his turnovers. If the line can protect him, this game will be within one possession come the 4th quarter. If not, CJ Stroud for heisman.

Stephen Strom | Minnesota Sports Fan

Coming off a blowout loss in Madison earlier this week, the #21 Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team took to the Williams Arena hardwood on Sunday vs the #25 Ohio State Buckeyes, looking to bounce back and keep their top-25 ranking.

The first half was a back and forth endeavor but Pitino’s Golden Gophers felt in control most of the way. He rode transfers Both Gach and Liam Robbins to a 43-37 halftime lead, while Marcus Carr played offensive decoy.

Halftime Stats ⤵️

Robbins | 16pts, 5reb, 4blk
Mashburn | 8pts
Kalscheur | 7pts, 3reb, 2ast https://t.co/XASG9MDwIs

— Minnesota Men’s Basketball (@GopherMBB) January 3, 2021

Liam Robbins scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to help lead @GopherMBB to a 77-60 win over Ohio State.

Highlights from the win: pic.twitter.com/eM6jbSK3FU

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) January 4, 2021

Runaway 2nd Half

But then the scoreboard light flipped to the 2nd half and the Minnesota Gophers started to run away from the Buckeyes. First, Gabe Kalscheur got hot, which is a scary thought for any Big Ten teams who were watching.

Liam Robbins continued to play his best game of the season, posting his first double-double of his Gopher career. Oh, and Marcus Carr decided to contribute his share of points too.

You can’t be overshadowed by all of your teammates in a game where Andy Kats is posting graphics with you as his 1st Team All Big Ten PG.

Marcus Carr is a human highlight reel. ????

No. 21 @GopherMBB is stretching its lead over No. 25 Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/ntyIJj2rlX

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 4, 2021

It’s early, but @TheAndyKatz is putting it out there.

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/SGNP6zR0LU

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 3, 2021

The maroon and gold quickly shot out to a 15-20 point lead and never looked back. The Buckeyes were left to watch as five Gophers scored in double-figures, burying them from the back and front court alike.

The Real Story

This is what Minnesota can do every night out if they get better shooting from Gabe Kalscheur and Both Gach. In four Big Ten games entering this one, Gophers wings were shooting under 20 percent from deep and under 30% from the field.

Tonight, Gabe and Both combined to shoot 9/19 from the floor and 5/11 from three. Even with Carr going 3/12, those two allowed Robbins plenty of room down low, where he finished with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks.

Now What

The Minnesota Gophers went 2-1 on the week vs three ranked opponents. That should push them further up the AP Poll. The NET rankings also release on Monday, for the first time in the 2020-21 season.

The Gophers now have three top-25 matchups remaining in their most difficult seven-game stretch of the year. Two will take place this week and the first is @ Michigan on Wednesday.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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#msfdaily: a chance to kick Bucky while they’re down… but i have a bad feeling about this game…OSU’s season is on the line. Can’t lose Big Ten home games. #gophers #gophersbasketball #gopherbasketball #minnesotabasketball #minnesotagophers #richardpitino #pitino #uofm #gogophers #rtb #skiumah #gophermbb #ncaa #ncaabasketball #bigtenbasketball #bigten #ohiostate #buckeyes #ohiostateuniversity #bucky #ohiostatebasketball #ohiosftatebuckeyes

A post shared by Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) on Jan 23, 2020 at 3:44am PST

The Gophers have had 4 days to swallow their loss to Rutgers on Sunday, and prepare for tonight’s matchup vs Ohio State, in Columbus. Hopefully 3 days of practice helped Pitino’s squad get their minds right. I’m not sure how much it will matter though, because we are walking into a sleeping-giant-mystery tonight…. and it makes me nervous af.

Ohio State has been bad lately. They’ve lost 5 of their last 6 games and had to suspend two guys, which resulted in their only victory during this stretch (vs NEB). But when those suspended guys returned on Saturday, OSU got destroyed in Penn State. Now, they head back home to face the Gophers.

This game looks make-or-break for OSU. They’d love to join the rest of the Big Ten, in blaming their woes on road games, but they lost to Wisconsin at home, earlier in this skid. They’ve fallen out of the Top-25, and a loss at home to the 10-8 Gophers could spell doom on a season that once had them battling for the #1 spot in the country.

So, how much punch does (arguably) the most talented team in the Big Ten have? They haven’t played since Saturday and I’m sure they are aware of their backs inching dangerously close to that “wall” everyone talks about. How hard are they going to hit as they try to punch their way away from it? How ready are the Gophers, to hit them back when they do?

I’m worried we are going to get some ravage and desperate Buckeyes tonight. The Gophers can hang with OSU, even when they are rolling… but on the road, they’d have to be firing from all cylinders. That means, Dan gets back to his dominant self, after having his worst game of the year in Rutgers on Sunday, mostly due to a slow start.

All of the outside shooters would need to be hitting, too. That includes Gabe Kalscheur, who started hot on Sunday but then wasn’t heard from after the 10-minute mark in the 1st half… And, Marcus Carr would have to be dominant, without being careless. The entire team would need to avoid fouls trouble too… because our depth is troubling.

When all of that is clicking for the Gophers, though, they can hang with anyone in the league.

But we haven’t seen that yet this season, on the road. In fact, the Gophers are yet to win a true road game all year, let alone a Big Ten game in Columbus. If we see the same passive and struggling Buckeyes that have been strolling around the Big Ten for the last couple of weeks, we’ll win. The Gophers will be more ready than that and I believe they are hungry to get this road monkey off their back.

But, if the sleeping giant #1 overall Ohio State Buckeyes make a re-emergence tonight, in Columbus…. Richard & Co should be ready for (KG style) war.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan