WATCH: How Ohio State football starts the day off
Ohio State is ready for their season opener against Minnesota tonight. Are you?
The team greeted their fan base on Twitter this morning with eight seconds of pure joy.
If this doesn’t get you even more fired up for the six-day Week 1 college football extravaganza that is already under way, nothing will.
Ohio State leads the series 45-7 and has won 39 of the last 42 games. They have not lost at Minnesota since 1981. Ohio State won the last meeting in 2018, 30-14.
The Buckeyes are favorites by a couple of touchdowns.
Two high-powered offenses will take the field tonight
With a first-time starting quarterback in C.J. Stroud and rain in the forecast, the Buckeyes could turn to their stable of running backs. Ohio State has yet to name a clear cut starter, but Master Teague, Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson are all expected to carry the ball.
While “weakness” is a hilarious term on a roster loaded with some of the country’s best, the Buckeyes biggest weakness is at linebacker. Teradja Mitchell is the only clear starter at the position with some combination of Dallas Gant, Cody Simon and K’Vaughn Pope likely to contribute as well. Letterman Row’s Tim May predicts the Buckeyes will run up the rushing yards tonight.
There will probably be a few Buckeye freshmen who look like 30-year-old men on the field Thursday. Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau could step in at defensive end, and receivers Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. will likely appear on the line of scrimmage to complement Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Ohio State wide receiver room is truly terrifying.
Minnesota’s offense is not to be overlooked. Quarterback Tanner Morgan is one of the best signal callers in the Big Ten, and running back Mohamed Ibrahim led the conference in rushing last year by over 200 yards. Wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell’s status is still in question as of Thursday morning. Ohio State’s defense will need to be on high alert.
Where to find the Buckeyes and the Gophers
The game will be on FOX, and Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (color analyst) and Jenny Taft (sideline) will be on the call. The game can also be streamed on FoxSports.com, and Paul Keels, Jim Lachey and Matt Andrews will have the call on the Ohio State Sports Radio Network 97.1 FM (WBNS). A full list of radio affiliates can be found here. It kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET.