Minnesota vs Ohio State Prediction: Can the Gophers pull off the upset?
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-1, 1-0) will take on the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday night in Columbus with a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff.
Entering Saturday, the Buckeyes are a 24-point favorite over the Golden Gophers with the total for the game set at 44.5 points. Nobody expects the Gophers to win; many don’t think it will be close.
The last time the Gophers defeated a No. 1-ranked team was 1977, a 16-0 win over a then top-ranked Michigan Wolverines team. The last time they beat a top-10 team on the road? 2000. That opponent? The Ohio State Buckeyes.
That being said, this week, we’ve dived deep into the matchup and are ready to make our own gameday prediction.
Prediction
Anytime you take on the defending national champions, the No. 1 team in the country, at their house, at night, it’s going to be a tall task to find a way to win. All that remains true for the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday night as they look to pull off one of the biggest upsets in program history.
On paper, this is an extremely tough matchup for the Gophers, especially based on what we’ve seen in recent weeks.
The matchup I’m most worried about for Minnesota is Ohio State’s passing attack against the Gophers’ pass defense. Over the last two games, against good but inferior passing attacks in California and Rutgers, Minnesota struggled, and now they have to face one of the country’s best quarterbacks in Julian Sayin, along with a wide receiver room that’s the envy of nearly every program in the nation.
How will the Gophers be able to contain the likes of Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss for four quarters?
When it comes to Ohio State’s rushing attack, the Gophers’ run defense was strong through the first three weeks, but last week against Rutgers, Antwan Raymond totaled 161 yards and averaged 6.2 yards per carry. Not a great omen when the Gophers now face an Ohio State rushing attack that may not be as dangerous as in past seasons but is still extremely talented, led by true freshman Bo Jackson, who’s averaging over eight yards per carry.
If the Gophers struggled to contain Raymond, how will they possibly be able to contain not just Bo Jackson but also CJ Donaldson and James Peoples?
The Gophers’ defense this season should hold up fine against most offenses, but Ohio State is not most offenses.
Flipping the page to Minnesota’s offense versus the Buckeyes’ defense, the major worry is the offensive line, particularly the right side.
Both right tackle Dylan Ray and right guard Marcellus Marshall have struggled this season in pass protection, and now they’ll face an Ohio State defense that consistently gets pressure on opposing quarterbacks. It will also be a strong test for Nathan Roy, Greg Johnson, and Ashton Beers, though I don’t have as many concerns about their potential performances as I do about Ray and, more specifically, Marshall.
Additionally, the Golden Gophers’ rushing attack and offensive line struggled mightily last week against Rutgers and will now face the country’s top defense. If Ohio State can contain the Minnesota rushing attack on the ground, as I expect it will, it will force Minnesota into being a one-dimensional offense. Combine that with a redshirt quarterback making his first true hostile-environment road start, and it could become a long day for Minnesota’s offense.
Ultimately, I expect Minnesota to have a little bit of offensive success in this game, but not nearly enough to have a chance to win, barring a legendary defensive performance. That being said, give me Minnesota to be the first team this season to score double digits on the Buckeyes.
Prediction: No. 1 Ohio State, Minnesota 13
Follow along with Gophers Nation
Gophers Nation will have live updates on the Gophers’ matchup in Columbus through pregame, through P.J. Fleck and the players’ postgame press conference. Gophers Nation subscribers can chat with the staff and Gophers fans on the Inside Gophers Nation forum.
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