PREGAME NOTES
No. 8 Ohio State (8-1 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) at No. 25 Minnesota (6-2 overall, 4-1 Big Ten)
Minneapolis, Minnesota – TCF Bank Stadium (52,525)
Saturday 11:00 a.m. CT – ABC
At 7-2 with an incredibly tough three-game stretch approaching, the Gophers aren’t satisfied with their season. Saturday marks an opportunity to make a statement in the Big Ten and to squelch the title hopes of the Ohio State Buckeyes. OSU comes into the game following an impressive 49-37 win over Michigan State and the Gophers know that they will be facing the best team in the conference but have been preparing since last weekend.
“We come off a good win, and then you go home, and you’re going to kick back and relax and get you a bowl of ice cream and then you put on the TV and then you watch Ohio State,” said Jerry Kill. “So ‑‑ then you don’t sleep the rest of the night, you don’t get a chance to enjoy the win, and now all you do is worry about what you’re going to do.”
With Ohio State in the hunt for a national title, the Gophers will be facing a talented and motivated team on Saturday.
“I will tell you this is that Ohio State is playing at a very high level right now and playing as good as anybody in the country,” said Kill.
Series History
The meetings between the two Big Ten teams haven’t been all that close. The Buckeyes hold a 43-7-0 lead in the series and have won eight straight and 23 of the last 24 contests over the Maroon and Gold. Minnesota hasn’t beat Ohio State since 2001 in Columbus and have not won in Minnesota since 1981. With a 7-2 start and a big win last week against Iowa, this could be the game that breaks the Gophers’ losing streak to OSU.
Last Meeting
The Buckeyes and Gophers met in 2010 at TCF Bank Stadium with OSU rolling to a 52-10 victory. Terrelle Pryor completed 18 of his 22 passes while also rushing for 55 yards to spur the Buckeyes. The victory was later vacated by Ohio State.
Season to Date
After an opening-week win over Navy, Ohio State was shocked in The Horseshoe by Virginia Tech, losing 35-21. The Buckeyes have rebounded since, scoring at least 49 points in six of the next seven games. The only scare came in late October when OSU needed two overtimes to top a pesky Penn State team. Last week, the Buckeyes proved they are at the top of the Big Ten conference by knocking of then-No. 8 Michigan State, 49-37. Ohio State’s current seven-game unbeaten streak is the fifth longest winning streak in the nation.
Coaching Preview
In college football today, Urban Meyer has few equals. His two national championships are topped only by Nick Saban among active coaches. His winning percentage of .873 is the highest among all active FBS coaches with at least 10 years of experience. He has won more games in his first 10 years—104—than all but two coaches in college football history. Meyer has won at every stop as a head coach, so it’s no surprise the third-year Buckeyes coach is off to a 32-3 start and is 21-0 in Big Ten Conference games. None of those conference wins have come against Minnesota, a team Meyer will face for the first time in his career on Saturday.
“Here’s a team that’s won a bunch of games,” said Urban Meyer of the Gophers. “Their last game was their best game against Iowa. I’ve never coached against Minnesota. I’ve known about Coach Kill for a long time and he’s as fundamental of a football coach as there is in America and he’s got some excellent players. It’s not by accident that they’re winning games.”
Barrett Shining
When Braxton Miller was sidelined with a season-ending injury earlier this year, it looked as though the Gophers were going to get an easier matchup when the Buckeyes came to town. Unfortunately for Minnesota, backup J.T. Barrett has been a revelation for Urban Meyer and Ohio State. Last week against Michigan State, he threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 84 yards and two more scores. On the season, Barrett leads the Big Ten, accounting for 304.2 total yards of offense per game.
“It’s one of those things, I would tell you is that Braxton is very, very good, but this young man, they’ve done a great job of bringing him along,” said Kill. “He has the same type of running ability, but he throws the ball better right now, I believe, than what Braxton did, and Braxton threw it good. But this kid’s on fire right now.”
Not only does he have the athletic ability, Barrett has shown that his game preparation is superb, enabling him to make the correct decisions when on the field.
“[He has] a relentless approach to everything he does; from being a student at Ohio State, to being a teammate, to being a quarterback,” said Meyer of Barrett. “He’s relentless. He comes in every evening and sits in the game plan room with us for a few minutes and loads up his tip sheet…He falls in the mold of a Tebow and Alex Smith as far as preparation and that’s a great quality to have.”
Matchup to Watch
Aside from containing Barrett, the Gophers will also have to contend with speedy receivers, something that has given them trouble this season. Minnesota has an experienced secondary, but will need to be able to shut down the Buckeye receivers in one-on-one situations in open space.
“The other problem that they present is that if you miss a tackle on them, they can get it over with,” said Tracy Claeys. “So that’s ‑‑ you know, they spread you out, they got very good athletes, get you in space. It’ll all come down to not only the third downs, but how well we tackle. They’re going to throw some short balls, and we gotta get the ball on the ground.”
The Buckeyes were able to throw for 300 yards and averaged almost 19 yards per completion against Michigan State. Kill knows that in order to be successful on defense, his defensive backs will have to win one-on-one battles on the outside.
“Against Ohio State, with the athletes they have, you’re going to be in some one‑on‑one situations and we’re going to have to tackle very well and we’re going to have to be disciplined,” said Kill. “You jump everybody down there on the dive and the quarterback pulls it and he’s one-on-one with somebody or somebody makes a mistake, you know, it’s a big play.”
Containing the wide receivers will be a point of emphasis throughout the game.
“My thing is and what we preach to the kids is not only covering them but when they catch them is not giving up yards after the catch,” said Claeys. “That’ll be a huge factor in what happens on Saturday.”
Player to Watch
No. 97 Joey Bosa – The imposing 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive end leads the Big Ten conference in tackles-for-loss (14.5), sacks (10.0), and forced fumbles with three. Bosa, who is only a sophomore, has already racked up 28 career TFLs and 17.5 sacks in just 23 games. Last season, Bosa was named a freshman All-American by The Sporting News and College Football News.
“He’s a big, strong, athletic guy that goes hard,” said Meyer. “I don’t know if anybody envisions a player to develop into what he’s become because he has come a long way. I did think that when he shook our hand and said he wanted to be a Buckeye that he had a chance to make an impact as a freshman.”
Bosa is already drawing comparisons to another former Big Ten defensive end, All-Pro J.J. Watt. If he stays healthy, there is no doubt he will play on Sundays.
“He’s a big-time player; he’ll play at the next level,” said Kill. “It’s like playing against an NFL defensive end; he could play right now. He gets off the ball quick. He uses his hands very well. He’s hard to maintain a block on. He’s just a very good athlete and born with some instincts…He’s NFL ready right now so that’s a big challenge for us.”
Background
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Enrollment: 63,058
Conference: Big Ten
Mascot: Brutus Buckeye
Colors: Scarlet and Gray
Coach: Urban Meyer (3rd Season)