Actual chance at beating Ohio State?

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alaska

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I am a Gopher positive pumper, but I also realize its Ohio State and we are not at that level yet.....what are the chances we can beat them this year?
 



Its our best chance in many years to upset them. Still unlikely, but maybe if y'all go to the game and holler for its entirety we can pull it off.
 

Their speed and quickness overcomes a lot of their other weaknesses but there is always a chance.
 


Wouldn’t it be the QBs first college start? Never know what can happen. Need to ensure TCF bank is a hostile environment
 

salzie said:
Not great, HOWEVER, the conditions for an upset are there

1. Home game
2. Week one with tOHSU breaking in a new QB
3. MN with an experienced QB and OL
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There is also a chance (albeit slim) that OSU is "looking ahead" to the Oregon game at the horseshoe the following weekend. The Ducks were ranked 5th in one preseason poll I saw.
 





I mean I’m not betting at even odds, but I’m feeling like we will pull it off!
 










MplsGopher said:
Nothing up yet here (I'm sure it will be, as we get closer to the game): https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/
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At the start of the FB season I again would like to inform one and all that the point spread is manipulated by the gambling concerns to have, as far as is possible, to have equal amounts of money bet on each team.
They do not care who wins, do not predict who will win but only are interested in making money from the amount they take out of each wager and having the losing betters pay exactly to the winners what the losing betters wagered.
That said, money is to be made best early in the season when the strengths and weaknesses of each team are not known to the majority of betters.
 

I think the MIchigan comp from last year is fair.

If the Gophers can stop the run, I would definitely say there is a good chance.
 

Last year we opened with Michigan, which had a brand new QB. We got curb-stomped because (1) we had no kicking game; (2) we were ineffective on return teams; and (3) we had the most ineffective run defense I have ever seen. I think we can beat Ohio State, but only if we force or confuse Ohio State into some key mistakes (they will have a young crew at some positions) and we manage to play mostly mistake free ball (we will start a very experienced line up). If our kicking game is as brutal as last year, we will lose the field position battle badly and, eventually, the game. If we follow 2020 plan and NEVER effectively return a KO or punt, we also (or doubly) lose the field position battle badly and, eventually, the game. If our run defense opens the season as confused and ineffective as last year, we lose big, even if Ohio State makes a lot of mistakes. To counter Ohio State's talent advantage, which is very real, our defense, esp. our front 6 or 7, must have greatly improved over last year. And we've got to have an effective kicking and return game, so that we aren't doomed by a dispiriting field position war of attrition. People criticize our 2020 defense, rightly, but good teams have a "make up" weapon: they gain field position advantages and points from special teams play. It seems like the Gophers have simply abandoned special teams for points or field position "flips." We won't win more than 6 or 7 games this season if our special teams don't re-surface as a co-equal element of a winning strategy. There is no way we beat Ohio State with just a good, effective offense; all three cylinders must be firing. My observations are obvious, of course--more so to the coaches, I assume, than to casual observers such as myself. The coaches and players have their work cut out for them. But, because of experienced player additions the Gophers have made via the portal on special teams and defense, and because of developing young talent on defense, I somehow think we can do it. Go Gophers.
 


Gonna need the football gods to smile upon the Gophers...
 



I took a look back at the Michigan opener last year (painful) as to special teams. High point: Preston Jelen blocked a Michigan punt attempt that resulted in our first TD. And Michigan missed three FG attempts, yet still won 49-24. So, maybe a team can win big even if special teams are misfiring. It was also clear that COVID killed our kicking game. We had Brock Walker handing KOs and FGs, and Matt Stephenson handling punts. Really like both those guys--but we gave up a lot in the kicking game, and it hurt. I think our kicking game will be a lot better this year; it has to be. Who knows if we will have a kick return game? I expect our run defense to be better; it has to be.
I think we have a 20% chance of a win. I'm a homer.
 




I believe we have a shot. However I was heartbroken when we played TCU where I thought we had a good chance of beating them. As a result tempering my emotions. Having said that, this is a different team by far than when we played the opener against TCU.

I agree if we can put pressure on their "green" quarterback the whole game, we can come out of it with a win.
 


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