BleedGopher
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per the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Chance to beat the Buckeyes: 3 percent. Once again, we could be underestimating an opponent here, one coming off an eight-win bowl season. And with that Michigan State game the week before, this is an interesting spot on the schedule for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have never played a Jerry Kill Minnesota team, with the last matchup between the schools a showdown four years ago between Jim Tressel and Jeff Horton, the interim coach who took over after Tim Brewster was fired during the 2010 season. So Ohio State may not have a feel for what this type of Minnesota team plays like. But it's hard to avoid the history - Ohio State is 24-1 against Minnesota since 1982. So 3 percent, or maybe 4 percent, seems about right.
How they could compete with Ohio State: If Minnesota is something like 7-2 or 6-3 entering the game, and with its schedule, that could happen, maybe Kill can make some magic happen. And now that the Metrodome is a thing of the past, there's always the chance that some nasty Minneapolis weather in November could take away Ohio State's speed edge and level the playing field. The Gophers may need confidence, snow, genius coaching and a crazy crowd to do it, but get all four going and this may not be impossible. But just three out of four probably won't cut it.
Projection: The Buckeyes and Golden Gophers will be playing for the first time in four years, and it should certainly be closer than the 52-10 OSU win in 2010. Minnesota beat Nebraska and Penn State last season, breaking a 16-game losing streak to the Cornhuskers. Are the Gophers ready to do the same to Ohio State? Bet that Urban Meyer will be reminding his team of what Minnesota did to Nebraska a year ago. This may be the week that Meyer makes his strongest push of the season to make sure the Buckeyes don't take an opponent for granted. Off the juice from the home crowd, this is the kind of game Minnesota could lead for a bit. But it doesn't seem like the kind of game the Gophers, 17-21 in three seasons under Kill, are quite ready to win.
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2014/07/a_3_percent_chance_minnesota_b.html
Go Gophers!!
Chance to beat the Buckeyes: 3 percent. Once again, we could be underestimating an opponent here, one coming off an eight-win bowl season. And with that Michigan State game the week before, this is an interesting spot on the schedule for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have never played a Jerry Kill Minnesota team, with the last matchup between the schools a showdown four years ago between Jim Tressel and Jeff Horton, the interim coach who took over after Tim Brewster was fired during the 2010 season. So Ohio State may not have a feel for what this type of Minnesota team plays like. But it's hard to avoid the history - Ohio State is 24-1 against Minnesota since 1982. So 3 percent, or maybe 4 percent, seems about right.
How they could compete with Ohio State: If Minnesota is something like 7-2 or 6-3 entering the game, and with its schedule, that could happen, maybe Kill can make some magic happen. And now that the Metrodome is a thing of the past, there's always the chance that some nasty Minneapolis weather in November could take away Ohio State's speed edge and level the playing field. The Gophers may need confidence, snow, genius coaching and a crazy crowd to do it, but get all four going and this may not be impossible. But just three out of four probably won't cut it.
Projection: The Buckeyes and Golden Gophers will be playing for the first time in four years, and it should certainly be closer than the 52-10 OSU win in 2010. Minnesota beat Nebraska and Penn State last season, breaking a 16-game losing streak to the Cornhuskers. Are the Gophers ready to do the same to Ohio State? Bet that Urban Meyer will be reminding his team of what Minnesota did to Nebraska a year ago. This may be the week that Meyer makes his strongest push of the season to make sure the Buckeyes don't take an opponent for granted. Off the juice from the home crowd, this is the kind of game Minnesota could lead for a bit. But it doesn't seem like the kind of game the Gophers, 17-21 in three seasons under Kill, are quite ready to win.
http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2014/07/a_3_percent_chance_minnesota_b.html
Go Gophers!!