The Gophers obviously don’t figure to get Ohio State’s blood boiling quite like the Spartans. They didn’t knock off the Buckeyes a year ago, they won’t bring a top-10 ranking into the game this weekend, and despite a 7-2 record, there are still some doubts about their legitimacy as conference contenders thanks to a loss to Illinois last month.
Ohio State also seemed to pour everything it had into preparing for the Spartans, from the emotions of seeking a bit of retribution to the extra hours of preparation players did on their own time all the way down to the offensive play-calling that was probably the deepest dive into the playbook of any outing since Meyer took over the program.
And there’s also a new distraction that could soon be hanging over Ohio State’s head. The Buckeyes are now the favorite to win the Big Ten again, and on top of that, they’re firmly back in contention for the College Football Playoff and are likely to hear plenty about that conversation moving forward. That’s nothing the program hasn’t dealt with before, even as recently as last season, but it goes on the list of things that could drag the Buckeyes down if they aren’t careful against a team with the stout defense and power rushing attack to make them pay.
“I remember worrying about that kind of stuff last year, and it would affect the way I played and stuff,” senior defensive tackle Michael Bennett said. “This year, it’s just focusing on playing hard and focusing on being a good teammate and trying to lead these guys, making sure that other guys have that same mentality. Just focus on what you can do. The playoff system will be the playoff system, and it will work out how it does. I’ve just kind of gotten to the point where I don’t really care anymore, All we can do is just play football and play as hard as we can.
“So [focusing] is no problem at all. Michigan State is behind us, we had a good game, celebrated it, and now it’s time to move on to Minnesota.”
Maybe the Buckeyes turned the page just a bit slower this time. But once they flip over to prepare for the Gophers, they definitely shouldn’t expect any more pats on the back from Meyer.
