Media Predictions: Minnesota @ Ohio State

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IceBoxGopher

IceBoxGopher

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Going to be a lot of Buckeye picks this week but here we go.

Gophers On SI is predicting a 41-13 Ohio State win
The Gophers rank fifth in the entire country with only 65.5 rushing yards allowed per game. It's easier said than done, but the easiest way to keep this one competitive would be making Ohio State run the football, and slow down Smith, Tate, Sayin and Klare as much as possible.

What I have seen from Minnesota's secondary so far this season makes me think they could struggle to do that. Ohio State fans rarely get to see their team play under the lights, and I think the Gophers could struggle with a young QB in a raucous road environment.

Picks and Parlays selects Ohio State, 35-7
Minnesota has shown balance on offense, but Ohio State is deeper and more physical on both sides of the ball. With Sayin performing well and the defense forcing mistakes, the Buckeyes should stay unbeaten with a decisive home win.

Dimers has Ohio State winning the game 35-11
This prediction is based on each team's average score following 10,000 game simulations. Our model gives Minnesota a win probability of 4%, while Ohio State has a win probability of 96%.
 




College Football News picks Ohio State, 34-10
The last time Ohio State went five straight games without allowing double-digit points was in the 2007 season. It went four straight games in the midseason allowing seven points or fewer. It did the same in 2006.

The 1979 Buckeyes went six straight games without giving up double-digit points - they went on to lose a historic Rose Bowl, and the national title, to USC. Minnesota will get to double-digit points. But barely.

PicksWise has Ohio State winning
Despite the loss of defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and all the roster turnover after winning a national title, you could argue the Buckeyes still have the best defense in the country. Ohio State is top 10 in multiple advanced defensive metrics including yards per play, third-down conversion, PPA per play, points per quality drive, standard down PPA and passing down PPA.

Moreover, the Buckeyes have not surrendered more than 9 points in any game to this point. Offensively, Ohio State finishes its quality drives with touchdowns more often than not and has been excellent at preventing negative plays – ranking 2nd nationally in total havoc allowed.

Under the lights at Ohio Stadium, it’s going to be tough for Minnesota to consistently move the ball and finish dives with points against the Buckeye defense. Look for Ohio State to win this one comfortably.

The Daily Gopher (SB Nation) predicts a 31-10 Ohio State win
I think the Gopher offense is too one-dimensional to effectively attack this Buckeye defense, and the cornerback play on defense has been far too inconsistent to match up well with Ohio State’s elite receivers. I don’t see Minnesota pulling the upset on the road, unfortunately.

Eleven Warriors is backing Ohio State, 38-3
Team with the edge: Offense: Ohio State — deeper skill corps, more balanced QB play. Defense: Ohio State — #1 in scoring defense; Minnesota elite vs. run but weak in red zone. Special Teams: Ohio State — stronger punting and punt returns; Minnesota more effective on kickoff returns. Coaching: Day (74–10) vs. Fleck (58–39). Overall Edge: Ohio State

Bleacher Report sees a 38-10 Ohio State win
So far, nobody has managed to hang double-digit points on Ohio State. Hang the banner, Minnesota, you'll be the first! Hopefully. Maybe.
 


Minnesota will score a lot more points and tO will score less points.
 

Gophers on SI writers are out with their predictions
Tony Liebert has Ohio State winning 41-13
The Gophers rank fifth in the entire country with only 65.5 rushing yards allowed per game. It's easier said than done, but the easiest way to keep this one competitive would be making Ohio State run the football, and slow down Smith, Tate, Sayin and Klare as much as possible.

What I have seen from Minnesota's secondary so far this season makes me think they could struggle to do that. Ohio State fans rarely get to see their team play under the lights, and I think the Gophers could struggle with a young QB in a raucous road environment.

Joe Nelson picks Ohio State, 41-13
Ohio State has what many believe will wind up being a historically good defense. They also have two of the best wide receivers in the country, meaning Minnesota is 100% going to need to score a bunch of points to win this game. Unfortunately, I don't think P.J. Fleck will ride the hot hand of quarterback Drake Lindsey and trust him to sling the rock all over the field like he did in the second half against Rutgers.

Instead, I think Fleck will try to control the clock and run the Gophers six feet under before the start of the second half. If Fleck lets Lindsey do his thing, I can see Minnesota falling by something like 38-31. If Fleck plays not to lose and runs the Gophers to their death, Ohio State will cruise. I think the latter is more likely.

Will Ragatz has Ohio State winning 31-16
Ohio State hasn’t done anything to lose its No. 1 ranking, but the Buckeyes haven’t exactly been dominant this season. They led Ohio 16-9 halfway through the third quarter. They were up 14-6 going to the fourth at Washington last week. That doesn’t mean I believe Minnesota is going to win this game.

The talent disparity is just too significant, but I also don’t think it’ll be a 37-3 blowout like when these teams last met in 2023. If Drake Lindsey plays the game of his life and the Gophers’ defense comes up with some plays, there’s an outside chance at an upset that would shock the country.

Jonathan Harrison selects Ohio State, 31-7
Drake Lindsey may have arrived, but that was last week. This week, he’s still a redshirt freshman going up against the No. 1-rated Ohio State this weekend. Nobody has scored double-digit points ok the Buckeyes this season, and I don’t see the Gophers being the team to do that, yet.

While the Gophers' defense will have every opportunity to keep the game close, too many quick drives and three-and-outs by the Minnesota offense will wear on the defense this weekend. Ohio State hands Minnesota its second loss of the season.

Buckeyes Wire (USA Today) predicts a 48-7 Ohio State win
PJ Fleck rows his boat into a hostile environment on Saturday night. It's bad enough for the Gophers that they have to play the No. 1 team in the country on the road. But to have to do it in a night game makes things exponentially more difficult for Minnesota.

The Golden Gophers may be 3-1, but this is not a great football team. Ohio State, on the other hand, is. It's hard to see a scenario where Minnesota keeps this close. The Buckeyes cruise to an easy victory in the 'Shoe, setting up a top 25 showdown with Illinois next week.

Sports Chat Place goes with Ohio State
Ohio State has been one of the strongest squads in the nation so far in this young season… They have the best defense in the nation, holding their opponents into just 5.5 points per game, and winning by an average of 30.7 points. The Buckeyes have been dominating Minnesota historically, and I expect them to continue to do so today.

Big Al’s Sports Picks sees a 45-17 Ohio State win.
Ohio State has looked great in their games this season with their 4-0 record overall and their 1-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big Ten. They won the National Championship last season and they are once again showing why they are one of the best teams in the nation this season too.

They have some good wins under their belt like their win over Texas and they are off a tough road win against Washington in their last one, winning 24-6. Meanwhile, Minnesota has looked good in their games this season with their 3-1 record overall and their 1-0 conference record which has them higher in the Big Ten.

They are off a big home win over Rutgers in their last one, but they struggled a lot in that game. Their defense didn't look great against that Rutgers offense and they were also trailing for most of that game. They had a really good effort to come back and win at home, but now they are going on the road against the best team in the nation.

Minnesota doesn't have a great offense either so they are going to struggle to even move the ball on this Ohio State defense, and Ohio State will be able to pull away throughout the game.
 






The Pioneer Press has Ohio State winning 30-7
Minnesota Offense Vs. Ohio State Defense: New Ohio State coordinator Matt Patricia has his unit dialed in; they rank No. 1 in the nation, allowing 5.5 points per game. Ohio State’s pass defense is giving up 132 yards a game, eighth in the nation, and will challenge the U’s redshirt freshman with different looks. Edge: Ohio State

Minnesota Defense Vs. Ohio State Defense: The Buckeyes had six players named to the Senior Bowl’s new Top 300 list. Julian Sayin, the No. 1 QB in the 2024 recruiting class, leads the nation with a 79% completion rate. The Gophers had one takeaway against Rutgers and turned it into a touchdown, but DB’s also dropped two passes that hit their hands. Edge: Ohio State

Special teams: K Jayden Fielding is 4 for 4 on field goals, with a long of 38, while UMN K Brady Denaburg is 5 for 7 on the season, both misses from beyond 50 yards. Edge: Ohio State

Prediction: Buckeyes fans will be tuned up for a rare night game at the Horseshoe and the talent gap on the field will become apparent soon after the dusk kickoff. Gophers will try some trick plays like they did against Penn State last year, but it won’t be enough against elite competition. Buckeyes dominate.

Gopher Illustrated (247 Sports) has Ohio State winning 30-9
Being chosen to be the Homecoming opponent for the #1 team in the country is tough sledding. I'm as optimistic as I've been since Darius Taylor was injured that he could return for some snaps in this game, but I'm not expecting anything close to a regular workload after being out for 28 days.

That's all a big "if", but considering he returned after 25 days last year, it's logical to believe he'll be back. This Buckeye defense is legit, and I'm incredibly skeptical that Minnesota's skill can win consistently against Caleb Downs and company.

And on the flip side, after missing 15 tackles last week vs Rutgers athletes, Ohio State's are a different caliber, and that being cleaned up seven days later is something I'm very hesitant to believe. It's close into the third quarter, but it doesn't end that way.

Land Grant Holy Land (SB Nation) picks Ohio State, 38-10
Quarterback Drake Lindsey is coming off the best game of his young career, but he is in for a rude awakening on Saturday. Caden Curry, Kayden McDonald, and the rest of the Buckeye defense are playing with loads of confidence. As if that wasn’t enough, Ohio State will certainly be buzzing with the game being under the lights at Ohio Stadium.

Not to take away anything from P.J. Fleck and what he has built in Minneapolis, his team is just overmatched on Saturday. The Ohio State offensive line isn’t allowing the opposition to get into the backfield, which gives Sayin plenty of time to pick from the plethora of weapons he has at his disposal.

Even if we do see a bit of a slow start like in games against Ohio and Washington, the Buckeyes still have the talent and depth to win this by at least two touchdowns.

Writers at the Cleveland Plain Dealer have their predictions out
Stephen Means picks Ohio State, 38-0
Ohio State has some things it needs to work on this week. It just so happens that Minnesota is the perfect to team work on those things against because the Golden Gophers are weak in those same area. This is a case of a stoppable object meeting a movable force.

Stefan Krajisnik is picking Ohio State, 35-3
For starters, I predicted Washington to score 21 points against Ohio State last week. I will no longer expect Ohio State’s defense to allow more than 14 points until proven otherwise. Matt Patricia’s defense is a force, and Minnesota will learn first-hand how difficult it is to score against that unit.

As for Brian Hartline’s offense, I think Saturday will provide an opportunity for Ohio State to put more on Julian Sayin’s plate with little risk. The Buckeyes will air it out more against the Gophers, and they’ll also be aggressive in the red zone as they look to improve in that area. OSU won’t be settling for field goals when presented with opportunities to go for it in the red area.

Andrew Gillis predicts a 38-6 Ohio State win
This is a game for Ohio State that is going to be judged as a success or failure based on the margins. Ohio State should roll over a Minnesota team that might be without its best running back, has a freshman at quarterback and a miserable red zone offense and defense. But that’s not how Buckeye fans should view this game.

The Buckeyes have legitimate issues on special teams and in the red zone, and that’s where they should focus their attention on improvement. With three matchups in the next three weeks that should be big wins, it’s truly about Ohio State vs. Themselves.

Tony’s Picks goes with Ohio State, 38-10
The breakdown leans heavily one way. Ohio State is unbeaten, efficient on both sides, and historically dominant against Minnesota. The Gophers have some nice pieces — Lindsey has poise, and Ijeboi has flashed in the run game — but injuries to RB and WR depth are major against this caliber of opponent. Buckeyes’ balance on offense and ability to suffocate teams defensively makes them a different animal than Rutgers or Buffalo.
 

In games like this you just hope that we come out and compete and that it’s a close enough game that if we get a bounce or two, we could sneak it out at the end.
 

I hope we get out of osu with limited injuries!
 



The media views this game as a glorified scrimmage. I understand that sentiment. What would be funny is if Ohio St believes them and focuses more on saving themselves for the CFP than winning. Ohio St doesn’t need 100% of effort or manpower to beat us but any distraction is good for us.
 

gophmeister said:
The media views this game as a glorified scrimmage. I understand that sentiment. What would be funny is if Ohio St believes them and focuses more on saving themselves for the CFP than winning. Ohio St doesn’t need 100% of effort or manpower to beat us but any distraction is good for us.
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Reminds me of 2023 Michigan. They just toyed with us and still dominated
 


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