Ohio State-Minnesota Preview (for OSU fans)

[everybody knows my name]

Ohio State fans, your media has done a bad job previewing this game. They are lazy and uninterested, and who can blame them? After all, it's only Minnesota this week. Most of the previews produced in Ohioland say something like this: "2025 Ohio State is one of the best college football teams ever, and Minnesota isn't good at all. This game is 4 and 5 stars against 2 and 3 stars. Minnesota has one good player, Koi Perich. Here's a list of Ohio State's superstars: [........................] Prediction: 45-3."

Now some Minnesota fans are going to share candid assessments of the Golden Gophers personnel, coaches, schemes, strengths, weaknesses, and flaws.

Gopherhole, I challenge you. Do your thing!

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

 

[PeoplesFront]

What are we going to do on offense this week? Are we going to keep having the RB ineffectively run up the middle well into the 3rd quarter before trying to change things up, or are we going to come out of the gates slinging the ball all over the field? How about an ill-timed trick play for a loss of 37 after we drove the ball all the way into the red zone? I don’t know, you don’t know, and I’m not entirely convinced the coaches quite know at this point.

Exciting stuff.

 

[Gopher Mac]

This is the game to be delusional!

 

[1Buckeye]

Ohio State fans, your media has done a bad job previewing this game. They are lazy and uninterested, and who can blame them? After all, it's only Minnesota this week. Most of the previews produced in Ohioland say something like this: "2025 Ohio State is one of the best college football teams ever, and Minnesota isn't good at all. This game is 4 and 5 stars against 2 and 3 stars. Minnesota has one good player, Koi Perich. Here's a list of Ohio State's superstars: [........................] Prediction: 45-3."

Now some Minnesota fans are going to share candid assessments of the Golden Gophers personnel, coaches, schemes, strengths, weaknesses, and flaws.

Gopherhole, I challenge you. Do your thing!

As a Buckeye, I frequent this site for OSU info and Previews.

Eleven Warriors

Where Ohio State fans gather

www.elevenwarriors.com

 

[Pompous Elitist]

I’m 100% certain the players want to compete

Coaches?

That said If OSU shows up and the football gods sneer it’s definitely an uphill push. But, this is what competitors live for.

 

[NotAFanOfBecky]

I’m 100% certain the players want to compete

Coaches?

That said If OSU shows up and the football gods sneer it’s definitely an uphill push. But, this is what competitors live for.

Please PJ don’t play like a coward like you did a few years ago. At least take a chance, no one is expecting a win but at least be competitive! You believe you have a good team, you hung with PSU and gave them all they could handle last year. Let’s see it PJ!

 

[everybody knows my name]

Okay, I hoped someone else with more talent for schematic analysis would make a move here. Here's my effort:

Minnesota's reshirt freshman QB, Drake Lindsay, is a big kid with a big arm, good balance, and good throws. Unfortunately, he doesn't have access to the caliber of receivers that Minnesota has fielded in the last decade. The best pass catcher on the team is probably tight end Jameson Geers. The tight end squad as a group is a strength.

Minnesota has plenty of talent at RB, but the first two options have been out with injuries in recent weeks. They have really missed talented starter Darius Taylor in the past two games, a loss against Cal and a tight win over Rutgers. The best of the rest is Fame Ijeboi, who runs well in traffic and presently leads the team with 173 yards on 35 carries. Minnesota really needs at least moderate success and balance from its offense to make this game competitive.

The offense started the season with new starters at every line position, but it isn't as patchwork as that sounds. Some of the new regulars have started in the past, and they all have substantial experience. Thus far the pass blocking has been better than the run blocking, but the team is well coached, and at some point the line will gel. It would be a pleasant surprise for Minnesota if that were to happen against Ohio State.

On defense there is elite talent, but the talent is unevenly distributed. The line and the safeties are real strengths, and the linebackers are good by any standard,, but the cornerbacks have been burned frequently in '25. Everyone talks about Koi Perich, but his effect on defense has been largely nullified by merely moving the ball away from him. Other names to watch for include junior DL Anthony Smith, senior DL Deven Eastern, and DBs Kerry Brown and John Nestor. Don't be surprised if all five personnel named here play in the NFL.

The coaching staff is thoroughly capable and professional, but the most striking aspect of PJ Fleck's approach is his commitment to philosophy, psychology, and player development. Don't expect revolutionary tactics or strategies here, just a carefully managed culture, well-developed philosophy, and an ambition to be the most violent team in the Big Ten. Because Fleck knows that if you can't beat em, you can at least make them remember you.

 

[mggoph]

Okay, I hoped someone else with more talent for schematic analysis would make a move here. Here's my effort:

Minnesota's reshirt freshman QB, Drake Lindsay, is a big kid with a big arm, good balance, and good throws. Unfortunately, he doesn't have access to the caliber of receivers that Minnesota has fielded in the last decade. The best pass catcher on the team is probably tight end Jameson Geers. The tight end squad as a group is a strength.

Minnesota has plenty of talent at RB, but the first two options have been out with injuries in recent weeks. They have really missed talented starter Darius Taylor in the past two games, a loss against Cal and a tight win over Rutgers. The best of the rest is Fame Ijeboi, who runs well in traffic and presently leads the team with 173 yards on 35 carries. Minnesota really needs at least moderate success and balance from its offense to make this game competitive.

The offense started the season with new starters at every line position, but it isn't as patchwork as that sounds. Some of the new regulars have started in the past, and they all have substantial experience. Thus far the pass blocking has been better than the run blocking, but the team is well coached, and at some point the line will gel. It would be a pleasant surprise for Minnesota if that were to happen against Ohio State.

On defense there is elite talent, but the talent is unevenly distributed. The line and the safeties are real strengths, and the linebackers are good by any standard,, but the cornerbacks have been burned frequently in '25. Everyone talks about Koi Perich, but his effect on defense has been largely nullified by merely moving the ball away from him. Other names to watch for include junior DL Anthony Smith, senior DL Deven Eastern, and DBs Kerry Brown and John Nestor. Don't be surprised if all five personnel named here play in the NFL.

The coaching staff is thoroughly capable and professional, but the most striking aspect of PJ Fleck's approach is his commitment to philosophy, psychology, and player development. Don't expect revolutionary tactics or strategies here, just a carefully managed culture, well-developed philosophy, and an ambition to be the most violent team in the Big Ten. Because Fleck knows that if you can't beat em, you can at least make them remember you.

Very well done sir

 

[BilldGopher]

everybody knows my name = Not A Dink.

 

[everybody knows my name]

everybody knows my name = Not A Dink.

That's the nicest thing anyone has said about me today.

 

[Gopher Mac]

Okay, I hoped someone else with more talent for schematic analysis would make a move here. Here's my effort:

Minnesota's reshirt freshman QB, Drake Lindsay, is a big kid with a big arm, good balance, and good throws. Unfortunately, he doesn't have access to the caliber of receivers that Minnesota has fielded in the last decade. The best pass catcher on the team is probably tight end Jameson Geers. The tight end squad as a group is a strength.

Minnesota has plenty of talent at RB, but the first two options have been out with injuries in recent weeks. They have really missed talented starter Darius Taylor in the past two games, a loss against Cal and a tight win over Rutgers. The best of the rest is Fame Ijeboi, who runs well in traffic and presently leads the team with 173 yards on 35 carries. Minnesota really needs at least moderate success and balance from its offense to make this game competitive.

The offense started the season with new starters at every line position, but it isn't as patchwork as that sounds. Some of the new regulars have started in the past, and they all have substantial experience. Thus far the pass blocking has been better than the run blocking, but the team is well coached, and at some point the line will gel. It would be a pleasant surprise for Minnesota if that were to happen against Ohio State.

On defense there is elite talent, but the talent is unevenly distributed. The line and the safeties are real strengths, and the linebackers are good by any standard,, but the cornerbacks have been burned frequently in '25. Everyone talks about Koi Perich, but his effect on defense has been largely nullified by merely moving the ball away from him. Other names to watch for include junior DL Anthony Smith, senior DL Deven Eastern, and DBs Kerry Brown and John Nestor. Don't be surprised if all five personnel named here play in the NFL.

The coaching staff is thoroughly capable and professional, but the most striking aspect of PJ Fleck's approach is his commitment to philosophy, psychology, and player development. Don't expect revolutionary tactics or strategies here, just a carefully managed culture, well-developed philosophy, and an ambition to be the most violent team in the Big Ten. Because Fleck knows that if you can't beat em, you can at least make them remember you.

So you are saying we have a chance!