These 5 teams could keep Ohio State from a College Football Playoff berth in 2021 (Minnesota, September 2)

[BleedGopher]

per Spenser:

Here are the five teams most likely to get in Ohio State’s way this season, ordered chronologically based on the Buckeyes’ schedule:

Sept. 2 @ Minnesota​

Ohio State faces off against Minnesota on Thursday night of Week 1. With Oregon looming in Week 2, it’s possible the Buckeyes could get caught looking ahead a week.

PJ Fleck will have his team ready, and the Gophers can churn clock behind of the nation’s most underrated players, running back Mohamed Ibrahim.

Minnesota’s last win over Ohio State came in 2000, and its last victory over the Buckeyes at home came in 1981.

These 5 teams could keep Ohio State from a College Football Playoff berth in 2021

Ohio State plays a tough schedule.

saturdaytradition.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[MplsGopher_fan]

That's interesting that they play Oregon after us, that's much better than if they were gonna pummel Youngstown State or something. Maybe we will get overlooked.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

There really is no “best case” scenario when playing a team with such an embarrassment of recruiting riches as Ohio State. But there is always the proverbial “least worst” case. And playing Ohio State in its first game with several new starters in key positions, while Ohio State has looming as its next week’s opponent a realistic CFP team, is pretty close to that case. Still, to play Ohio State well, I think we need to intentionally exploit our one possible advantage: more experienced players in certain positions. This will be straightforward for our very experienced Offense. On Defense, I think it means playing with a lot of creative and confusing disruption. Think senior-laden SDSU defense which had a green, ineffectvely-communicating Gophers’ OL befuddled a few years back. On defense, I am counting guys like Pinckney, Martin, Gibbens as “experienced.” Time will tell if they give us a momentary SDSU-like advantage.

 

[HoustonTXGopher]

We're doomed! Lol

 

[MplsGopher_fan]

I wonder how experienced the DE is that's going to line up across from Big Dan. I'd love for the game to be like WI in 2018, just push the ball down their throats with this line.

 

[#2Gopher]

Funny how Ohio State is worried about starting 5 star freshman, sophomore, or whatever in the first game of the year who hasn't played yet. Other teams do that every year.

 

[MplsGopher_fan]

Funny how Ohio State is worried about starting 5 star freshman, sophomore, or whatever in the first game of the year who hasn't played yet. Other teams do that every year.

And those teams probably fall into two categories: ones that worry just like tOSU is doing because one loss can derail their plans for the season and the others who don't have a shot at the CFP.

 

[#2Gopher]

And those teams probably fall into two categories: ones that worry just like tOSU is doing because one loss can derail their plans for the season and the others who don't have a shot at the CFP.

Good point. For some reason hadn't thought that far ahead where one loss has serious consequences for the select few every year.

 

[upnorthkid]

i assume we're only listed here because when we beat them opening week, when we have our rematch in the BT championship game they'd make the playoff if they managed to beat us that time

 

[Taji34]

There really is no “best case” scenario when playing a team with such an embarrassment of recruiting riches as Ohio State. But there is always the proverbial “least worst” case. And playing Ohio State in its first game with several new starters in key positions, while Ohio State has looming as its next week’s opponent a realistic CFP team, is pretty close to that case. Still, to play Ohio State well, I think we need to intentionally exploit our one possible advantage: more experienced players in certain positions. This will be straightforward for our very experienced Offense. On Defense, I think it means playing with a lot of creative and confusing disruption. Think senior-laden SDSU defense which had a green, ineffectvely-communicating Gophers’ OL befuddled a few years back. On defense, I am counting guys like Pinckney, Martin, Gibbens as “experienced.” Time will tell if they give us a momentary SDSU-like advantage.

These are synonyms to me, why do you consider them different?

I consider them synonyms because best case =\= good.

 

[60's Guy]

Lotta people gonna be watching. We can beat them. Never in the history of Gopher football have we had more experienced players than we do this year!
But, Probably never has one guy been more important to a team than Mo is to us.

 

[MplsGopher_fan]

These are synonyms to me, why do you consider them different?

I consider them synonyms because best case =\= good.

People like to think philosophical and try to come up with some new way to phrase the same thing. But I agree with you, they are synonyms for me as well.

 

[MplsGopher_fan]

But, Probably never has one guy been more important to a team than Mo is to us.

Well, that Johnny Manziel guy was kind of important to Texas A&M, and Suh was pretty much beating Texas by himself in that Big 12 champ game where Nebraska got hosed. Andrew Luck and Stanford? I get what you're saying though, but I think you're exaggerating a tad. Heck, maybe a case could be made that Winfield in 2019 was more valuable than what Mo will be this year. But he's still a stud.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

These are synonyms to me, why do you consider them different?

I consider them synonyms because best case =\= good.

Not at all synonyms to me, because I use “best” as the superlative form of, and very different in value from, “good” (employing the formula good > better > best). To me, “least worst” just manages to scratch its way into the lower rungs of “good.” In my vocabulary, the “least worst” outcome is not equal to or on par with the superlative “best” outcome. Vocabulary is funny and squishy. We can disagree on vocabulary and still agree in football content.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Funny how Ohio State is worried about starting 5 star freshman, sophomore, or whatever in the first game of the year who hasn't played yet. Other teams do that every year.

Worried probably isn't the right word for it but they have a lot of unknowns at the QB position and for a team that expects to be one of the best in college football on a yearly basis that has to be a little unsettling.

Opening on the road against us followed by what should be a very good Oregon team is not what most coaches breaking in a new QB would want to be faced with. Ohio State is talented enough to overcome this and still come out on top but the chance is there for a misstep in one of those first 2 games. Hopefully it happens on a Thursday night in early September.