The Ohio State Buckeyes return home this weekend for another night game as they host the Minnesota Golden Gophers in primetime.

The No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will head back to Columbus this weekend as they host the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 7:30pm under the lights in the Horseshoe. Both teams have played just one conference game and are looking to build on momentum from the week before.

Ohio State earned a hard-fought victory in a tough environment last week as they knocked off the then-undefeated Washington Huskies 24-6. They now have two great wins over Washington and Texas, and handled Ohio and Grambling as well.

Minnesota is coming off of a big win over Rutgers 31-28, and also boasts wins over Northwestern State and Buffalo. Their only loss came at the hands of California, who got shutout by San Diego State the following week 34-0. There aren’t as many storylines in this game compared to some of the previous matchups this season, but lets dive into the action.

Buckeyes Continue To Roll

Ohio State struggled to finish drives early against Washington and had a few self-inflicted wounds, but managed to win comfortably 24-6. It was the first road start for Julain Sayin, and he received a lot of help from the guys around him but also played very well. Sayin finished 22/28 for 208 passing yards and two touchdowns. He continues to be very accurate with the football and has cut down on some of the turnovers.

Bo Jackson led the way on the ground yet again finishing with 80 rushing yards with C.J. Donaldson added 39 rushing yards, as well as both a rushing and receiving touchdown. Jackson still leads the team with 297 rushing yards on 35 carries.

Jeremiah Smith got the offense going late in the first half with the Buckeyes first score in the game to help them take the lead into halftime. Smith had eight receptions for 81 receiving yards and a touchdown in this one, showcasing his elite skillset. Both Brandon Inniss and Carnell Tate added three catches and over 30 yards, as they continued to compliment Smith out wide.

The main story in this one was the Silver Bullets defense shutting down Washington’s explosive offense. The Buckeyes held the Huskies offense to 173 passing yards in a game where they were down the whole second half. More impressively though, the Huskies exciting rushing attack was held to just 61 rushing yards and two yards per carry.

Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald played arguably their best games as Buckeyes and ended with great statlines. Curry had 11 total tackles, nine solo tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks. McDonald added seven total tackles, four solo tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks. The Huskies offense never found the endzone, and the Buckeyes red zone defense remains the only unit in the country to not allow a redzone touchdown.

Golden Gophers Showed Fight Against Rutgers

Coming off a loss against Cal and a halftime deficit against Rutgers, Minnesota showed signs of life and were able to knock off the Scarlet Knights to start their Big Ten campaign 1-0. Quarterback Drake Lindsey went 31/41 for 324 passing yards and three touchdowns. He is up to 958 passing yards on the year with just two interceptions.

Fame Ijeboi has been the lead back for Minnesota but struggled a little bit against Cal, with just 37 rushing yards on 12 carries. He did add the only non-passing touchdown in the game for Minnesota, his first rushing touchdown of the year.

Javon Tracy leads the team with 204 yards receiving so far and has 12 receptions with two touchdowns. Against Cal he led the team with six receptions, and added 54 receiving yards and a score. It was a balanced attack for the Minnesota offense through the air, with four guys have 41 or more yards and seven total players with at least three receptions. Jalen Smith led the way in this one with 103 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Linebacker Devon Williams was everywhere in this one,e finishing with 13 tackles and a tackle for loss. He leads the team with 31 tackles on the year. Anthony Smith racked up two tackles for loss and one and a half sacks, bringing his team-high sack total to four and a half on the year. The Golden Gopher defense wreaked havoc on the opposing offensive line, ending the game wit 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks, as well as an interception.

What To Expect In This One

Ohio State once again showed last week that they are arguably the best team in the country, making plays when needed on offense while leaning on an elite defense. Guys across both sides of the ball are continuing to make great strides, from the inexperienced playmakers to the veterans.

The spread for this showdown opened at Ohio State -24.5 and is now at -23.5, with the over/under remaining at 44.5. ESPN Analytics gives Ohio State a 94.7 percent chance of coming out victorious. Minnesota seems to have a decent offense and complimentary defense, but both units haven’t face a team anything close to what Ohio State will offer come Saturday night.

I think Ryan Day’s side will try to start the game faster than they have all season, with most of their games taking nearly a half or more to get into the flow of the offense and find the endzone. I expect the running backs to each get a chance to prove their worth for the rest of the season, and out wide guys like Carnell Tate and Max Klare to make plays for their quarterback.

Winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball will be very big in this one, as Minnesota has solid line play. If the Buckeyes jump out early I see this one being a very comfortable win heading into two road contests the next two weeks.

Prediction: Ohio State 38 Minnesota 10