The Gophers face their stiffest test of the season this week on the road against No. 1 Ohio State. Can Minnesota pull off the impossible and beat the Buckeyes for the first time since 2000?
Here are our staff’s predictions for Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff.
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.
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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.
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. I’ll take P.J. Fleck’s team to cover the spread.
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.
Here are last game’s predictions. Season records for our pickers:
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