No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Keys to the Game
COLUMBUS -- The No. 2 Ohio State takes Buckeyes on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Ohio Stadium, a matchup between Big Ten East and West teams. Although the odds certainly favor the Buckeyes, the Golden Gophers could give a sneaky test to the top-ranked team in the league.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has led a solid team all season — despite slow starts on both ends, the Buckeyes have looked unstoppable as of late.
The Gophers, led by head coach P.J. Fleck, have done a good job limiting scores this season. The offense has been hurt by injuries but still has a top-five rush offense in the Big Ten.
Ohio State wins if…
…they only focus on this game.
There's no doubt the Buckeyes have been dominant. They are beating teams by an average of 23.4 points per game and shouldn't have a problem limiting the Gophers on the ground or through the air.
Ohio State has done a great job of pressuring quarterbacks all season. Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has been serviceable but faces a similar challenge as he did against Michigan when he only threw for 52 yards.
Of course, all the buzz around the Buckeyes the last few weeks has been about The Game in Ann Arbor on Nov. 25. Ohio State needs to tune all the noise out about Michigan and focus on the task at hand.
If the Buckeyes lock in against Minnesota, they should take care of business.
Minnesota wins if…
…they create chaos
For the majority of this season, Ohio State has excelled at taking care of the football, and if the Gophers are going to have a chance, they need to change that.
Luckily, for the Gophers, they are adept at forcing turnovers, sitting third in the conference in interceptions, fourth in fumbles recovered, second in total turnovers gained, and third in turnover margin.
Translation... they need to do what they do best - force turnovers, and do it a lot if they are going to beat the Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes and Gophers kick off Saturday at 4 p.m. EST, streaming on Fox Sports.
