In 2015, Minnesota opened their season by welcoming in #2 TCU on opening Thursday, fresh off what they thought should have been a playoff birth. I thought the Gophers would pull the upset, and they nearly did, falling 23-17. Granted it took a touchdown in the final minute to make the margin that close. Holding a Horned Frogs team that would go on to score 50+ points in their next five games, and 40+ in their next seven, was quite impressive. But it was a sign of things to come with the offense. Minnesota scraped by with three straight three point wins over Colorado State, Kent State and Ohio. Now the Gophers welcome in #4 Ohio State for another marquee Thursday night opener in the Brickhouse, for the latest chapter in a lopsided series. Ohio State has won 10 in a row, with Minnesota only winning once since 1981, twice since 1966, and just three times since Woody Hayes was HIRED in Columbus. The last time Minnesota fans saw the Gophers win at home was outdoors...two stadiums ago. Ohio State has more talent than anyone in the conference. That has been unquestionably true for nearly two decades. So the Gophers do have the advantage of getting the Buckeyes early, before their new offense has time to gel. Ohio State loses a lot of talent every year, but this seems high, even by their standards. Only BYU and Northwestern lost more 2020 production nationally. On the flip side, the Gophers return the 18th most, and 2nd most in the Big Ten, also ranking in the top 20 in terms of returning defensive production. Now they just need that production to, well, produce, particularly up front, where Minnesota generated next to no pressure from their line. They ranked dead last in tackles for loss last year, at only roughly 4% of defensive snaps; and were #124 in defensive line sack rate. The saving grace there is hoped to be Clemson transfer Nyles Pinckney, who was a defensive captain for the Tigers last year, although not being a starter. He should easily be the best interior lineman, after Micah Dew-Treadway regressed from his 2019. The offense has returning talent everywhere, with some mild questions at receiver, behind Chris Autman-Bell. Autman-Bell never fully figured out how to be the #1 guy, after Rashod Bateman opted out midseason while receiving 50% of the targets. Some of that is on third year starting quarterback Tanner Morgan. Or maybe they'll just keep handing the ball to the Big Ten's best running back, running behind a line that returns all five starters, one of whom may move into a backup role following the addition of All-MWC guard Karter Shaw from Utah State. For Ohio State, this week, it's simple. How good is C.J. Stroud. The redshirt freshman has seen his profile skyrocket, from an under the radar west coast kid with some bottom tier Pac 12 and MWC offers, to the starting quarterback at Ohio State in 2 years. If he's just fine, the group of receivers is the best in the nation, and the offensive line is rock solid. They also need Master Teague III to be the guy they thought they had going into last year. Aside from one big game against Indiana, Teague was mediocre, and as a result, the position as a whole suffered, until Trey Sermon took over down the stretch. If it's not Teague, true freshman TreVeon Henderson, the #1 RB recruit in the 2021 class, is waiting in the wings. I won't make the same mistake I made in 2015. |