As we head into the fifth week of the season, Ohio State continues to evolve into a high caliber team on both sides of the ball.  Moving to 8th place in the polls this week, and 7th in the initial Harris Poll, perhaps they are starting to get some national attention as well.

The Defense for the Buckeyes has played solid all year.  They are 2nd overall in the nation in total defense by only giving up 177.8 yards per game.  Only LSU's 167 yards per game is better and no other team is below 200.  There have been 29 points scored against the Buckeyes which is good for 3rd nationally.  And if you consider the fact that 7 of those points were scored against Special Teams, you can see just how stingy the 1st team players have been all season.

For the first time in the season, the Offense started to show flashes of what we all hope they grow into, before we hit that stretch of four games at the end of the season.  Todd Boeckman had a solid performance including 3 touchdown passes, and ended the week as the 10th best passer in the country with a rating of 172.6.  In spite of leaving the game early last week with an ankle injury, Chris Wells had his third straight 100 yard game.  Yet some will get concerned when they see the Buckeyes are 52nd overall in offense.  If it makes you feel better consider this:  after 4 games last season, the Buckeyes were averaging 31 points a game.  This year they are averaging 37.  So far, they are gaining 414 yards of offense per game, while only having 384 yards a game a season ago.  So maybe we are developing just fine, we all know how strong last years team was.

Before the season started, I had predicted Minnesota to come in dead last in the conference this year (pre-season predictions).   I have seen nothing this year to think otherwise.  Where OSU is second in defense, Minnesota is next to last.  And the scary part of that is they had 9 starters back from a defense that took the Gophers to the Insight Bowl last year.  The defensive effort in the last quarter of that bowl game basically lead to the firing of Coach Mason as Minnesota blew a 31 point lead.  The statistic that really jumps out at me is the fact they only have three sacks all year.  That puts them in next to last in the nation in that category as well.  And if that number does not create any shock value for you, the Gopher defense is also giving up 407 yards a game .... passing.  Not total defense, just passing yards.  Could this be a break out day for Boeckman?  Right now, I am sure Henton wishes he had made the decision to study Monday night instead of stretching his legs on High Street.

On the offensive side of the ledger, red-shirt Freshman Adam Weber has lead the Gophers under center and is presently 95-162 passing with 8 interceptions (Minnesota is 119th in the country in turnovers) and 11 touchdowns.  He is the second leading rusher on the team with over 60 yards per game.  Amir Pinnix leads the rushing attack though with 109 yards a game on the ground.  They are scoring 35 points a game in spite of all their turnovers, so if they can keep the ball this weekend, it may be a closer game then most expect.

The only bright spot the Gophers have nationally is on Special Teams.  Minnesota's Jay Thomas leads the nation in kickoff returns with a 39.2 yard average.  Of course sometimes it is not a good sign to be leading in returns, you know that is almost always following a score by the other team.

The Numbers: Coach Jim Tressel will be going for win # 202, while rookie Coach Tim Brewster is looking for win #2.  A win would also extend OSU's streak of Big Ten wins (longest in the conference) and regular season wins (OSU record).  And one more number that is not really being tracked at this time.  OSU can actually get their 800th win all-time this season, of course it would take 13 wins to do it, and we know what that would mean! 

The Series: The series between Ohio State an Minnesota is only 46 games long, but Buckeyes have clearly dominated.  They have won 39 of the games with only 7 losses, and have won all ten games played in the HHH Metrodome.  The last win for the Gophers was in 2000, when they surprised the then #6 Buckeyes with a 29-17 victory in Ohio Stadium.  In the last game between these to teams, the scarlet and gray dominated with a 44-0 win last season in Columbus.

Bottom Line: Just as predicted in about every pre-season magazine, Minnesota is going to finish in the bottom of the Big Ten.  Last week, the Buckeyes had no problems dispensing of the Wildcats and it will look even more dominating this week.  They only fear of the Gophers even challenging Ohio State is if we completely over look them.  But that is not going to happen either.  Since winning the National Championship in 1968, Ohio State is 32-2 against Minnesota and they add to the win column again this year.   As there has already been one team ranked above Ohio State with a loss this weekend (#5 West Virginia lost to #18 South Florida) a big win may really move the Buckeyes up in the polls as we head into the October part of the schedule.

Prediction: Ohio State 51   Minnesota 6

Go Bucks!

Gregg

Minnesota

Preview

9/20/07

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September 29nd, 2007

Metrodome - Minneapolis, MN