Game Preview: No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Ohio State opens the 2021 season under the lights - and in front of a crowd, no less - on Thursday night against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Buckeyes have historically fared well against Minnesota, but the games have often been quite competitive. This is the first matchup between the two teams since 2018. Here's a full preview for the game.

General Info

Date: September 2, 2021
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Expected Weather: 71 degrees, 50 percent chance of rain
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m.

Current Betting Numbers

Spread: Ohio State (-14.0)
O/U Total: 62.5

How to Watch/Listen

Television: FOX
Streaming: FOX Sports Go App
Announcers: Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Jenny Taft (sideline reporter)

Local Radio: Ohio State Sports Network from Learfield IMG College
Flagship: WBNS 97.1 The Fan
Announcers: Paul Keels (play-by-play), Jim Lachey (analyst), Matt Andrews (sideline reporter), Skip Mosic (pregame/halftime/postgame host and producer )

National Radio: Touchdown Radio
Announcers: Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Gino Torretta (analyst)

Series History

Ohio State leads Minnesota, 46-7
* OSU record at home: 24-2
* OSU record on the road: 22-5

Record when both teams are ranked: Ohio State leads, 4-2-0
Record when only Ohio State is ranked: Ohio State leads, 33-2-0
Longest winning streak by Ohio State: 16 games
Longest winning streak by Minnesota: 2 games
Most points scored by Ohio State: 69 (1983-10-01)
Most points scored by Minnesota: 37 (1989-10-28)
Largest margin of victory by Ohio State: +51 (1983-10-01)
Largest margin of victory by Minnesota: +27 (1949-10-15)

2018: Ohio State - 30, Minnesota - 14
2015: Ohio State - 28, Minnesota - 14
2014: Ohio State - 31, Minnesota - 24
2010: Ohio State - 52, Minnesota - 10 (OSU vacated game)
2009: Ohio State - 38, Minnesota - 7
2008: Ohio State - 34, Minnesota - 21

The Buckeyes have beaten Minnesota 11 consecutive times and have prevailed in 27 of the last 28 meetings. The only school in the Big Ten which Ohio State has beaten more times consecutively is Indiana, which they have knocked off 26 straight times.

Coaching Matchup

* Ryan Day
* At Ohio State: Third Season, Record: 23-2
* Overall: Same

* P.J. Fleck
* At Minnesota: Fifth Season, Record 26-19
* Overall: Ninth Season, Record: 56-41

Ohio State Team Capsule

The Buckeyes return 11 of their 22 starters from the 2020 team that went unbeaten in Big Ten play, won their fourth straight conference championship and qualified for its second straight (and fourth overall) College Football Playoff appearance.

Ohio State is led by redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud, who replaces Justin Fields as the team's signal caller. Many of the offensive skill position players return, including running back Master Teague, wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson and tight end Jeremy Ruckert.

Defensively, the Buckeyes are leaning on returning D-Linemen Zach Harrison, Tyreke Smith and Haskell Garrett to shoulder the load up front. The Buckeyes have an entirely new linebacking corps and will feature some familiar faces in the secondary with Josh Proctor, Sevyn Banks and Marcus Hooker.

Minnesota Team Capsule

Minnesota is coming off a disappointing season in which it posted a 3-4 record, including a couple of frustrating losses early in the season to Michigan and Maryland. It was especially disappointing because they finished the previous year 11-2 with a nice win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day, and they have many of the same players still on this current roster from that team two years ago.

Quarterback Tanner Morgan and running back Mohamed Ibrahim lead the offense. Morgan is 18-8 as a starter in the program and Ibrahim has rushed for at least 100 yards in a school record eight consecutive games. Last year he finished the year as the nation's No. 2 leading rusher. Each of those two players are on just about every single top-10 list in the program's record books - Morgan owns 11 season and game records. The Gophers also return the nation's most experienced offensive line. In fact, that unit has more combined starts at the FBS level than any team in the nation with 180.

Defensively, the Gophers brought in three grad transfers to help strengthen a group that was both young and ravaged by CoVID-19 last year. Linebacker Jack Gibbens and defensive tackles Nyles Pinckney and Val Martin all join the defense this year. They're joined by cornerbacks Coney Durr and Terell Smith and safeties Tyler Nubin and Jordan Howden. They'll be tasked with trying to take a big step forward in 2021.

Major Storylines

Kicking off 132nd Season

Thursday's contest will launch the 132nd season of Ohio State football, dating back to 1890. Since then, the program has collected 931 wins, good for second most all-time. The 2021 season also marks the 100th year of football in Ohio Stadium, which began construction in August 1921. The Buckeyes are 453-112-20 all-time at home.

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes have won 41 of their last 44 openers, including 21 consecutive opening games dating back to a 23-12 loss to No. 12 Miami in the 1999 Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Ohio State Streaks

The Buckeyes are 14-0 all-time when beginning the season with a Big Ten opponent.
Ohio State has won 15 consecutive conference games under Ryan Day and 18 straight Big Ten games overall (dating back to a Purdue loss in 2018.
Ohio State also leads all Power 5 teams in conference winning percentage (144-26, .850) since 2000
Since the AP preseason poll was introduced in 1950, Ohio State has appeared 68 of 72 times – the most of any program in the country.
Overall, no program has appeared in more AP polls (934) or a larger percentage of all-time polls (78.8 percent) than Ohio State.

Thayer Munford is the Block O Recipient

Thayer Munford, one of the Buckeyes six team captains this season, was bestowed a special honor this season. In the program's second iteration of a new tradition, Munford was given the honor of wearing the Block O this year, in remembrance of Buckeye legend Bill Willis.

Ohio State started the tradition of wearing the No. 0 after the NCAA made it a permissible number last season. It is presented in honor of the late Bill Willis, who was an All-American and national champion during his career with the Buckeyes from 1942-44 and has his No. 99 retired by the football program.

However, current NCAA rules prevent an offensive lineman from wearing anything other than No. 50-79, so he will wear the following patch on his jersey instead.

The Block O honors Bill Willis and the ideals that he stood for - toughness, accountability and the highest standard of character.

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