The Minnesota Gophers football team will face off against the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium. 

This game will be the first sold-out event at Huntington Bank Stadium since Nov. 30, 2019. There were no fans allowed at the stadium last fall due to COVID-19. 

On offense, the Buckeyes boast the most talented WR core in the country. Ohio State returns starters and likely first-round prospects in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. The Buckeyes also have 3 former 5-star recruits at WR: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Julian Fleming and Emeka Egbuka. Marvin Harrison Jr., son of Indianapolis Colts legend Marvin Harrison, is also a receiver for Ohio State.

At running back, Master Teague III leads the backfield with talented true-freshman and 5-star RB TreVeyon Harrison backing him up along with redshirt freshman Miyan Williams. 

Teague III was a force in Ohio State’s running game in 2020. Even with recovering from a torn Achilles tendon in the spring, he ran well, most notably dashing for a season high 169 rushing yards vs previously No. 11 Indiana.

At quarterback, redshirt freshman CJ Stroud is starting in his first career game in his collegiate career. Stroud last season did not attempt a pass but scampered for a 48-yard rushing touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans. 

On defense, Ohio State returns skilled D-Lineman Haskell Garrett, who according to Pro Football Network, is a “highly sought-after 2022 NFL Draft prospect.” Many experts believe Garrett to be the most talented defensive tackle in the country. Along with returning starting DE Tyreke Smith, the Ohio State d-line should be the strength of their defense in 2021. 

In their linebacking core and secondary, Ohio State returns only two starting players from 2020 (the Buckeyes return four starters on defense total). Those two players are cornerback Sevyn Banks and free safety Marcus Williamson which means Ohio State will have a completely fresh-faced linebacking core. 

Even if Ohio State does not return many starters on defense as PJ Fleck and many other head coaches have said this offseason, “they don’t rebuild, they reload.” Ohio State’s depth chart has no freshman starting and the only sophomores projected to start, according to the Columbus Dispatch, are: MLB Cody Simon, OLB Ronnie Hickman and FS WIlliamson.

Ohio State doesn’t have a shortage of depth or talent, they have a shortage of experience, especially in a sold out Huntington Bank Stadium playing in the first sold-out Minnesota Gophers football home game since the 2019 Wisconsin match. 

For Fleck and the Gophers, the keys to the game are to pound Ohio State’s inexperienced linebacking core on offense. Offensive Coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. said on Monday that “It’s a tremendous luxury” to have a running back like Mohamed Ibrahim. Couple Ibrahim with an offensive line featuring no departures, the Gophers should lean on the running game early and often on Thursday night. 

WR Chris Autman-Bell is also still “day-to-day” according to Fleck in a press conference last Friday. If Autman-Bell does suit up, he could be used in a limited role. “We are going to do what’s best for Chris first,” Fleck said on Aug. 23. “And we will take it one day at a time.”

On defense, the Gophers cannot stop Olave, Wilson and the other lethal Buckeye receivers, they can only hope to contain them. Fleck said in a press conference on Aug. 23 that “it might be the best WR core I’ve ever seen”. Defensive Coordinator, Joe Rossi, should plan on blitzing the inexperienced Stroud early to make him uncomfortable in the pocket and pray that a cornerback besides Coney Durr can step up one-on-one versus either Olave or Wilson. 

“I think he’s very talented,” Rossi said of Stroud on Monday. “It speaks to the offers he has coming out of high school.”

The game between No. 4 Ohio State and Minnesota will be televised on FOX at 7 PM CT on Thursday.