LGHL Asks: What is Ohio State’s most dangerous game?
When Ohio State goes on the road to face Minnesota on September 2nd, they will be entering hostile territory — at least as hostile as a home to Golden Gophers can be… Then again, we are a bunch of poisonous nuts, so maybe I should reserve smack talk exclusively for what happens on the field. While P.J. Fleck and his team had a subpar 2020 season, they are only two years removed from an 11-2 record. In 2019, the team reached as high as eighth in the CFP rankings, and ended the season with an Outback Bowl victory over the SEC’s Auburn. Fleck and Co. will be looking to replicate that success in 2021.
I do not think Minnesota is destined for anything close to 11-2, but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for last year’s pandemic season. Prior to last year, the Gophers had improved in each of Fleck’s three seasons and seemed to be a viable threat in the Big Ten West. Minnesota’s schedule may ultimately be too difficult to make a ton of noise this year (five games against current top-20 opponents), but the Buckeyes will be facing a real challenge when they visit TCG Bank Stadium. For a variety of reasons, the opening matchup against Minnesota is the most dangerous game on OSU’s schedule.
First games can be a crapshoot. Teams only scrimmage so many times, and get so many live reps, before stepping on the field against a real opponent. Ohio State has avoided any monumental upsets or real close calls during Week 1 recently, but plenty of other teams have suffered opening setbacks… just ask TTUN. In 2007, the Wolverines lost their first game of the season to FCS opponent Appalachian State. Since then, there have been countless others. First-game jitters are a real factor, even for the Buckeyes.
