The Minnesota Golden Gophers will open their 2021 college football season at home against a tough opponent in No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes who are the reigning and defending Big Ten champions. Will Minnesota pull off an upset right out of the gate? Or will Ohio State show the Golden Gophers why they are the kings of the conference? Check out our preview of this game below.
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Betting Preview for the Ohio State Buckeyes vs Minnesota Golden Gophers NCAA Week 1 College Football Game on September 2, 2021
Where: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
When: Thursday, September 2, 2021, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Ohio State Buckeyes (-13.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (+13.5) – view all 2020 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes (-13.5)
Record: 0-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference
There are big shoes to fill for Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud as he now becomes Ohio State’s starting quarterback with Justin Fields now off to the pros. Even with Fields no longer around, the Buckeyes can feel confident in their offense, especially since there is plenty of experience and talent to go around in that unit. Chris Olave, for example, returns for his senior season a year after he paced the team with 729 receiving yards to go with seven touchdowns on 50 receptions. Running back Trey Sermon is also gone, but Master Teague III is still on the team. Teague now assumes the top role in Ohio State’s ground attack that should still be a huge threat to any team. Last season, the Buckeyes were seventh in the nation with 256.9 rushing yards per game. That doesn’t sound like good news for Minnesota’s defense that was lackluster against the run in 2020.
Ohio State is 11-0 straight-up in its last 11 meetings against the Golden Gophers.
Betting on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (+13.5)
Record: 0-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference
Unlike Ohio State, the Golden Gophers will have an experienced quarterback in senior gunslinger Tanner Morgan. In 2020, Morgan was the main guy behind Minnesota’s passing attack that was eighth in the Big Ten with 199.1 passing yards per contest. Morgan had plenty of trouble under center in 2020, as he had five interceptions and only seven touchdowns, while also taking 13 sacks, but there is a lot to like with Minnesota’s offensive line. Plus, if this is going to be a track meet, the Golden Gophers arguably has the best rusher in the entire Big Ten conference in the form of redshirt senior running back Mohammed Ibrahim, who led the league in 2020 both in rushing yards (1,076) and rushing scores (15).
Minnesota is 4-3 against the spread in its last seven games as the home team.
Writer’s Prediction
Ohio State wins, 33-23.
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