Ohio State vs. Minnesota Prediction
Big Ten rivals clash at TCF Bank Stadium on Thursday night when No. 4 Ohio State takes on Minnesota at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX. With the Buckeyes listed as 14-point favorites and the total sitting at 62.5 points, what’s the best play when it comes to this matchup?
Game Snapshot
145 Ohio State Buckeyes (-14) at 146 Minnesota Golden Gophers (+14); o/u 62.5
8:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, September 2, 2021
TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
TV: FOX
Ohio State Buckeyes Game Notes
Ohio State freshman QB CJ Stroud was named the teams starting quarterback. On Monday, Ohio State HC Ryan Day said Stroud (6’3/215) had been the leader in the hotly contested quarterback competition, ahead of Jack Miller and Kyle McCord. However by the time Saturday rolled around, HC Day had seen enough to anoint Stroud as OSU’s starting quarterback. The late addition of five-star QB Quinn Ewers, who reclassified from the class of 2022 to 2021, added a wrinkle into the competition. However with Ewers just arriving on campus last week, there simply wasn’t enough time for him to acclimate for a pre-season run at the starting job. Though Stroud is locked in to start on September 2 at Minnesota, he will not have an overly long leash with so many talented options behind him.
Minnesota Golden Gophers Game Notes
Minnesota redshirt junior WR Chris Autman-Bell (leg) is considered to be “week-to-week” according to HC P.J. Fleck. There was originally some concern that Autman-Bell (6’1/215) would be sidelined for an extended period of time. Fleck said on Thursday that the redshirt junior, who was injured when tackled from behind by LB James Gordon IV on Thursday, is not dealing with a “long-term issue.” Autman-Bell led the Golden Gophers’ pass-catchers in 2020, and he’s expected to do the same this fall. The question now is whether or not he’ll be healthy enough to contribute when the Golden Gophers open their season Sept. 4 against Ohio State.
Ohio State vs. Minnesota Betting Prediction
The Buckeyes are just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games versus the Golden Gophers, all of which came as a favorite. Minnesota, meanwhile, is 4-1 at the betting window in its last five games dating back to last season, is 4-1 against the spread in its last five conference games and has cashed in 10 of its last 14 games as an underdog.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 1 PREDICTION: MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS +14