Ohio State @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 30, 2010 ) Ohio State 52, Minnesota 10

Ohio State looks to avoid a letdown Saturday when the Buckeyes visit Minnesota, which has moved into a three-way tie atop the Big Ten West Division. The Gophers face an uphill battle against the Buckeyes, who took control of the East Division with a 49-37 win at Michigan State last Saturday and moved from 14th to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff Rankings. “It’s a great challenge for our program,” Minnesota coach Jerry Kill told reporters. “We’re moving the program forward and certainly if you can upset Ohio State, that would be a huge step.”

Kill and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer are the leading candidates for Big Ten coach of the year, while Buckeyes freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett has steamrolled into the Heisman Trophy race. Barrett threw for 300 yards and accounted for five touchdowns against the nation’s fifth-rated defense a week ago and leads the Big Ten in total offense at 304 yards per game. Ohio State has recorded a record 21 consecutive wins in league play and defeated Minnesota in 23 of the past 24 meetings.

TV: Noon ET, ABC. LINE: Ohio State -12

ABOUT NO. 7 OHIO STATE (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten): Meyer called the Buckeyes a “championship-level team” early this week, and it’s hard to disagree following last Saturday’s performance. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 145 yards and two scores against the Spartans. Barrett, meanwhile, has been playing at a high level for the past two months, throwing 22 touchdowns passes against three interceptions in Ohio State's past seven games. Minnesota’s offense relies heavily on running back David Cobb, who faces a tough test against a Buckeyes defensive line led by Michael Bennett and Joey Bosa (league-best 10 sacks).

ABOUT MINNESOTA (7-2, 4-1): Cobb is ninth in the nation with 1,205 rushing yards and quarterback Mitch Leidner is looking to build on last Saturday’s four-touchdown effort in a 51-14 win over Iowa. Sophomore tight end Maxx Williams continued to impress with three touchdown catches and helped the Gophers improve to 6-0 at home this season. Linebacker Damien Wilson has a team-high 88 tackles to lead the defense, which will be charged with slowing down an Ohio State offense tied for fourth in the nation in scoring at 46 points per game.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Buckeyes have outscored their past seven opponents 214-59 in the first half.

2. Minnesota is 20-0 when leading at halftime under Kill.

3. Ohio State has won 12 consecutive road games, the longest streak in the nation.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 34, Minnesota 17