The calendar has flipped to October, and Ohio State is 4-0. After a strong showing at Washington, the Buckeyes remain ranked No. 1 in the polls with no signs of slowing down. The defense has been outstanding, possibly even better than last year’s national championship squad. And the offense continues to gain more confidence in its young first-year starter, Julian Sayin.
Now, Ohio State welcomes the Minnesota Golden Gophers for a primetime showdown in the Horseshoe. It’s the next hurdle the Buckeyes must cross in order to get back to the college football mountaintop. On paper, Minnesota doesn’t look like it should pose much of a threat, but this is big-boy football, and anything can happen on any given Saturday.
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Time to get ready for a matchup against the Golden Gophers under the lights.
Records and Broadcast InformationRecords
Ohio State (4-0), Minnesota (3-1)
Broadcast Information
Date:Â Saturday, October 4
Gametime:Â 7:30 ET
Network:Â NBC
Venue:Â Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio), Capacity: 102,780
All-Time Series:Â Ohio State leads 47-7
Last Meeting:Â Ohio State defeated Minnesota 37-3 in 2023
Ohio State potential game plan for victory
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) warms up prior to the NCAA football game against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium in Seattle on Sept. 27, 2025.
There is no doubt, Ohio State has the better roster from top to bottom. Take a look at the gameday program and you’ll see four and five-star recruits up and down the Buckeye pages, while finding mostly three-star guys and lower on Minnesota’s side. But we all know games aren’t played on paper, and the Gophers do have at least one four-star guy that Ohio State will need to account for… jack of all trades, Koi Perich.
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The super sophomore is a two-way player, and some might say a three-way player as he handles return duties on both punts and kickoffs. Perich was the No. 5-rated safety in the 2024 class and made an immediate impact with five interceptions as a freshman. This year, PJ Fleck and company have opened up an added dimension with Perich on the offensive side of the ball. He’s caught three balls for an average of 18.3 yards per reception. Simply put, this is a kid who can break a game open all by himself.
Offensively, Ryan Day and Brian Hartline should be able to use the game against Minnesota to allow Buckeye quarterback Julian Sayin to continue to grow. Sayin seemed to be limited just a bit in his first road start against Washington last week, but coming back home to friendlier faces should afford the youngster fewer restrictions.
Defensively, what can we say? This unit is playing out of their minds, and the Golden Gophers aren’t an offensive powerhouse by any means. The Silver Bullets have not allowed double-digit points through four games and are only giving up 5.5 points per contest. That’s an impressive stat when you consider Texas averages over 31 points per game and Washington more than 43 per outing. If the defense continues to play with discipline, it will continue to dominate.
Key offensive player for Ohio State
Teammates celebrate a touchdown by Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Max Klare (86) during the NCAA football game against the Ohio Bobcats at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025. Ohio State won 37-9.
Max Klare – Tight End
With the aforementioned Koi Perich patrolling the secondary, it might be time to get the tight end game rolling. Max Klare was brought in as one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the country. Klare is fourth on the team in receptions with six for 74 yards and a touchdown. It would be great to see the Purdue transfer get on track with a big game.
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Key defensive player for Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (7) celebrates a tackle by defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (98) during the NCAA football game against the Ohio Bobcats at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025. Ohio State won 37-9.
Kayden McDonald – Defensive Tackle
Kayden McDonald was thought to be more of a role player as the season began, taking a backseat to Eddrick Houston, but it has been McDonald who has made his presence felt in the trenches. McDonald is third on the team in tackles with 21 and has three sacks on the season. He’s been a one-man wrecking crew and can make life very difficult on the Minnesota offense.
The Prediction
Fireworks erupt as the Ohio State Buckeyes take the field prior to the College Football Playoff first round game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 21, 2024.
PJ Fleck rows his boat into a hostile environment on Saturday night. It’s bad enough for the Gophers that they have to play the No. 1 team in the country on the road. But to have to do it in a night game makes things exponentially more difficult for Minnesota.
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The Golden Gophers may be 3-1, but this is not a great football team. Ohio State, on the other hand, is. It’s hard to see a scenario where Minnesota keeps this close. The Buckeyes cruise to an easy victory in the ‘Shoe, setting up a top 25 showdown with Illinois next week.
Final Score
Ohio State 48, Minnesota 7
Line
Ohio State -23.5
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State vs. Minnesota: Complete preview and prediction for Week 6