In the wake of another polarizing defensive performance, the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes will face the underdog Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Saturday, Juliun Sayin hopes to prove the doubters wrong. Many of whom consider him a downgrade from the Buckeyes’ previous quarterback, Will Howard, who won the starting job from Sayin last year. However, he plans to silence those critics and demonstrate to the country why he’s the right man to steer the Buckeyes’ ship.
Jeremiah Smith, on the other hand, is showing week by week why he’s considered a generational talent, as last week against Washington, he compiled eight receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. Julian Sayin was a big part of that, with only six incompletions, no interceptions, and two touchdowns for 208 yards.
While Jeremiah Smith has gotten much of the limelight in the receiving room, Offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Brian Hartline is hard at work making sure receivers Carnell Tate and Brandon Innis aren’t too far behind. Steel sharpens steel, and if not for those two who were both top five receivers out of high school, Jeremiah Smith wouldn’t have achieved the heights he’s reached.
On the defensive side, Matt Patricia has been putting on a clinic, allowing only 5.5 points a game. Standouts like Caleb Downs, who CBS Sports projects to be a top 5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, along with linebacker Arvell Reese, who has proven to be one of the nation’s best, are instrumental in that defense’s success.
The Golden Gophers are no slouches as they’re coming off a hard-fought battle against Rutgers. Freshman Drake Lindsey threw for 324 yards and no interceptions on 41 attempts in their win. The Golden Gophers are currently 3-1 and hope to upset the defending national champs.
In their last meeting, the Buckeyes bested the Golden Gophers 37-3.
Jadon Haynes 
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