OHIO STATE @ MINNESOTA

ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29TH, THE 8TH RANKED OHIO STATE BUCKEYES TRAVELLED TO MINNESOTA TO TAKE ON THE GOLDEN GOPHERS IN A BIG TEN CONFERENCE BATTLE. THE VISITING TEAM WOULD PROVE TO BE TOO MUCH AS THEY WENT ON TO WIN 30-7. SO FAR THIS SEASON, IN WHAT SEEMS A GIVEN EACH WEEK, THE BUCKEYES ONCE AGAIN ROLLED UP OVER 400 TOTAL YARDS OF OFFENSE AS THEY ENDED THE DAY WITH 459. IT WAS A GAME OF BIG PLAYS AND OHIO STATE PROVED THAT THEY HAD MORE TALENT ON THEIR TEAM, AS THEY WERE THE ONES THAT PROVIDED THOSE BIG PLAYS. MINNESOTA PLAYED ABOUT AS HARD AS THEY COULD PLAY, BUT IT JUST WASNT GOING TO BE GOOD ENOUGH AGAINST A TEAM AS GOOD AS THESE BUCKEYES. IT WAS A DIFFERENT TEAM TO SEE AS WE ARE USED TO THE GLEN MASON SQUADS OF OLD. HE ALWAYS HAD THE STUD RUNNING BACKS AND WOULD WORK HIS MAGIC WITH THE ZONE BLOCKING SCHEMES AND CONSTANT STRETCH RUNS. THE NEW LOOK GOPHERS HAVE WENT MORE TO THE SPREAD FORMATION AS MORE AND MORE TEAMS ARE STARTING TO GO TO IT. ADAM WEBER HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL. HE WAS 27 OF 44 FOR 232 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN. HE DID HOWEVER THROW 2 INTS IN THE PROCESS. I AM ALWAYS A BELIEVER THAT TO WIN, YOU MUST HAVE SOME SORT OF RUNNING ATTACK. MINNESOTA USUALLY DOES, BUT THE STINGY BUCKEYE DEFENSE WAS ABLE TO HOLD THEM TO ONLY 45 YARDS ON THE GROUND. JAMES LAURINAITIS ONCE AGAIN LED THE DEFENSE WITH 14 TACKLES. MARCUS FREEMAN HAD HIS BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR AS HE REGISTERED 11 TACKLES. LARRY GRANT RECORDED A SACK AND AN INTERCEPTION FOR THE BUCKS. MALCOM JENKINS TALLIED THE OTHER BUCKEYE INTERCEPTION. IT IS SCARY TO ME EACH WEEK HOW MUCH BETTER THIS DEFENSE GETS. IT IS A TERRIFIC FEELING THAT WHENEVER YOUR OFFENSE HAS ITS STRUGGLES, YOU HAVE A TOUGH DEFENSE LIKE THIS TO KEEP YOU IN A BALLGAME AND KEEP GIVING YOU CHANCES TO BLOW A GAME WIDE OPEN.

THE OFFENSE HAD ITS STRUGGLES EARLY AGAIN, BUT GRADUALLY WORKED TO WEAR THE MINNESOTA DEFENSE DOWN. CHRIS WELLS WAS THW WORKHORSE ONCE AGAIN AS HE WENT FOR OVER 100 FOR THE 4TH WEEK IN A ROW. HE ENDED WITH 24 CARRIES FOR 125 YARDS AND 2 TOUCHDOWNS. THE BUCKS HAD 250 TOTAL YARDS RUSHING. WHENEVER YOU THROW FOR OVER 200 AND RUSH FOR OVER 200, YOU CAN BET YOU ARE GONNA HAVE A GREAT CHANCE TO WIN A GAME. TODD BOECKMAN COMPLETED 18 OF 29 PASSES FOR 209 YARDS AND 2 TD'S. HE DID NOT THROW AN INTERCEPTION. TODD DOESNT ALWAYS MAKE IT LOOK PRETTY, BUT HIS RECEIVERS CAN HELP HIM OUT WITH THAT. THE BRIAN BROS LED THE WAY AGAIN. ROBISKIE CAUGHT 5 BALLS FOR 99 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN, AND HARTLINE ADDED A TD, ALONG WITH 3 CATCHES FOR 36 YARDS. THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD COMBO TO HAVE BESIDE YOU. HARTLINE IS A TREMENDOUS POSSESION REVEIVER AND ROBISKIE HAS ALREADY PROVED TO BE A BIG PLAY MAKER AS HE LEADS THE BIG TEN IN RECEIVING YARDS. ONCE THEY GET RAY SMALL INVOLVED MORE IN THE OFFENSE, LOOK OUT! ACTUALLY 9 DIFFERENT PLAYERS HAD AT LEAST A CATCH IN THIS BALLGAME. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT THE BUCKEYES DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. ANYTIME YOU GO ON THE ROAD, IT IS JUST IMPORTANT THAT YOU COME AWAY WITH A WIN. IT IS EARLY, AND WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT RIGHT NOW THIS OHIO STATE TEAM HAS TO BE THE FAVORITE IN THE BIG TEN RIGHT AHEAD OF WISCONSIN. THE BADGERS HAVENT LOOKED TOO PRETTY EITHER BUT THEY KEEP WINNING AND THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS. WE COULD SEE A BATTLE OF UNDEFEATEDS DOWN THE ROAD IN COLUMBUS, BUT IT ALL STARTS NEXT SATURDAY ON THE ROAD AGAIN AT PURDUE. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THESE GUYS YET. THEY ARE 5-0 AND NOW RANKED IN THE TOP 25, BUT THEY HAVENT BEEN TRULY TESTED YET. THAT CROWD WILL BE CRAZY THOUGH AND THEY ARE GONNA WANT THIS GAME PRETTY BAD. I EXPECT A PRETTY CLOSE GAME THIS WEEK, BUT THE DEFENSE IS GONNA PUT US OVER THE TOP IN THIS ONE. I LIKE THE BUCKEYES BY A SCORE OF 27-17.

OFFENSIVE GAMEBALL

CHRIS "BEANIE" WELLS

DEFENSIVE GAMEBALL

MARCUS FREEMAN