Junior Marvin Harrison Jr. celebrates a touchdown during the game against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday 11th, 2023.
Credit: Lily Hynes | Assistant Photo Editor
It’s week 11 of college football.
For Buckeye fans, the upcoming Saturday afternoon game will mark the end of several things.
It will conclude the six-game 2023-24 home schedule, and be the last game for many senior/graduate players at the Ohio Stadium.
The players will be recognized for their contributions to the program on senior night.
Lastly, it will be the final outing before the teams travel up north to face No. 3 Michigan. While the Buckeyes have many things to prepare for, their main focus is on the game in front of them, against the Golden Gophers on Saturday.
Ohio State:
The Buckeyes are coming off a convincing 38-3 victory against Michigan State at home. The feat marked Ohio State’s 17th consecutive season with at least 10 wins.
Many players heavily contributed to the double-digit victory, including junior quarterback Kyle McCord, sophomore safety Sonny Styles and tight end Cade Stover.
However, there was one player whose name was referenced many times over the broadcast.
His name is Marvin Harrison Jr.
The junior scored the first three touchdowns of the game, including a 19-yard rushing touchdown, the first ever of his career.
His seven-catch, 149-yard performance night also made him the first Ohio State receiver to have back-to-back 1000-yard receiving seasons.
The Heisman finalist will likely have another big game as he faces a Minnesota defense that gives up nearly 230 yards a game, the ninth-highest in the Big Ten.
Despite Harrisons’s athletic ability, it’ll be up to his quarterback and former high school teammate to land the ball with precision.
McCord, who struggled in Ohio State’s previous two games, threw for a career-high 335 yards. The junior completed 77 percent of his passes, going 24-of-31 in the air.
His numbers across the statistic sheet marked some of the best of his career, but likely the biggest was the number zero, which represented the number of turnovers McCord had against the Spartans.
After not having an interception since week one, McCord threw three in the past two games versus Wisconsin and Rutgers.
However, the Philly native had a bounce-back game against Michigan State, connecting with over five players, including TreVeyon Henderson and freshman wide receiver Carnell Tate.
Minnesota:
P.J. Fleck will lead the Golden Gophers as their head coach, who is currently in his seventh season at the helm.
Like the Buckeyes, Minnesota has suffered a boatload of injuries in its secondary, most notably to linebacker Cody Lindenburg and safety Aidan Gousby.
Even without these key pieces, the Golden Gophers have shown to be a threat on the ground.
Minnesota is fifth in the Big Ten rushing offense, hauling in 160 yards per game.
Running backs Darius Taylor and Jordan Nubin lead the team with 591 yards and 393 yards, respectively.
However, Taylor didn’t play last Saturday in Minnesota’s 19-point loss against Purdue. The freshman missed his third straight game after suffering a leg injury on Oct. 21 against Iowa.
This has left much of the running load on the St. Charles, Illinois, native Nubin. The redshirt sophomore will likely face his toughest battle yet, (if left without Taylor) against a rolling Buckeyes defense.
The Buckeyes only allow 112 rushing yards per game, ranking fourth best in the conference and 21st nationally, behind Penn State, Michigan and Nebraska.
While this number may seem relatively low compared to their other defensive statistics, the Buckeyes have shown to step up when called upon.
Ohio State has repeatedly proven it can stop run-heavy teams when warranted, including its performance against Penn State and Wisconsin.
Both Big Ten teams listed previously were to under 100 rushing yards.
And although Minnesota doesn’t typically pile up dozens of points, they convert on the scoreboard when given the opportunity. The Golden Gophers rank second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally in red zone offense with a .93 conversion rate.
It’ll be up to the Buckeyes, who grade out at the top 10 in the country in red zone defense, to hold the Golden Gophers beyond the 20-yard line.
Kickoff will begin at 4 p.m., on Big Ten Network.
