OSU Overcomes Slow Start, Bounces Back To Beat Minnesota

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Ohio State's season opener started fast, slowed to a crawl, then ultimately finished with a bang. After scoring on their opening possession, the Buckeye offense stalled behind noticeably rattled first-year starting quarterback C.J. Stroud. Minnesota smelled upset and took advantage in front of a rowdy home crowd, riding running back Mohamed Ibrahim to a halftime lead. Eventually, the Buckeyes settled down, their offense and exploded, and the Gophers' plans for an upset were left in the dust. 

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After trailing 14-10 at the half, Stroud settled down and sparked the Buckeye's offense in his starting debut. "He and I had a conversation early on that we're going to keep swinging, no matter what happens, and we're not going to play close to the vest," said head coach Ryan Day.

Having an array of weapons at the skill positions certainly helped Stroud succeed. Chris Olave, the Buckeyes' absolute stud at receiver, finished the night with four receptions. For most receivers, that's a dud of an evening. For Olave, that's two touchdowns and 117 yards of offense. The receiver's highlight was a 71-yard run. Complementary receiver Garrett Wilson, a great talent in his own right, ended the night with five catches, 80 yards and a score that went for 56 yards.

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OSU's Miyan Williams, who ran the ball nine times for 125 yards, scored the first touchdown of the evening. With a little over seven minutes still left in the first quarter, Williams bounced his way to the right side of the offensive line and found a clear path along the sideline. The run went 71 yards to the house.

Unfortunately, Ibrahim of Minnesota sustained a lower leg injury during the third quarter, and OutKick's ProFootball Doc, Dr. David Chao, believes that Ibrahim ruptured his Achilles and is done for the season.

The two Big Ten teams combined for 24 points in an eventful fourth quarter, but the Buckeyes eventually prevailed 45-31.