C.J. Stroud said his “mind wasn't right” in the first half, Miyan Williams scored a touchdown on the wrong play and Ryan Day said he's “very excited” about what comes next.
Ohio State had six first-time starters in its back seven, Luke Wypler stepped up in place of Harry Miller at center and Noah Ruggles made his Ohio State debut against Minnesota.
All six of Ohio State's touchdowns against Minnesota came on plays of 32 yards or more, and those big plays made all the difference in the Buckeyes’ 45-31 win.
A Zach Harrison strip sack that turned into a Haskell Garrett touchdown was a game-changer for Ohio State on Thursday, even as the Buckeyes showed defensive flaws.
C.J. Stroud looked comfortable in the second half of his debut and Zach Harrison and Haskell Garrett teamed up to secure a defensive touchdown in a season-opening win.
C.J. Stroud talks about his "first-game jitters" and Ryan Day was unsurprised by some of the struggles Ohio State faced in Thursday's season-opening win at Minnesota.
Chris Olave scored twice while Miyan Williams, TreVeyon Henderson, Garrett Wilson and Haskell Garrett each scored once to lead the Buckeyes to a 45-31 win over Minnesota.
With Cameron Brown out and Sevyn Banks on the sideline, Denzel Burke started his first college game at cornerback for the Buckeyes on Thursday against Minnesota.
Ohio State's offensive line and secondary depth will be put to the test immediately with Harry Miller and Cameron Brown unavailable for at least the first game of the season.
Ohio State will not have projected starters Harry Miller or Cameron Brown on the field against Minnesota on Thursday, and nine other Buckeyes join them on the unavailable list.
Ohio State's 2021 season begins Thursday night at Minnesota, where C.J. Stroud will throw his first passes as a Buckeye and the OSU defense will face its first test of the year.
Minnesota's past two seasons saw very different results, but Ryan Day believes the Gophers will resemble their 2019 form on Thursday and beyond in 2021.
Justin Hilliard (New York Giants) and Michael Jordan (Carolina Panthers) were both claimed by new NFL teams off waivers while seven other Buckeyes join practice squads.