Minnesota Skull Session: Get Dumped Then, Golden Gophers

One heartbeat!

Ohio State national champion Roy Hall narrates the Minnesota Game Trailer

"Home. They say every home has a heartbeat. Within these walls are roots engraved by legends. At the Horseshoe... 100,000 strong move as one single heartbeat." pic.twitter.com/32gcrCWMeN

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 2, 2025

Have a good Saturday.

 GREASY, GRIMY GOPHER GUTS. A Jaylen McClain quote from Wednesday made me audibly go, “Huh,” when I read his press conference transcript.

“We haven’t really played a pocket passer,” McClain said when asked about Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey. “He’s a really good quarterback. He’s in the pocket. He’s able to get the ball at different spots. So we’ve just got to work every day and just get prepared for that.”

Texas’ Arch Manning is a dual-threat.

Grambling State’s — wait, did Grambling State have a quarterback?

Ohio’s Parker Navarro is a dual-threat.

Washington’s Demond Williams is a dual-threat.

But Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey is a textbook pocket passer. This season, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound signal caller has completed 65.8 percent of his throws for 958 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions while running the ball eight times for -25 yards and one score.

I don’t doubt that Lindsey is “a really good quarterback,” but if he had eight carries for -25 yards and one score against… ** checks notes **... Buffalo, Northwestern State, California and Rutgers, I don’t think he’ll have many chances to show it on Saturday. If Ohio State recorded a combined 11 sacks against Manning, Navarro and Williams, the Buckeyes might reach that total in 60 minutes against Lindsey, who lacks the same elusiveness and quickness.

And if Minnesota can’t throw the ball on Ohio State, the Gophers might not be able to move the ball at all. They’ve averaged 144 rushing yards per game — 88th in the FBS — and managed only 35 yards on 18 carries in last week’s 31-28 win over Rutgers.

A slow quarterback and an ineffective run game are no recipe for success against Ohio State, whose defense has become the gold standard in college football. It’s a recipe for great green gobs of greasy, grimy gopher guts.

With the Silver Bullets flying, the Buckeyes’ offense should have the freedom to keep evolving with Julian Sayin under center. Minnesota’s defense might provide some turbulence – it ranks No. 5 against the run (65.5 yards allowed per game) and No. 23 against the pass (164.5 yards per game) – but again, the Gophers have faced the Bison, Demons, Bears and Scarlet Knights. On Saturday, they’ll see the World Famous Buckeyes, and when the scoreboard reads 42-7 (that’s my score prediction) at the end of the fourth quarter, the Gophers won’t know what hit ‘em.

 THE MENU. College football is the best. Let's celebrate another fall weekend watching the greatest sport on earth all the live-long day. Sound good?

 OUR PICKS. I'd like to apologize… to absolutely nobody! … who has tailed my college football picks against the spread this season. I could be better — I’m 13-12 through five weeks — but as Ryan Day has said several times in the past couple of weeks, the No. 1 goal is to win the game, and I’m (barely) on track to do that (let me have cherish the wins when I can!), as Dan Hope is 12-13 and Andy Anders is 9-16. Here's to another week of success!

Andy: 9-16
Chase: 13-12
Dan: 12-13

No. 22 Illinois (-8.5) at Purdue

I chose this matchup for two reasons. One, Ohio State plays Illinois next week. Two, this stat from Ben Stevens: in each of the nine seasons Taylor Swift has released an album (excluding 2020), Ohio State has won its next game, and Purdue has lost. That said, Illinois seems destined to beat Purdue on Saturday, but will the Illini cover the spread? Who knows!

Andy: Illinois
Chase: Illinois
Dan: Illinois

No. 14 Iowa State at Cincinnati (-1.5)

Unranked Cincinnati is favored to beat No. 14 Iowa State? Yes, indeed. The atmosphere at Nippert Stadium will be electric on Saturday — and the game should be just as intense. Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has been one of the nation’s best this season, but Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby has a clear edge in this matchup, with both of the Cyclones’ starting cornerbacks out. Iowa State will also be without kicker Kyle Konrardy, which could make the final moments particularly interesting if the score is close.

Andy: Iowa State
Chase: Cincinnati
Dan: Iowa State

No. 16 Vanderbilt at No. 10 Alabama (-12.5)

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has called his shot before the Alabama game.

“I don’t know what (Alabama’s) doing,” Pavia said. “I just focus on us, but I know we’ve got to bring it. That’s for sure. The crowd, I think, is going to be a big factor in the game. But we just gotta play within the white lines. If we do that, if we play our game, it won’t be close.”

I’ll take it Pavia hasn’t seen the spread for this one. Alabama is a 12.5-point favorite, so if the Crimson Tide play their game, it won’t be close!

Andy: Vanderbilt
Chase: Alabama
Dan: Alabama

No. 9 Texas (-5.5) at Florida

Arch Manning finally flashed in Texas’ last game, albeit against a bad Sam Houston team. The doubters are still out in full force, but the performance was encouraging enough to warrant tuning in for this game. Meanwhile, Florida’s Billy Napier is back on the hot seat after three straight losses to South Florida (18-16), LSU (20-10) and Miami (26-7). Napier has struggled to create any consistency out of quarterback DJ Lagway or the team — and yet, Texas is less than a touchdown favorite in Gainesville.

Andy: Texas
Chase: Texas
Dan: Texas

No. 3 Miami (-4.5) at No. 18 Florida State

Virginia (amazingly, incredibly, stunningly) spoiled what could have been an undefeated showdown of top-10 teams, but this is still a rivalry game that has produced plenty of drama over the years. (Amazingly, incredibly, stunningly) It’s the first road game for the Hurricanes, but both of these teams have been tested to this point.

Florida State enters with one of the best offenses in America and has done a lot of damage on the ground. But Miami’s defense, headlined by future top-five pick defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., is also one of the nation’s best. Miami will need to handle the road environment, and quarterback Carson Beck, who has thrown three picks in the last two games, will have to take better care of the football for the Canes to come out on top.

Andy: Miami
Chase: Florida State
Dan: Florida State

 BACK TO THE BUCKEYES. I need to find Caleb Downs and show him what an anonymous college football coach said about him in an interview with The Athletic's Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel.

Better than Caleb Downs?

The most celebrated defensive player in the country entering this season was Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, an All-American and leader on last year’s national champions.

The Buckeyes (4-0) are again No. 1 in the country, and Downs has 15 tackles and an interception for one of the stingiest defenses in the country. Ohio State is allowing 5.5 points per game.However, some coaches who have faced Ohio State say Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese is surpassing Downs as the most valuable of the Silver Bullets.

“(No. 8) is their best player on that defense,” said one offensive coach, granted anonymity to speak candidly about an opponent.

The 6-4, 243-pound Reese is tied for the team lead in tackles with 25, with two sacks and a team-best two passes broken up. The junior’s stat line doesn’t present the whole picture.

“(Reese) is a super freak, and he’s not just an athletic freak,” the coach said. “They ask him to do a lot. I think if you replaced him with an average player, they’d be in some trouble. If you replaced Caleb Downs with an average player, they’d be fine. (Reese) is a hybrid body, who is long, rangy and explosive. He is smart enough and he can cover, blitz and hold up against linemen, can cover tight ends, can cover backs. He’s playing their ‘adjustor’ position, so he rushes as a down lineman in pass-rush situations. He’s just really impressive.”

I agree with what the coach said about Reese, but regarding Downs... are you serious?! They act like two legends can’t coexist.

Downs is the best defensive player in college football — and some would argue the best player period. He'll continue to prove that this season, even as Reese continues to shine. 

 SONG OF THE DAY. “Rock and Roll All Nite” - KISS.

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