Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes cruised past the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday night, improving their record to 5-0 with a commanding 42-3 victory.
Fresh off last year’s national championship, Ohio State once again looks every bit the contender. Even with heavy NFL departures, the Buckeyes have reloaded seamlessly and are playing as if they never missed a beat.
So far, Ohio State has dominated in all phases of the game, showing few, if any, weaknesses. While tougher tests lie ahead, there’s plenty of reason to be confident in the Buckeyes’ championship hopes.
That being said, college football can shift in an instant — a reality made clear by this week’s results.
This week featured several surprises, including No. 7 Penn State falling to previously winless UCLA, No. 9 Texas being upset by unranked Florida, and No. 14 Iowa State dropping a game to Cincinnati.
The message is clear: no team can afford to overlook an opponent. Ryan Day understands that applies to his Buckeyes as well.
After Ohio State’s dominant victory over Minnesota, head coach Ryan Day delivered a firm reminder to his team.
“You saw what happened across college football today — you have to bring it every single week,” Day said. “The team that’s hungrier and more desperate is going to win. Our job is to make sure it doesn’t take a loss to get us there. These guys are still young, so we have to keep driving that message home.”
On the field, quarterback Julian Sayin has taken charge of the offense, performing at an elite level. He’s completed 80.2% of his passes for 1,313 yards with 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His top targets have been Jeremiah Smith, who has 35 receptions for 463 yards and six scores, and Carnell Tate, who has added 24 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns.
On defense, Ohio State has surrendered just 25 points across five games. First-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has drawn praise for calling aggressive, high-level games week after week.
Still, the Buckeyes know they can’t afford to look too far ahead. Their next challenge comes on the road against a ranked Illinois team — a true test that will reveal even more about where this Ohio State squad stands.
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