Ohio State football: 5 reasons OSU stays undefeated, demolishes Minnesota

3. Buckeyes will dominate every facet of the game

One of the most impressive accomplishments of last week’s victory was the Buckeyes’ ability to convert in tough situations almost at will. The Bucks converted on fourth down on three out of four tries. This was important as it kept the drives alive to keep the offense on the field and the Hoosiers’ offense off the field.

With the defensive backs struggling to handle much of anything the Hoosiers were throwing at them, it was imperative that the Bucks retained their composure. Controlling the game pace was key in this game as the Hoosiers could have gained momentum at any moment after chaining together a few big passing plays and a touchdown.

The Buckeyes were able to string long drives together which eventually allowed them to pick apart the Hoosiers once they got hot. It was only a matter of time until the Bucks turned things up after their usual early game slump. Haskins stepped on the gas in the end by tossing long touchdowns to seal the victory.

The Bucks struggled a bit more in the special teams department this game than they did in the last. Drue Chrisman had been on fire against Penn State while punting it but ended up chipping a few during this game. The Buckeyes still have an elite special teams unit though which gives them the edge in many match up. It will be vital for the Bucks to pin the Gophers deep as that will make it even harder to move the ball down the field than it already is for them.

The Gophers are ranked way back at 103rd in the country in total offense. This does not fare well for them as moving the ball on the Buckeyes’ upper level defense is hard enough as it is. The Gophers’ offense is very inexperienced and will have a difficult time reading the Buckeyes’ coverage. Expect the Gophers to fall flat against a far superior Buckeyes team.