People have been waiting to see Ohio State explode on offense. Tonight they got their wish, as the top-ranked, defending National Champion Buckeyes rolled to 5-0 in Columbus against PJ Fleck and the Golden Gophers!

How'd Ohio State get the job done? Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory!

Julian Sayin: Taking Control

Coming into this season, I had a wait and see attitude with Julian Sayin. I knew he was very talented and hyped up. But he's gotten into a nice rhythm under center. It seems like he's steadily growing into his role, and that Day and the rest of the Buckeye coaching staff are easing him into things and not overwhelming him. They're simplifying the offense for him, coaching to his strengths, and allowing him to make the most of his skills as a quarterback.

The result? His third straight 300-yard game, and one where he looked every bit like the signal caller of the top team in America. He went 23-27 for 326 yards and three touchdowns. The scary part? I don't think he's even remotely close to hitting his ceiling as a quarterback, AND Ohio State has him for at least one more year after this!

The next Key to Victory should also terrify just about any opponent and Buckeye hater out there. And it's not just because he's good. It's because Ohio State is so loaded, that this guy would be a solid number one on any other team in the country.

The Carnell Tate Show!

I remember when I was on The OH Report podcast with Brian and Travis either going into last season or going into 2023, and I had just come back from that year's spring game in Columbus.

One of the standout plays in my mind was a touchdown catch made by Carnell Tate as a freshman. He outran the entire defense, and had about a step on the cornerback covering him, and he hauled the ball in exactly like how coaches teach wideouts to do: He used his body to shield the ball from the defender, and had the body control and focus to bring it in as he was falling forward.

It looked like his first big catch tonight against Minnesota. And his big catch to open the game was just a taste of what was to come. Tate might not be Ohio State's top wideout, but he certainly played like it. He went OFF. He hauled in nine catches for 183 yards and a touchdown in a career night!

But for as great as Tate was, this third and final Key to Victory might just be the thing that makes me most excited about this crop of Buckeyes!

The Silver Bullets do Silver Bullet things!

I have always loved solid defense more than almost anything else when it comes to football. Flashy passing games are fun to watch. Stout running games bring both the sledgehammer and the nails. But defenses as good as what we've seen so far from Ohio State have the potential to win National Championships.

I don't care how much this game evolves. Championship contenders and championship winners ALL need to have a solid to elite defense. Great defenses dictate the game, force opponents out of their comfort zone and what they want to do, and shut things down when the game is hanging in the balance. This one was never in doubt though because of how well Matt Patricia coached his unit, and how well the Silver Bullets executed.

Ohio State held Minnesota to just a field goal early in the game, a combined 1-12 on third and fourth down, and a total of 162 total yards of offense. If the Buckeyes can keep putting together defensive efforts like this for the rest of the season, I'm just gonna come out and say it: This defense has a chance to be even better than the one that helped Ohio State win the National Championship last year. And that group was straight up NASTY! I never thought I'd say that, but I am just about ready to die on that hill. We'll see if this group can keep things up!

They're going to have to keep playing at a high level if they want to continue cutting through the rest of the Big Ten like a hot knife through butter. Because a ranked battle at Illinois with the Fighting Ilini is coming up next. Bret Bielema has his team playing stout football, and if the Buckeyes aren't careful, Illinois definitely has the firepower to knock them from their perch.

But until then, bask in this one. The Buckeyes are 5-0, firing on all eight cylinders and rolling along! GO BUCKS!!!

Interesting Facts

Ryan Day is now the Big Ten coach to reach 75 wins the fastest. He reached that mark in 85 games. That breaks the old record of Jim Tressel reaching that mark in 91 games.

The Buckeyes have also not allowed a red zone touchdown yet this season.

Statistical Leaders

Julian Sayin: 23-27, 326 yards, 3 TDs.

Bo Jackson: 13 carries, 63 yards, TD

Carnell Tate: 9 catches, 183 yards, TD

Sources

ESPN

Big Ten Network YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/-JK3g-CDgfo?si=F54oeeqUtCLfWdU2B

Picture Credit

msn.com