Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[marshdaddy]

Love the presentation on this! Would be dope to see the Gophers nab a national title. Excited to see how this plays out.

[ShireNiner]

Ryan Day could be coaching for his job come Saturday in Minneapolis (ShireNiner PS5 images)

Big Ten Recap: Ohio State Stumbles Again, Penn State Makes a Statement, and Minnesota Survives a 'Sack-Lunch' Saturday

By: Pat Forde | September 21, 2027
Big Ten Senior Writer

Big Ten games have barely started, and teams are already fighting for their playoff lives. This week saw another top team fall, a blowout in Madison, and

The Game of the Week: No. 8 Alabama 35, No. 10 Ohio State 31
For the second time in three weeks, Ohio State (1-2) found itself on the wrong end of a dramatic finish. After a shocking Week 1 loss to Bowling Green and a get-right blowout of Marshall, the Buckeyes welcomed No. 8 Alabama to the Horseshoe for a clash of title hopefuls. Despite a massive day from quarterback Julian Sayin (341 yards, 2 TDs) and a breakout performance by freshman receiver George Parker (122 yards), the Buckeyes couldn't close the door. Alabama’s resilience in the fourth quarter handed Ryan Day his second home loss of the month, leaving the Buckeyes in the rare position of fighting for their playoff lives before October even begins.

Statement of the Week: Penn State 56, Wisconsin 7
If there were any lingering doubts about Marcus Freeman’s Penn State (3-0) squad, they were silenced in the massacre at Camp Randall. The Nittany Lions didn't just beat Wisconsin; they dismantled them. Penn State’s offense was clinical, but the story remains a defense that has allowed just 41 points through three games. For Wisconsin (1-2), the "Jump Around" was non-existent as they were held to under 200 yards of total offense for the second time this season. After a Week 1 loss to Pitt and this blowout, the Badgers are searching for any type of pulse in the Jason Candle era.

Survival of the Week: No. 6 Minnesota 28, Ball State 19
Minnesota (3-0) enters its marquee matchup with Ohio State undefeated, but Saturday’s win over Ball State was anything but easy. Sophomore QB AJ Brand spent the afternoon under siege, enduring seven sacks and constant pressure from a relentless Cardinals front. The Gophers relied on their "ground and pound" roots to offset the aerial struggles. Fame Ijeboi (2 TDs) provided the scoring punch, while the defense recorded a staggering minus-6 rushing yards allowed. However, the victory came at a cost: Star receiver Jalen Smith is out for five weeks with a knee injury, leaving a massive void in the vertical game just as the schedule turns toward the Big Ten elite.

Around the Conference
The Bruins (3-0) continued their impressive start with a dominant 41-17 road win over Iowa. The Hawkeyes' offense continues to stall, while UCLA’s Javian Thomas looks like the best running back in the conference.

Behind Bryce Underwood’s three total touchdowns, the Wolverines (2-1) handled Eastern Michigan 35-10. Michigan’s only slip-up remains a narrow loss to No. 1 Texas in Week 2.

Purdue fell 22-19 to Miami (OH), a tough blow for a team that had shown flashes of life after a blowout win over North Carolina last week.

The Ducks (3-0) dismantled Oregon State 42-10. Kyle Dillingham’s group has yet to be truly tested, averaging over 45 points per game.

What did you think of this story?

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Pat Forde is a senior writer for ShireNiner Network who covers Big Ten Football. He cohosts the College Football Enquirer podcast and is a football analyst on the Big Ten Network. He previously worked for Yahoo Sports, ESPN, and The (Louisville) Courier-Journal.

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Comments

[ShireNiner]

Love the presentation on this! Would be dope to see the Gophers nab a national title. Excited to see how this plays out.

Thank you. We are getting close. Season 1 loss in the Big Ten championship game, season 2 lost in the Big Ten championship again, but made the playoffs before losing in the semi-finals.

[The Hunted]

Love the layout man, that was way to close against Ball State, Brand struggled to stay upright and throwing the picks didn't help.

Good luck next game... also those are some sexy black uniforms.

[djp73]

not inspiring a lot of confidence with that close of a game against Ball State. Got to get that OL working before conference play.

[Soapy]

yeah you're cooked

[ShireNiner]

Love the layout man, that was way to close against Ball State, Brand struggled to stay upright and throwing the picks didn't help.

Good luck next game... also those are some sexy black uniforms.

I agree, the black unis are nice. I’m a fan of the matching jersey and pants look. Either a white, all maroon or all black.

not inspiring a lot of confidence with that close of a game against Ball State. Got to get that OL working before conference play.

It was a game we just wanted to get through. Lack of effort all around on my part but we locked in now.

yeah you're cooked

You have doubted us before. We take the challenge.

[Captain Canada]

Ohio State might be a bit of a hard one there. Let's just try and keep it competitive

[ShireNiner]

Redemption game for AJ Brand after last seasons defeat (ShireNiner PS5 images.)

Week 4 Preview: No. 20 Ohio State Buckeyes (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) at No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | September 23, 2027
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter

When: Saturday, September 25, 2027
Time: 1:00 pm EST
Broadcast:
Where: Huffington Bank Stadium


Minneapolis— The story of the college football season has been Ohio State, and not in a way people of Columbus want.

When the Buckeyes (1-2) walk into Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday to face No. 6 Minnesota (3-0), they aren’t just fighting for a Big Ten win. They are fighting for the survival of the Ryan Day era. After a stunning Week 1 loss to Bowling Green and a heartbreaking narrow miss against No. 8 Alabama, the pressure on Day has reached a fever pitch. In Columbus, a three-loss season before October isn't just a disappointment; it’s a crisis.

The Freshman Showcase: Parker vs. Malik

While Minnesota will be without its top overall receiver Jalen Smith (dislocated knee, out 5 weeks), the stadium will still feature the two most electric young playmakers in the country.

George Parker (OSU): The Buckeyes' latest five-star factory product has been the lone bright spot in their struggles. Parker enters with 309 yards and 4 touchdowns, serving as the favorite target for Julian Sayin. His ability to take the top off a defense will test a Minnesota secondary that is giving up 310 yards per game.

Connor Malik (MINN): With Smith out, Malik is no longer a luxury; he is the engine. Malik leads the Gophers with 19 catches and 3 scores. If Minnesota is going to keep up with the high-flying Buckeye offense, Malik has to win his 1-on-1 matchups against OSU’s best defender DJ Walker.

Keys for Ohio State

The offense has been clicking between Julian Sayin and George Parker but the Buckeyes still need another playmaker. James Peoples out of the backfield is the key. Minnesota struggles against the screen, something Ohio State exploited in the playoffs last season. If Peoples is involved, the Gophers pass rush will be neutralized giving Sayin all the time he needs.

Keys for Minnesota

The defense was considered a weak point coming into the season but it has been the defense sealing the win the last two weeks. With 11 sacks and 9 takeaways already, the Gopher defense will need to keep Ohio State out of the endzone for the Gophers to have a chance.

On offense, AJ Brand needs to stay on his feet. The offensive line was humiliated by Ball State and will need to massively improve to give Brand any time to find his key weapons down field.


Team Leaders
Passing
AJ Brand, SO, QB - 58/107, 58%, 582 yds, 5 TDs, 4 INTs, Sacked 10 times.
Julian Sayin, SR, QB - 72/114, 63%, 1008 pass yards, 10 TDs, 1 INT. Sacked 5 times.

Rushing
Fame Ijeboi, JR, RB - 33 atts, 225 yds, 6.8 avg, 3 TDs
James Peoples, SR, RB- 44 atts, 256 yds, 5.8 avg, 3 TDs

Receiving
Connor Malik, FR, WR - 19 rec, 202 yds, 3 TDs
George Parker, FR, WR - 24 rec, 309 yds, 4 TDs

Defense
Mitch Horan, SO, WILL - 30 tkls, 3 TFL
Ethan Stendel, SO, SAM - 25 tlks, 4 TFL, 1 INT
Vernon Woodward III, JR, CB - 15 tlks, 1 TFL, 2 INTs

DJ Walker, SR, SS - 18 tkls, 1 TFL, Payton Pierce, SR, MIKE - 11 tkls, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Faheem Delane, JR, FS - 18 tkls

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Aiden “AJ” Wexler is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering Minnesota Gophers Football. He previously covered local high schools in the Minneapolis area. He is based in Minneapolis, MN. Follow AJ on Twitter @AidensFake.

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Comments

[redsox907]

I would love to back you on this one, but this reeks of a let down. Blue chip opponent struggling out the gate, you struggled against Ball State. Without your top receiver. I think AJ gonna be running for his life