Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
TV/Radio: FOX/1410
Series history: Ohio State leads 44-7 and has won 37 of the last 39 against the Golden Gophers.
READ MORE: 5 fun facts about the Buckeyes against Minnesota
Last game: Cardale Jones threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas and also ran for a 38-yard touchdown as Ohio State beat Minnesota 28-14 in Columbus in 2015. Wayne grad Braxton Miller had a 45-yard reception in the contest.
Coaches: Ohio State's Urban Meyer is 76-8 in six seasons as the coach of the Buckeyes and 180-31 overall in 17 seasons. In his second season at Minnesota, P.J. Fleck is 8-9. He is 38-31 overall as a head coach.
Ohio State notes: Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins leads the nation with 25 touchdown passes… He is coming off a career-high 455 yards passing against Indiana. That missed Art Schlichter's single-game record by three yards… His top target lately has been Parris Campbell, who has caught 24 passes for 349 yards in the past three games… J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber have a combined 882 yards rushing with seven touchdowns… Safety Jordan Fuller leads the team in tackles with 27 despite being slowed by a hamstring injury early in the season… Ohio State does not have a player from Minnesota. Since future college and pro football hall of fame Sid Gillman in the 1930s, Ohio State has only had two scholarship players from Minnesota — linebacker James Laurinaitis (Wayzata High School) and defensive lineman Willie Mobley (Eden Prairie).
READ MORE: Ohio State first half superlatives and second half predictions
Minnesota notes: The Golden Gophers have struggled offensively , ranking 80th in scoring (27.8 points per game) and 114th in total offense (341.4 yards per game)… Minnesota is No. 21 in the nation in total defense (324.2 yards per game) but 41st in scoring (23.4 points per game)… Tyler Johnson is fifth in the Big Ten in catches (5.6 per game) and tied for fourth in receiving yards (80.4 per game)… Linebacker Carter Coughlin is tied for the Big Ten lead with five sacks… Minnesota has six players from Ohio: center Jared Weyler, a fifth-year senior from Centerville, reserve guard Austin Beier, a freshman from Toledo St. John's and linebacker Thomas Rush, a freshman from Marysville are in the two-deep. The roster also includes freshman defensive end Alex Reigelsperger (Wayne), freshman receiver Jomell Manns (Mansfield Senior) and redshirt freshman Malcolm Robinson (Massillon Washington). Current Springfield senior Michael Brown-Stephens is verbally committed to Minnesota for the class of 2018.
Quotable: Fleck on what it will take to beat Ohio State: "We've got to be able to take care of the football. We've got to get takeaways as best as we possibly can. We've got to figure out a way to get some explosive plays and limit their explosive plays as best we possibly can. And we've got to tackle really well."
Next game: Ohio State travels to Purdue for a 7:30 p.m. game next Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind. The Golden Gophers play at Nebraska at 3:30 p.m. next Saturday.
Prediction: Ohio State 54, Minnesota 10
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