Ohio State football: What you need to know about tonight’s season opener at Minnesota

Where: Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.

TV/Radio: FOX/1410

Series history: Ohio State leads 46-7, including a 22-5 mark in Minneapolis. The Buckeyes have won 11 in a row in the series and are 2-0 at Huntington Bank Stadium. Their last loss at Minnesota was in 1981.

Last game: The Buckeyes won 30-14 in 2018. Dwayne Haskins threw for 412 yards but the running game struggled, amassing only 92 yards on 32 attempts. Minnesota moved the ball much of the afternoon, but Ohio State forced timely turnovers to keep the Gophers off the board in the second half.

Coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day is 23-2, including 15–0 in the Big Ten. He has never faced the Golden Gophers. Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck is 26-19 in four seasons at Minnesota and 56-41 overall as a head coach. He is 0-1 against the Buckeyes.

Ohio State notes: Ohio State has won 21 season-openers n a row since dropping a 23-12 decision to Miami (Fla.) in the 1999 Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J… The Buckeyes are 14-0 in seasonopeners against Big Ten teams… Ohio State has won 18 consecutive Big Ten games and a record four straight conference championships… 10 Ohio State players have already graduated: Master Teague, Jeremy Ruckert, Marcus Williamson, Thayer Munford, Haskell Garrett, Antwuan Jackson, Demario McCall, Corey Rau, Bradley Robinson, Mitch Rossi.

Minnesota notes: The Golden Gophers return 10 starters on offense and 10 starters on defense after a disappointing 3-4 season… They also have 10 “super seniors” who accepted an extra year of eligibility from the NCAA because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on last season… Mohamed Ibrahim is the reigning Big Ten Running Back of the Year and has rushed for 2,840 yards and 31 touchdowns in 28 games… Quarterback Tanner Morgan is 18-8 as a starter for the Gophers… Minnesota was fifth in the Big Ten in total offense and 10th in total defense last season… The Gophers were last in the league in tackles for loss (18.0) and second-to-last in sacks (eight)… Former Ohio State assistant coach Paul Haynes is the cornerbacks coach for the Gophers… Fleck broke into coaching as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under Jim Tressel in 2006… Springfield High School graduate Mike Brown-Stephens is one of nine Ohioans on the Minnesota roster.

Quoted: Fleck on Day: “I mean, he’s 15-0 in the Big Ten. He’s a really good football coach. They’re in the College Football Playoff last year and national championship, so they’re really good football team with a lot of returning starters… They don’t rebuild as they have very talented guys that are coming in and playing, so at every position they have depth and experience, and they’ve got guys that are really, really talented.”

Next game: The Buckeyes return home to face Oregon at noon on Sept. 11. The Golden Gophers will be back at home to face Miami University at noon the same day.

Prediction: Ohio State 38, Minnesota 21