MINNEAPOLIS — A frigid and snowy afternoon in Minneapolis — a city that seems like it starts to freeze over in November — meant the coldest game in 50 years for Ohio State.
Naturally, as the snow whited out an already gray sky and dampened the heated turf at TCF Bank Stadium, winter weather conditions did little to ease any angst over a bout against Minnesota billed as the trap-est of trap games for the eighth-ranked Buckeyes.
After a tepid first half, and thanks to an offense that’s simply humming against anybody and everybody this season, Ohio State pulled past the Golden Gophers, 31-24, Saturday afternoon.
The Buckeyes — a team that’s soared back into the thick of the national picture after toppling Michigan State last week — amassed 489 total yards and connected on big plays early to jump out to a 14-0 lead. In pockets, they dominated the game in a way that's become customary every since a stunning loss to Virginia Tech earlier this season.
And with the College Football Playoff selection committee watching their every move, there were style points to be had on this afternoon. Urban Meyer's crew seemed more than eager to earn them.
As the snow fell and Minnesota settled into a bitter cold that’s the norm this far north, though, the Gophers rallied behind a powerful run game and took advantage of numerous Ohio State blunders.
The Buckeyes, for as dominant as the were statistically, couldn’t get out of their own way at times. They committed three turnovers — two of which kept a hearty Minnesota squad in the contest.
It’s why, on a day that saw them gut out an admirable win in horrendously cold, Ohio State missed a chance to flex its growing muscles against another ranked team on the road.
“Not great execution, but a great team win,” Meyer said. “First time I’ve ever been here. I don’t want to see this one on the schedule for a while, certainly not in November. A great team win. Once again, I didn’t say great execution all the time, but really in that kind of environment, not bad.”
That’s indubitably true. But in a rat race for four spots in the sport's pinnacle, every game, every series and every down is an opportunity to deliver a message to those of importance watching.
On Saturday, the Buckeyes might have sent mixed signals in a game it so clearly controlled at times.
Meyer offered another take.
“I’d like to see anybody in the country come up here and do this, come up here in November on Nov. 15. I challenge any team in the country that wants to go ahead and schedule this one in November against a very good team,” he said. “Have at it. That’s our message.”
Added senior defensive tackle Michael Bennett: “We’re a tough team. People, for whatever reason, questioned our toughness coming into that game, that we wouldn’t be able to stop the run and Minnesota was tougher than us.”
The Buckeyes — which are undoubtedly surging as the postseason nears — have rallied around the triumph much like they did in a double overtime thriller against Penn State in late October.
“I think that we proved that we’re a tough team and we could rebound and it’s not just working off momentum," Bennett said. "We can change momentum at will so that’s a championship team; the ones that can not just only do well during the good parts, but actually be able to overcome adversity.”
Because while turnovers made this game against Minnesota closer than it should've been, Ohio State is two games away from returning to the Big Ten championship and making its final push on the national stage. For a team left for dead after a stunning loss to Virginia Tech early this season, the Buckeyes' place in the very fluid big picture clears more each week. This trip to Minneapolis was a chance to make it clearer.
