College Football Rankings 2021: Projected AP Top 25 for Week 2
By Zach Bigalke
. won 45-31 at Minnesota. Buckeyes . Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0). 3. player. 812
Playing before the weekend, Ohio State came out on Thursday and made their case as one of the four best teams in the country. Facing a veteran Minnesota team, the Buckeyes started slowly out of the gate. Down 14-10 at halftime, Ohio State turned around things quickly after the intermission. A three-touchdown third quarter blew away any cobwebs, as Ryan Day’s crew ran away with a 45-31 road victory to open Big Ten play.
C.J. Stroud showed that life after Justin Fields won’t be an issue in Columbus. The new starting quarterback threw for 292 yards and four scores on only 13 completions, with touchdown passes of 13, 38, 56, and 70 yards. Stroud added 13 yards on three carries, as he deconstructed one of the most experienced returning defenses in the FBS.
The ground game was just as good for Ohio State. In addition to Stroud’s 13 yards on the ground, the team finished with 206 rushing yards on an average of eight yards per carry. Miyan Williams led the way with 125 yards and a touchdown on nine touches, with Master Teague III adding 29 yards on his half-dozen handoffs.
Minnesota did rack up 31 points and more than 400 yards of offense, so there is still work to do this year. But Ohio State looks like the best of the Big Ten once again, and they will climb up into the top three of the AP Top 25 this week after a two-touchdown win in interdivisional play.