Gophers tease, then tumble

Ohio State 45
Gophers 31

I expected a massacre in the Gophers opener last night. I think 38-10 was my prediction. So in that respect this wasn't too bad.

The Gophers moved the ball on their opening drive but got no points. Then OSU quickly put up 10 points and the rout was on.

The Gophers fortunes turned when they went for a 4th and 1 deep in their own end. Mo Ibrahim busted off a long run and a few plays later Tanner Morgan tossed a touchdown. Then the Gophers strong run game led them to a second touchdown and they had the lead.

It felt like a chance to add on right before halftime that went for naught would prove costly. You can't blow scoring opportunities in games like this.

And indeed the Buckeyes immediately retook the lead after halftime. To their credit the Gophers fought back to get the lead back on Ibrahim's 2nd TD run.

Then they got burned for a long touchdown pass on a busted coverage. A strip sack turned fumble return touchdown on the next drive put the Gophers in eternal hopeless catchup mode. 

The Gophers settled for a field goal the next series, which was absurd. And proven absurd barely a minute later when the now plummeting Gophers defense surrendered a 70 yard touchdown. Any hopes of still coming back after that were hurt by an offense that showed zero urgency, burning off tons of clock for no reason. 

The final score wound up respectable, but there was never a time when I genuinely felt like the Gophers had a real chance for an upset. Because this is kind of the Fleck way. Play scrappy against the big boys, but lose. Then talk about how proud you were of the effort. 

It was telling and infuriating how quickly so many in the media rushed to play the moral victory card. Even though this was the best chance Fleck will ever have to win this matchup. 

The schedule is favorable for the Gophers to win some games, although they lost Ibrahim to a seemingly serious injury, and Morgan looked again like a shadow of his 2019 self. But they faced a vulnerable Buuckeyes squad in a big nationally televised spot and came up small when it counted. 

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