Ohio State vs. Minnesota: Game Grades, Analysis for the Buckeyes

A week after registering its best win of the season, No. 8 Ohio State University (9-1) looked a bit sloppy in a 31-24 victory over No. 25 University of Minnesota (7-3) Saturday afternoon.

The Buckeyes were able to overcome the frigid Minneapolis conditions to pile up 489 yards of total offense, but the Gophers turned three turnovers into 21 points in a closer-than-expected seven-point game.

Ohio State was still able to come out with an important road victory over a Top 25 team. Here's how the Buckeyes graded out. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	C+	B
Run Offense	A+	A+
Pass Defense	A+	A+
Run Defense	C-	C
Special Teams	C	D
Coaching	B	B-

Ohio State Buckeyes Grade Analysis

Pass Offense: J.T. Barrett struggled with his accuracy in the frigid Minneapolis cold, completing 15 of 25 passes against an experienced Gophers secondary. He was productive, though, throwing for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

A badly overthrown ball in the first quarter was picked off and gave Minnesota life in the first half, and a fumble from Jalin Marshall going into the end zone on a shovel pass took points off the board. Those were the only gaffes in an otherwise solid performance. Marshall is starting to emerge as a serious threat in the Buckeyes’ passing attack, as he caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Run Offense: It was safe to assume Ohio State would try to establish the run game in the cold conditions, and Barrett and Ezekiel Elliott did that in a big way. The two combined for 280 yards on 35 carries, but it was Barrett who owned the day. His 86-yard touchdown run in the first quarter set the tone, as the Buckeyes averaged an impressive 7.6 yards per carry.

Pass Defense: Minnesota’s passing attack came into the game as one of the worst in the country, ranking 120th nationally with 140.2 yards per game. The Buckeyes made the Gophers look even worse, allowing just 85 passing yards to Mitch Leidner while coming up with two interceptions. Leidner only completed 36.8 percent of his passes, and he couldn't get anything going as the Gophers tried to rally from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit. 

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Run Defense: For the second straight week, Ohio State had trouble stopping a strong, bulldozing running back. Last week, it was Michigan State University's Jeremy Langford who dashed through the Buckeyes defense. On Saturday, David Cobb gashed Ohio State with 145 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 27 carries. The Buckeyes did a better job against Cobb in the second half, limiting him to 49 yards on the ground. But it didn't take away from his fantastic outing. 

Special Teams: Ohio State's struggles continued against Minnesota on Saturday. Sean Nuernberger connected on his only field-goal attempt from 22 yards out, but the usually solid Cameron Johnston had a tough day, averaging just 36.8 yards on four punts. Arguably the biggest mistake of the day came in the fourth quarter when Marshall muffed a punt inside Ohio State's 15-yard line. Minnesota pounced on it and cashed in with a Cobb touchdown run two plays later.

Coaching: Urban Meyer and the coaching staff came in with a solid game plan, and Ohio State executed it pretty well on Saturday. The Buckeyes got things going on the ground and pounded their way to nearly 300 yards, which was pivotal in the cold conditions. The Buckeyes have a solid defensive scheme as well, limiting the Gophers to just 303 total yards. It was the three turnovers that made this game appear closer than it really was. 

All stats via NCAA.com.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.