Here are the biggest takeaways from the Ohio State Buckeyes’ week six victory against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have once again proved why they are the No. 1 team in the nation after a dazzling win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday night, 42-3.

Head coach Ryan Day and his squad’s dominant performance now puts the program at 5-0 through the first six weeks of the 2025 college football season, making the Buckeyes just one of three teams within the Big Ten Conference to remain undefeated.

Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Buckeyes’ latest victory over the Golden Gophers.

Julian Sayin Has Been Unleashed

Heading into Ohio State’s week six matchup, the main question surrounding the program was about redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Sayin and when Day would start to expand the playbook. Luckily for fans, the young talent responded in a huge way against a stout Minnesota defense.

Sayin finished the contest with 326 passing yards and three touchdowns, while also completing 85 percent of his attempts on Saturday. His impressive performance also included multiple deep passes, which were an element that the offense lacked during the program’s first four games of the season.

It’s clear that Sayin has incredible poise and elite accuracy, as he displayed these qualities prior to week six. But the former Alabama Crimson Tide signee was able to show growth as a passer with his excellent efforts downfield. Moving forward, Day will build off his game plan against the Golden Gophers and  expand the playbook to its maximum potential for the rest of the year.

Defense Puts Up Monster Performance

After allowing a field goal on the opening drive of the contest, the Buckeyes’ defense eventually took control of the line of scrimmage for the rest of the matchup, which paved the way to another successful showing from the program.

Ohio State and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia managed to hold Minnesota freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey to just 94 passing yards. Limiting the young quarterback through the air was one of the key emphases for the Buckeyes this week, as Lindsey came into the battle with 958 passing yards and seven touchdowns in 2025.

In addition to their strong play in the secondary unit, Ohio State’s front seven did an outstanding job of applying pressure to Lindsey, while also holding the Golden Gophers to 68 yards on the ground. Obviously, the defense continues to be one of the best across the FBS level, but Saturday’s victory further proved this when facing a scrappy Minnesota offense.

Carnell Tate Continues To Shine

With star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith commanding most of the attention across the college football landscape, junior wideout Carnell Tate is often overlooked on offense. However, this was not the case on Saturday night.

The former highly-touted high school prospect finished the week six battle with nine catches for 183 yards, including a massive 44-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter to give the Buckeyes a 21-3 lead.

Tate may not be as athletic as Smith, but his savvy route-running ability allows him to create separation with ease. This, along with Tate consistently winning at all three levels of the field, makes him the perfect wide receiver for a young quarterback who is still finding his footing on offense. Through his first six games of the year, the Chicago, IL native has recorded 435 receiving yards and four touchdowns and will continue to be a key piece of the offense in 2025.