ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) is predicting a healthy Ohio State victory for its season-opener vs. Minnesota on Thursday.

FPI is projecting the Buckeyes to have an 86 percent chance of leaving Minnesota with a win on Thursday.

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Ohio State is a heavy favorite going into the Week 1 contest. The Buckeyes are hoping to win their fifth consecutive Big Ten Championship this season.

Ohio State will be replacing several key members off of last year’s squad, which made it all the way to the National Championship Game. That includes quarterback CJ Stroud, who was named the starting QB last week.

It will also be interesting to see how much of an impact the Buckeyes’ incoming freshman class can make. The group is led by 5-star defensive linemen Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau.

Meanwhile, Minnesota will be hoping to pull off the upset and bounce back from a disappointing season in 2020. Star receiver Chris Autman-Bell is recovering from a leg injury and his status for the game is in doubt.

Kickoff is at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night. The game will be broadcast on FOX.