Minnesota’s 13-10 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the opening week of college football wasn’t enough to convince voters to include them in the Week 2 AP Top 25 poll.
The Gophers received just three votes, officially coming in outside the top 25 as the 35th-ranked team in the country, tied with Auburn, Troy, Fresno State and Wyoming (each team received 3 votes).
The team ranked 26th in the country and receiving 76 votes is Iowa, which beat Utah State 24-14. Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25 include Michigan at No. 2, Ohio State at No. 5, Penn State at No. 7 and Wisconsin at No. 19.
Nebraska, according to ESPN, has a 59% chance to beat Colorado this week. Colorado, after upsetting TCU in Week 1, is ranked 22nd in the Week 2 poll. If Nebraska beats Colorado and Minnesota defeated Nebraska, it would suggest that Minnesota should at least be in the conversation to be in the top 25.
Minnesota hosts Eastern Michigan this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (on Big Ten Network). It should be a win for the Gophers as a Power Five conference team that owns one of the top defenses in the country, especially considering Eastern Michigan totaled just 285 yards of offense in a 33-23 win over Howard in Week 1.
If the Gophers get to 2-0 it will set the stage for a Week 3 showdown against 17th ranked North Carolina. The Tar Heels are 1-0 after beating South Carolina. A win there would undoubtedly have the Gophers in the top 25 and on a roll heading into what should be wins over Northwestern and Louisiana before the real big test against Michigan on Oct. 7.
