Minnesota’s 12-10 win over Iowa Saturday vaulted them back into the Big Ten West conversation. Did it put them on a path towards the West title being decided at Huntington Bank Stadium in late November? The schedule certainly makes a case a for it.
The Gophers now sit third in the West with tie-breaking wins over Iowa and Nebraska, second and fourth respectively. Wisconsin are at the top of the West after a 5-2 (3-1) start to their season.
With games against such beleaguered Big Ten opponents as Michigan State (2-5, 0-4), Illinois (3-5, 1-4) and Purdue (2-5, 1-3) coming up before a date at Ohio State, it’s conceivable that PJ Fleck’s squad could be 7-3 with a 5-2 Big Ten record heading into Columbus.
A foreseeable loss at Ohio State wouldn’t be all bad considering the Badgers and Buckeyes are set to faceoff this weekend in Madison. Ohio State are currently 14.5-point favorites.
Iowa currently sit ahead of Minnesota, having played one more game than the Gophers, and have games against Northwestern and Illinois with (6-2, 3-2) Rutgers sandwiched in the middle, and a trip to (4-3, 2-2) Nebraska the day before Minnesota/Wisconsin.
Nebraska has the trickiest of the remaining schedules with games against Purdue and Michigan State ahead of a final three games against (5-2, 2-2) Maryland, and at Wisconsin before finishing off with Iowa.
If the Gophers can win the games they are supposed to win down the stretch, and Wisconsin loses to Ohio State this weekend, Nov. 25 could be the day the West is decided in Minneapolis.
