The sky is the limit for the undefeated Gophers, with hopes of winning a Big Ten championship and possibly reaching the coveted College Football Playoff still within reach.
As it stands now, Ohio State or Penn State is favored to represent the Big Ten in the College Football Playoff, but Minnesota could put itself in that conversation with a win over the Nittany Lions when they meet in Minneapolis on Nov. 9.
At any rate, Minnesota is putting itself in position to play in a marquee bowl game. Here’s where the latest bowl projections have the Gophers going.
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura has the Gophers playing Wake Forest in the Dec. 30 Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, while ESPN’s Kyle Schlabach currently projects the Gophers to take on Texas A&M in the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
Stadium Football’s Brett McMurphy also has Minnesota against Texas A&M in the Outback Bowl. The same goes for CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm.
Basically, every prognosticator has Ohio State reaching the final four playoff with Penn State representing the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. So imagine what happens if the Gophers upset the fifth-ranked Nittany Lions – it could put Minnesota in line for a path to Pasadena.
As 247 Sports points out, the “near worst-case scenario” for the Gophers would be going to the Citrus Bowl, which Minnesota played Missouri in few years ago.
Minnesota has one of the toughest remaining schedules in the country, with a bye this week followed by matchups against No. 5 Penn State, unranked Northwestern, No. 19 Iowa and No. 17 Wisconsin.
The Nov. 9 matchup with Penn State will kick off at 11 a.m. and be televised nationally on ABC.
