Minnesota Football: 5 reasons the Gophers can win Big Ten West in 2017

4. Rodney Smith, Shannon Brooks combo

Heading into his junior season with Minnesota, Rodney Smith has proven that he’s capable of carrying the load for the Gophers and will likely do so once again in 2017. With a new quarterback under center, Conor Rhoda, the Gophers are likely to rely more on the run game than anything else.

Luckily, they have one of the Big Ten’s best running backs in Smith. If you’re thinking that without an elite passing attack, they’re not going to win anything, that’s just not true. If this were the Big 12, then I’d agree with you, but the Big Ten is a conference based on smash-mouth football.

Minnesota hasn’t had an elite passing attack in years, and that still hasn’t stopped the Gophers from competing under Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys. The run game is what will separate Minnesota from the rest of the pack and it’s not just Smith, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, that will have the ground game playing at a high level.

Moreover, Shannon Brooks is also entering his junior year with Minnesota after posting 650 yards and five touchdowns on 4.7 yards per carry in 2016. Couple those two with four out of five offensive line starters returning and you have a dominant rushing attack.