Minnesota Football: Can Gophers build on 2018 bowl berth?
By Zach Bigalke
How will the Golden Gophers fare in 2019?
| WEEK | DATE | SCHOOL | OPPONENT |
| 1 | Aug. 29, 2019 (THU) | Minnesota | vs. FCS South Dakota State |
| 2 | Sep. 7, 2019 | Minnesota | @ Fresno State |
| 3 | Sep. 14, 2019 | Minnesota | vs. Georgia Southern |
| 4 | Sep. 21, 2019 | BYE | WEEK |
| 5 | Sep. 28, 2019 | Minnesota | @ Purdue |
| 6 | Oct. 5, 2019 | Minnesota | vs. Illinois |
| 7 | Oct. 12, 2019 | Minnesota | vs. Nebraska |
| 8 | Oct. 19, 2019 | Minnesota | @ Rutgers |
| 9 | Oct. 26, 2019 | Minnesota | vs. Maryland |
| 10 | Nov. 2, 2019 | BYE | WEEK |
| 11 | Nov. 9, 2019 | Minnesota | vs. Penn State |
| 12 | Nov. 16, 2019 | Minnesota | @ Iowa |
| 13 | Nov. 23, 2019 | Minnesota | @ Northwestern |
| 14 | Nov. 30, 2019 | Minnesota | vs. Wisconsin |
A light non-conference schedule opens the door for a strong start to the season for Minnesota. They face no Power Five opponents in intersectional play. Instead, two Group of Five opponents and an FCS powerhouse provide the fodder before Big Ten play.
Once conference play begins at the end of September with a trip to West Lafayette, the Golden Gophers will face progressively tougher tests with each passing week. After the Purdue game, Minnesota gets an easier contest against Illinois before their home showdown against Nebraska the following week. Similarly, a road trip to Rutgers precedes a tougher interdivisional test against Maryland.
Where the schedule really gets tough for the Golden Gophers is after the second bye week. The November slate is where Minnesota will really determine how far they have come in 2019, with home games against Penn State and Wisconsin bookending a pair of divisional tests on the road at Iowa and Northwestern.
What’s next for Minnesota?
The season opener against South Dakota State is no joke. Last year the Jackrabbits won 10 games, advanced to the FCS semifinals, and finished No. 5 in the final FCS polls. This year they return the bulk of the 2018 roster and open the year at No. 3 in the polls. While South Dakota State is 0-7 all time against Minnesota, the Golden Gophers need to be on alert for a potential upset bid.
Prediction: 7-5 (4-5 Big Ten)
Minnesota is going to avoid the upset against the Jackrabbits before rolling through their next two non-conference games. The Golden Gophers will be bowl-eligible before the end of October, and will enter their second bye week ranked in the Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. But a tough end to the regular season is going to cause P.J. Fleck’s team to fall back to earth.
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Even so, Minnesota will head back to a bowl game for the second straight season. When they get there, they will have a chance to snatch an eighth win against whoever they play in the postseason. The gradual progress of 2019 will help set up the Gophers for a run at the division title in 2020 as youngsters become upperclassmen.