Minnesota Football: Mission to prove playoff worth continues vs. Iowa

No. 17 Minnesota football is on a mission to prove it is a legitimate playoff contender. It starts at Iowa on Saturday afternoon.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are looking for something that’s eluding them even after their convincing win against Penn State. They are looking for respect. There are few better places to find that respect than in Iowa City at Kinnick Stadium on a late fall afternoon.

Will the Golden Gophers ride the lightning and play for a Big Ten championship with an undefeated record? We don’t know, but it would make a heck of a story.

College football needs the Gophers to be legitimate. They need this game not to simply continue a winning streak, but so we can have another player. More importantly, the Big Ten West needs another player and it needs to be more than Wisconsin and everyone else.

Iowa certainly has had the roster to be that other team, but they’ve been promises unfulfilled for many years. The Hawkeyes look to hold serve at home and end the golden streak of the Gophers.

Here’s more information about the game:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 16
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Venue: Kinnick Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go

Keys to Victory

This is the game the Golden Gophers need. All the pressure is on them. For Minnesota to win, they need to play like they can handle the success of being undefeated along with handling the pressure of being undefeated.

This is the game that teams ready to turn the corner win, and teams not ready for prime time lose. Minnesota proved they have the offense, and can make plays on defense when need be.

For the Gophers, their key to victory lies between those ear holes on their helmets. The Hawkeyes need Nate Stanley to play like a first-round draft pick. He certainly looks the part at 6-4, and 240 pounds with a big-time arm. We haven’t seen him play like it though.

We know what Iowa’s defense can do, but they need to score points to win the game. Minnesota’s defense is the real deal, and it’s going to take Stanley to make a play. If he doesn’t, the Hawkeyes are in trouble.

Prediction

We picked against P.J. Fleck and the Gophers last week in their game against the Nittany Lions and we aren’t making that mistake twice. Tanner Morgan is the real deal at quarterback, and Iowa is going to have trouble scoring against the Gopher’s stingy defense. Kinnick has some mystique, but it helps when the team’s really good, and this Iowa team isn’t good enough to play spoiler. Fleck has made a believer out of  lot of people, and that includes yours truly. Row the boat.

Final Score: Iowa 14, Minnesota 24