Minnesota Football: 3 takeaways from first loss of 2019 at Iowa

Minnesota football dropped from the ranks of the unbeaten after Iowa claimed the Floyd of Rosedale in Week 12. What did we learn from the loss?

Minnesota vaulted up the College Football Playoff Top 25 after toppling Penn State in Week 11. The Golden Gophers entered their rivalry game with No. 20 Iowa on a high after climbing all the way to No. 8 in the most recent selection committee rankings, as they sat among just five remaining unbeaten programs left in the FBS ranks.

P.J. Fleck’s team lost the magic on Saturday evening in Iowa City, as the Hawkeyes emerged with a 23-19 victory to claim the Floyd of Rosedale trophy for another year. Given that the oddsmakers installed Iowa as a favorite on their home turf, it wasn’t necessarily surprising to see the winning streak end for the Golden Gophers. Nevertheless, it shifted the Big Ten’s entire hopes of a College Football Playoff spot toward whichever team emerges out of the Big Ten East.

Iowa has no hopes of climbing up into the picture for a trip to Indianapolis, but they still played spoiler in a big way in Week 12. Kirk Ferentz’s team is on track to reach 10 wins this year if they win out and claim victory in their bowl game.

Minnesota might be unbeaten, but they can still win out and play for their first Big Ten title since earning a share of the crown in 1967. Here are three things to take away from the paradigm-shifting loss by the Golden Gophers.