Minnesota Football: Will Gophers bounce back in 2021?

How will Minnesota football fare in 2021?

PJ Fleck had the Golden Gophers on the rise after a fantastic 2019 but the program took a step back last season. With a lot of returning talent on both sides of the ball, Minnesota is poised for a better season.

Here is my game by game breakdown for the 2021 season:

• Game 1: Ohio State (L) — Brutal game to start the season. At least the Buckeyes visit Minneapolis, but doubtful the Gophers pull the upset.
• Game 2: Miami (OH) (W) — The RedHawks are one of the better teams in the MAC but the Gophers should still win comfortably.
• Game 3: at Colorado (W) — The Buffaloes surprised last season but will likely take a step back this year.
• Game 4: Bowling Green (W) — The Falcons are the worst team in the MAC and one of the worst in the nation. Easiest win on the Gophers schedule.
• Game 5: at Purdue (W) — The Boilermakers’ weakness is their defense. Expect Mohamed Ibrahim to have a big game.
• Game 6: Nebraska (W) — The Gophers make it three straight and keep the “$5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy”.
• Game 7: Maryland (W) — Last year the Terps stunned the Gophers in overtime. They will not be caught off guard again this season.
• Game 8: at Northwestern (L) — This is when things start to go downhill on Minnesota’s season.
• Game 9: Illinois (W) — The Gophers pick up a fairly easy win over the Fighting Ilini.
• Game 10: at Iowa (L) — The Hawkeyes have owned the rival Gophers for six straight games. Minnesota has not won in Iowa City this century.
• Game 11: at Indiana (L) — Hoosiers pick up their first victory in series since 2007.
• Game 12: Wisconsin (L) — The Badgers have dominated The Battle of Paul Bunyan’s Axe, winning 16 of the last 17 matchups. They look poised to retain the Axe once again.

Prediction: 7-5, 4-5 Big Ten

The season won’t be a repeat of 2019 but it will be better than last year. The Gophers have enough talent to win some games. However they have not proven themselves to win consistently against their chief rivals in Iowa and Wisconsin. Until they do they will be stuck behind both of them in the Big Ten West.

Once their toughest game in Ohio State is clear, the Gophers’ schedule gets considerably easier. The back end gets difficult again, with three of the final five games on the road.

Minnesota’s biggest problem right now is on offense where they do not have any proven weapons besides Mohamed Ibrahim. Teams will stack the box to stop him and force Tanner Morgan to beat them. We know he is capable given his stellar 2019 season, but he also no longer has those weapons at wide receiver.

The Gophers will be riding with a 6-1 record mid-season. But the meat of the conference schedule will trip them up in the end. Still enough to secure a mid-tier bowl game.