Minnesota Gophers Fall in CFB Poll

Saturday night was a proving ground for the Minnesota Gophers. The schedule set up favorably for them, and P.J. Fleck’s team went into a road tilt with Cal as favorites. Unfortunately they left licking their wounds and that changes the landscape some.

Drake Lindsey wasn’t quite as crisp. The offense couldn’t make use of the stop generated by the defense. Most unfortunately, Koi Perich laid his first real stinker at the collegiate level. It resulted in a loss that bumps Minnesota to 2-1 as they head into their bye weel.

Where are the MN Gophers at now?

While the AP Top 25 poll generates all of the interest, Minnesota is not currently ranked among the best 25 teams in the nation. The Athletic keeps tabs on all 136 FBS schools, and that’s where we find the Gophers amongst their competition.

The Gophers didn’t see substantial movement after their road loss, but the opportunity to jump was significant. Cal went from 59th all the way to 34th by beating Minnesota. Although the Gophers slid back just seven spots, they could have been within sniffing distance of the top 25 following a victory.

Interestingly, Rutgers is right on their tail at 56th. The Scarlet Knights come to Huntington Bank Stadium on September 27th for a showdown. Athan Kaliakmanis returns to the place he started his college career. Last season, in a home game, Kaliakmanis and Rutgers upset Minnesota and sent Fleck home with a loss. The Gophers would love to avenge that outcome.

Related: Self-Inflicted Wounds Make Injuries Worse for MN Gophers

It would have been nice to see Minnesota go to The Horseshoe undefeated. That won’t happen now, but they can bring a 3-1 record there and see if they can shock Julian Sayin and the world.