CFB Insider: Gopher Football Coach PJ Fleck Deserves More Credit

For years the Minnesota Gophers football program has been the laughing stock of the Big Ten. That doesn’t mean they were the worst team, far from it actually. Instead they were a team trying to compete without a rudder to get them there.

Enter P.J. Fleck.

To a kid who grew up in MN during the Mason, Brewster and Kill eras of Gopher football, it's pretty crazy what PJ Fleck has created in Dinkytown… pic.twitter.com/Z0ITQYKzUQ

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 18, 2025

Whether you like his approach or not, the reality is that Fleck has hit home in Dinkytown. His presence has represented a resurgence for the Gophers, and he’s been the greatest coach in modern history. This team won’t win a National Championship, but plenty are telling you to take notice.

Tom Fornelli is rowing the MN Gophers boat

CBS Sports college football personality Tom Fornelli is among the biggest voices in the business. He’s invested in these Gophers, and says you should be too.

As the clock wound down Friday night at Huntington Bank Stadium with Minnesota leading Nebraska 24-6, the reaction to the result was predictable. Nebraska, coming into the game ranked for the first time since Week 3 of last season, blew it. Matt Rhule, who had been mentioned with the suddenly vacant Penn State job all week, blew it as well.

I get it. That’s how it works when the teams with the numbers next to their names lose to those without them. However, I had a different takeaway in the immediate aftermath. I thought, “Boy, P.J. Fleck does not get nearly enough credit for what he’s done at Minnesota.”

The win improved the Gophers to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in the Big Ten. They are a win away from their fifth straight bowl appearance, which would tie the school’s record for consecutive postseason berths. It also improved Fleck’s record to 37-37 in Big Ten games. If you take out his first season, the Gophers are 35-30 in Big Ten play, and if you ignore 2020 (and, honestly, we should all ignore the results of the COVID season, because they’ve mostly proven meaningless) he’s 32-26. Those numbers won’t wow you, but in the context of where Minnesota has historically found itself in the Big Ten over the last 75 years, it’s impressive.

Tom Fornelli – CBS Sports

Sure, Fleck has spanked the Huskers with that boat oar each of the past six seasons. Yeah, maybe Rhule was distracted by rumors he could be in play for the Penn State opening. The reality is that Minnesota got the job done.

To sit back and talk about the Minnesota Gophers National Championship victories is something for alumni during homecoming. The last one came in 1960, and none of them hold any weight when considering the current college football landscape.

Fleck has turned Dinkytown, and Huntington Bank Stadium, into a difficult place for similar teams to win. The next hurdle for him is to accomplish those same results on the road. As 8.5 point underdogs, he’ll have an opportunity for the Gophers to do just that this weekend against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium.

Rivalries features MN Gophers in Big Ten

Fornelli didn’t just suggest that Fleck has the Gophers trending in a positive direction. He ranked the rivalry trophies in the Big Ten as well, and Minnesota is featured among his list.

• Floyd of Rosedale
• Paul Bunyan’s Axe
• Illibuck
• Paul Bunyan Trophy
• Little Brown Jug

Three of the top five Big Ten trophies feature the Gophers, and the top entrant is on the line this weekend. Minnesota leads the all-time series 63-53, but is looking to bounce back from a second-half trouncing (31-14) last season. They’ll need to win as road dogs, but a potential 9-win season is on the line if they can get it done.

The Little Brown Jug stays with the Wolverines this season as the two won’t see each other, but Minnesota can get a second-straight win against a terrible Wisconsin team to keep the The Axe during the last week of the season. A victory would push the series record to 64-63 in favor of Minnesota.