Analyst projects Gophers to play in Detroit bowl game after spring practices

Minnesota has gone bowling in Detroit three times since 2015.

Dec 26, 2023; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) and head coach P.J. Fleck hold up the Quick Lane Bowl trophy after defeating the Bowling Green Falcons at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

There are still well over 100 days until Minnesota hosts Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium to kick off its 2025 season, but it's never too early for bowl projections. On Monday, 247Sports and CBSSports college football analyst Brad Crawford projected that the Gophers will play in a familiar bowl game in 2025.

Minnesota has played in the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit three times since 2015. The naming rights changed to the GameAbove Sports Bowl last season, and Crawford thinks the Gophers could make it four trips in 10 years this winter.

Crawford projects that Minnesota will face Ohio in this year's GameAbove Sports Bowl. They are one of 13 Big Ten teams projected to play in a bowl game, according to the article.

.@BCrawford247 dropped his post-spring College Football Playoff projections 👀

What would you change?

Full bowl projections: https://t.co/zKyj5Nph6Y pic.twitter.com/sU2gl3zUAl

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) May 5, 2025

The Detroit bowl game is notoriously the worst with tie-ins to the Big Ten conference, but with a new QB, defensive coordinator, and five new position coaches, it might not be the worst possible outcome for the Gophers.

P.J. Fleck has led Minnesota to a bowl game in each of the last six full seasons, which is some of the best postseason success in program history. Fans are at the point of expecting more, and the Gophers will have the chance to prove themselves.

After a manageable non-conference schedule, Minnesota will need to win on the road against Iowa, Oregon or Ohio State if it wants to make some real noise this season. Realistically, the GameAbove Sports Bowl might be the floor for this team, but bowl projections mean that football season is right around the corner.