Four bowl scenarios emerge for Gophers football entering final two weeks

The Gophers still have plenty to play for in their final two regular-season games of the year.

Nov 14, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Javon Tracy (11) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Gophers lost by 29 points on the road against No. 8 Oregon last Friday night. They now sit at 6-4 before their final two games of the regular season. Let's take a look at which bowl game the experts think they could get invited to this winter.

Gophers bowl game projections

• On3 (Brett McMurphy): Pinstripe Bowl vs. Louisville
• ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Music City Bowl vs. LSU
• ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Pinstripe Bowl vs. Pittsburgh
• Athlon (Steve Lassan): Music City Bowl vs. LSU
• CBSSports (Brad Crawford): Rate Bowl vs. Iowa State
• The Athletic (Scott Dochterman): GameAbove Sports Bowl vs. Western Michigan

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Dec 29, 2022; Bronx, NY, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers players hold the championship trophy after defeating the Syracuse Orange in the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

There seems to be four realistic destinations for the Gophers. They would likely need to go 8-4 to get invited to the Music City Bowl. A 7-5 finish would probably result in an invite to the Pinstripe Bowl or Rate Bowl. And a 6-6 final record could finish with another December trip to Detroit for the GameAbove Sports Bowl againts a team from the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

Big Ten outlook

The Gophers are now 4-3 in Big Ten play, which puts them in a five-way tie for sixth place in the conference. USC had an impressive win over Iowa in the rain, and Michigan survived a scare at Wrigley Field against Minnesota's Week 13 opponent Northwestern.

Big Ten standings after Week 12 | Picture via: ESPN

The Trojans and Ducks have a huge game this week in Eugene that will likely determine who the third best team in the conference is. The Wolverines continue to loom at 6-1, while Minnesota looks to firmly be in the third tier of teams alongside Washington, Illinois, Nebraska and Northwestern.

Liebert's post-Week 12 Big Ten power rankings

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Oregon
4. USC
5. Michigan
6. Iowa
7. Washington
8. Illinois
9. Minnesota
10. Nebraska
11. Northwestern
12. Rutgers
13. UCLA
14. Penn State
15. Maryland
16. Wisconsin
17. Purdue
18. Michigan State

Overall outlook

Minnesota's final road game of the season this week at Wrigley Field against Northwestern looks a little different from what many expected before the season. The Wildcats already cleared their preseason win total of 3.5 at 5-5, which includes three straight losses.

Wisconsin continues to play improved football, and they trailed only 10-7 at halftime on the road against No. 2 Indiana, before losing 31-7. For the Gophers' perspective, 8-4, 7-5 and 6-6 all seem like realistic outcomes. A win over their rival Badgers, in the final week of the season, feels like a game they need in order to make 2025 feel like a success.