Gophers can save the nation from Iowa being in College Football Playoff
The Minnesota Gophers have been tasked with saving the nation from the possibility of the Iowa Hawkeyes reaching the College Football Playoffs. It's true. The Hawkeyes, despite the worst offense in the land, are 6-1 and sitting rather pretty.
"There is something happening right now that no one wants. No one wants it, but it's happening," said Lucy Rohden on Tuesday's episode of the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. "It's time that you sit down and you talk to the people closest to you about the fact that Iowa will most likely finish this season 11-1. They have a shot at making the playoff."
Iowa hosts Minnesota on Saturday and for the Gophers to break Iowa hearts they'll have to win at Kinnick Stadium for the first time in 24 years. The Gophers have lost 10 straight in Iowa City, with their last road win over the Hawkeyes coming Nov. 20, 1999.
"Iowa is 6-1 right now and they are favored to win every remaining game on their schedule," Rohden continued. "And they have they 133rd ranked offense out of 133 teams and they have a shot at making the playoff."
The College Football Playoff only includes four teams this season before expanding to a 12-team field in 2024, so for Iowa to really have a shot at getting in they'd probably need to run the table, which means upsetting Michigan, Ohio State or Penn State in the Big Ten Championship Game. It's not impossible, but it seems unlikely considering they were shut out by Penn State 31-0 in September.
Nov 13, 2021; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; The line of scrimmage between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium.
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
But they very well could be 11-1 after the regular season since their remaining games are against Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers, Illinois and Nebraska.
Saturday's border battle between Minnesota and Iowa has an over/under of 32.5 points. That's about as low as you'll ever see, and it's because neither team's offense is very good.
In fact, the only two passing offenses worse than the Gophers and Hawkeyes are those of Navy and Air Force, two teams that rarely throw the ball. Iowa averages 116.6 passing yards per game and the Gophers are just head of them at 132.8 yards.
