Where will Gophers go? Bowl predictions ahead of Sunday unveiling

Minnesota, at 5-7, qualified for a bowl game thanks to good grades.

All 41 college football bowl games will be announced throughout the day Sunday on ESPN, so it's just a matter of time before the Minnesota Golden Gophers know where they're headed. But if the bowl predictions are any indication of what will be announced, it appears the most likely destination is in Detroit, Michigan. 

The Motor City is the home of the Quick Lane Bowl, which is set to be played at 1 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 26 at Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions. 

The Athletic's Stewart Mandel and Scott Dochterman are predicting the Gophers against Northern Illinois in the Quick Lane Bowl. CBS Sports has the same prediction. 

Action Network's Brett McMurphy is also putting Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl but has them playing Bowling Green. 

Some of the ESPN predictors have Minnesota in Detroit as well, with one prediction slotting them agains Ohio. Another ESPN crystal ball puts the Gophers in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Iowa State. The Guaranteed Rate Bowl will be played Dec. 26 at 8 p.m. CT in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Minnesota played in the Quick Lane Bowl in 2015 and 2018, winning both times against Central Michigan and Georgia Tech, respectively. 

Alas, the chance of a P.J. Fleck vs. Jerry Kill bowl game have seemingly dwindled. Kill's New Mexico State Aggies lost to Liberty in the Conference USA championship game Friday night, and at 10-4 are predicted by most to be headed for the Dec. 16 New Mexico Bowl. 

Gophers Tyler Nubin, Brevyn Spann-Ford invited to Senior Bowl

The Gophers finished the regular season 5-7 and only qualified for a bowl game because there weren't enough six-win automatic qualifiers in the country, with the Gophers winning the tiebreaker among five-win teams because of a higher standing in the NCAA's Academic Progress Report. 

Wherever the Gophers go bowling, the team will look quite a bit different as quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and a number of other players have already announced plans to enter the transfer portal and therefore won't be playing in the bowl game. 

A list of Gophers football players who have entered the transfer portal

Nov 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Daniel Jackson (9) looks for the pass during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium.  / Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports