P.J. Fleck's win over USC was 'maybe the biggest win of his entire coaching tenure'

Where does Minnesota's win over USC rank all-time?

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck looks on before the game against the USC Trojans at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

In case you were living under a rock, the Gophers football team knocked off No. 11 Southern Cal Saturday night in come-from-behind fashion, generating one of the biggest wins of P.J. Fleck's coaching career.

Former Michigan and NFL tight end Jake Butt thinks it could be the biggest.

"That was a program win, maybe the biggest win of his entire coaching tenure at Minnesota," Butt said on the latest episode of his podcast, the Butt & Breneman Show. "They did it their way. They made USC play their game. He earned the right to celebrate, it was a beautiful win."

"That was a program win." 🗣️@Jbooty88 and @AdamBreneman81 share some well-deserved praise for @GopherFootball after the victory over USC.

Full episode of Butt & Breneman ➡️ https://t.co/t30F2CXeLL #B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/jheaoFRYCT

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) October 10, 2024

Butt has been an analyst for Big Ten Network and FOX since 2022, and he clearly has forgotten Minnesota's magical 2019 season. While last week's win over USC does rank among the best wins in Fleck's career, there are at least two games that are firmly above it.

Minnesota knocking off No. 4 Penn State 31-26 to remain undefeated in 2019 is undoubtedly the best win in Fleck's career and arguably one of the best wins in the history of Gophers football. After their 10-2 regular season, the Gophers were invited to the Outback Bowl to face Auburn, and their 31-24 win over the 12th-ranked Tigers is also inarguably a more important win than Saturday's upset over USC.

Fleck has also had some other meaningful rivalry victories as Gophers head coach. Notably in 2018, he went into Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., and took down the Badgers 37-15 for the program's first win in the series since 2003, breaking a 14-game losing streak.

More recently, Minnesota won the Floyd of Rosedale in 2023, which was its first win against Iowa since 2014. While the result held its fair share of controversy, it was the Gophers' first win in Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, since 1999.

I could more comfortably say the upset over USC was the fifth-biggest win of Fleck's tenure at Minnesota. It was certainly a huge win for the program, but the four victories listed above were simply more meaningful.