What bowl game will Minnesota get invited to following 7-5 regular season?

Could the Gophers be heading to the Music City Bowl?

Minnesota players pretend to cutdown the goal post with the Paul Bunyan Football Trophy after their game at Camp Randall Stadium Friday, November 29, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. Minnesota beat Wisconsin 24-7. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Minnesota's 24-7 win over rival Wisconsin on the road will likely be its most significant result of the season, but it won't be the last. With a 7-5 regular season record, the Gophers will get invited to a bowl game this winter, but which one?

Big Ten standings significance:

Barring a significant upset, it looks like the Big Ten will get four teams in this year's College Football Playoff: Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana. Following Saturday's win over Wisconsin, the Gophers have finished the regular season 5-4 in conference play, which currently puts them in seventh place in the conference standings, but there are still plenty of games left to be played.

For those who don't know, every bowl game has a tie-in with a conference. Each game has a selection process and the more desirable destinations typically choose the teams with better conference standings. But, that isn't always the case, as marquee programs like Michigan could be more desirable to the bowl games due to their large fanbase.

Illinois at 8-3 plays Northwestern on Saturday and Iowa finished the season 8-4, but both teams will likely receive better bowl preferences than Minnesota. The Gophers' biggest competition they will have will likely be Michigan and Rutgers. It's also worth noting that new Big Ten teams USC and Washington will go to bowl games with Pac 12 tie-ins this season and in 2025.

Mayo Bowl: 55% chance

I think Minnesota's most likely destination this winter will be Charlotte, North Carolina for the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Michigan's performance against Ohio State on Saturday will play a big factor, but I think the Wolverines' head-to-head win and standing as one of the sport's marquee programs will make it hard for the Gophers to become a more desirable choice.

This means that Minnesota would be heading to the fourth-best non-playoff bowl game that involves a Big Ten team. The Gophers have never played in the Mayo Bowl, which has become known for its postgame mayo bath on the winning team's head coach, which has replaced the traditional Gatorade bath.

Music City Bowl: 40% chance

The Music City Bowl is likely as high as the Gophers could rise. Viewed as a relatively premier bowl game, it is one that they have not played in since 2005. Minnesota would jump Michigan in Big Ten preference in this scenario. If the Wolverines get blown out on Saturday against Ohio State, it's entirely plausible that Minnesota could be viewed as a more desirable candidate.

Michigan is a premier program coming off a national title and their fanbase might not want to travel to Nashville for a bowl game. This is an outcome that would excite a majority of the Gophers fanbase, which could result in a large fan turnout from Minnesota.

Pinstripe Bowl: 5% chance

If Rutgers beats Michigan State on Saturday, they would have the same 7-5 overall record as Minnesota, one less conference win, but a head-to-head victory. I think there's a strong chance that the Gophers get a better bowl game no matter what, but if Rutgers were able to jump them, I think Minnesota would fall down to the Pinstripe Bowl.