Hype for Gophers as College Football Playoff contender
FOX's Joel Klatt is all in on the undefeated Gophers football team.
Fresh off their beatdown of Michigan State, the Gophers have vaulted to No. 21 in the AP Top 25, quickly becoming favorites to win the Big Ten West and take on whoever wins the Big Ten East, be it Ohio State, Michigan or Penn State.
At the front of the boat with an oar in hand is Klatt, the college football analyst who believes the Gophers are "rowing themselves into the College Football Playoff discussion." That's a massive claim from a respected voice.
Here's precisely how he raved about Minnesota on his podcast, The Joel Klatt Show.
Minnesota. Bank it. That’s your favorite in the Big Ten West. They housed Michigan State. Their schedule was not good moving up to this point. I get that. So, everyone was like inflated numbers, inflated numbers. But they housed Michigan State. Just beat ‘em up. There’s only been two teams since Mel Tucker took over at Michigan State that have gained 200 yards rushing and passing in a game. Ohio State, doesn’t surprise anybody, and now Minnesota. And they did it at Michigan State. That wasn’t particularly close, at all. This is a team with veteran guys. Ibrahim right there, you’ve heard about the career numbers. He’s a veteran guy. Tanner Morgan, their quarterback, veteran guy. The defense is really good, tackles well in space.
You look at their schedule there’s no reason they couldn’t be 12-0, 11-1 in Indianapolis. Prove me wrong. Their toughest game is going to be at Penn State, October 22. That’s their only remaining ranked team on the schedule. Which means the 2022 Minnesota Golden Gophers could be this year’s 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes. Remember they were in that Big Ten Championship against, actually, Michigan State as an undefeated. Win and they’re going to the playoffs. Minnesota’s on a magic carpet ride folks. And I guess you could say magic boat ride. They are rowing themselves right into the College Football Playoff discussion and I’m here for every moment of it.
They’ve got one key and one key only. They don’t have all those five stars. Frankly, they don’t have all those four stars. They have a lack of depth at the top end. They have to stay healthy. If they stay healthy, I think you’re looking at a team that likely could be in the top eight by the time they get to Indianapolis and play for the Big Ten Championship.
We’ll see if it happens but look at their schedule and prove me wrong. That’s a really good football team and I am here for it. I am here for it. Minnesota. That’s my team right now as we enter into October.
Anyone starting to believe me that @GopherFootball is primed for special season? @JoelKlattShow pic.twitter.com/HnGn0AivAl
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) September 27, 2022
Reaching the College Football Playoff is a serious task because only four teams make it, and in the eight year history of the CFP there has never been more than one Big Ten team. So history suggests that Minnesota could be 12-1 or 13-0 in the regular season and a loss in the Big Ten title game might crush their CFP hopes.
Meanwhile, there's more hype for the Gophers as ESPN ranked the 21 remaining undefeated teams in college football and placed the Gophers at No. 10. Big Ten rival Penn State placed one spot ahead of Minnesota at ninth. Ohio State and Michigan ranked third and fourth, respectively.
The Gophers host Purdue this Saturday in their Big Ten home opener.
Related: Why the Gophers are ranked higher than 21 in the AP poll
Related: Gophers are true contender in the Big Ten, maybe nationally
