When college football’s national championship game concludes and the confetti pops Monday night, the countdown clock will start ticking toward the 2021 season. The Gophers, for one, will be looking to show their 3-4 record in 2020 was an aberration in the otherwise upward trajectory of head coach P.J. Fleck’s tenure across his four seasons in Dinkytown. Minnesota’s schedule next fall looks daunting, especially with the title game finalist Ohio State coming to Minneapolis for the season opener at TCF Bank Stadium. Fellow Big Ten West Division opponents Purdue and Nebraska also have to face the Buckeyes — just not out of the gate. The Gophers also will face their first Power Five nonconference opponent since 2017 (Oregon State), but their game at Colorado isn’t the only challenge the Big Ten West has on the dockets. Wisconsin and Purdue each face playoff semifinalist Notre Dame, while Nebraska has a date…
Continue Reading: Gophers football’s challenge in 2021 begins with Ohio State
