2025 Bowl Projection Tracker

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MNVCGUY said:
Music City is a solid bowl.....and playing an SEC team would be good. Main thing is we should be clear of Detroit after the win today so we should get a power 4 opponent wherever we play.
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Really the only downside of Music City Bowl is the weather won't be tropical.
 

Anywhere but Detroit or Pinstripe. Phoenix, Nashville or Vegas are all good destinations. I know some like NYC, but I prefer warmer weather.
The NW loss most certainly bumped us down a notch.
 

GoGophersUMN said:
Seems like we should be in line for Music City - we're the clear 4th other than PAC 12 and playoff teams. Of course we've gotten skipped over by teams worse than us or teams we beat head to head before.
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Bold: unfortunately, no ... that's not how it works.

Proof: 2022 we had a 9-4 (5-4) record, and still only went to the Pinstripe Bowl.
 

Word said:
Really the only downside of Music City Bowl is the weather won't be tropical.
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I mean honestly, unless you're at Tampa or lower, or the desert Southwest ... it's not likely to be actual warm weather.

Atlanta, Dallas, lot of the south ... not that warm in mid-late Dec. Warmer than here, for sure
 
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I just hope the execs from better bowls (ie Music City or Rate) don’t pick any of the three B1G teams ranked below us in conference wins or overall wins (PSU, NEB, NWU) over us.

Both PSU and NEB has a larger fan base so I get that in their considerations, but if any better bowls selects NWU over us, I’d be irate!

Man, please no more Toilet Bowls (Pin Strip and Sports/Motor City), PLEASE!

If we end up at Sports vs Western MI or Pinstripes vs Syracuse…my god, I’ll curse thou!
 

Word said:
Really the only downside of Music City Bowl is the weather won't be tropical.
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Next stadium in Nashville, they need it to be indoor. Seems like most new NFL stadiums are going that way, anyhow

Current stadium 26 years old, probably still a while yet
 

Yah-E said:
I just hope the execs from better bowls (ie Music City or Rate) don’t pick any of the three B1G teams ranked below us in conference wins or overall wins (PSU, NEB, NWU) over us.

Both PSU and NEB has a larger fan base so I get that in their considerations, but if any better bowls selects NWU over us, I’d be irate!

Man, please no more Toilet Bowls (Pin Strip and Sports/Motor City), PLEASE!

If we end up at Sports vs Western MI or Pinstripes vs Syracuse…my god, I’ll curse thou!
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I’ve seen a lot of PSU to Detroit projections.
 




DarrenTheGreek said:
If Illinois hangs on I'm guessing
Citrus: Michigan
Reliaquest: Iowa
Vegas: Illinois
Music: Minnesota
Pinstripe: Penn State
Rate: Nebraska
Sports: Northwestern
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I agree with this…not just because it’s what I’d like to see happen, but b/c of the B1G working to avoid repeats at bowl games. Minnesota has already been sent to the Pinstripe and Rate after 8-4 seasons.
 

Yah-E said:
I just hope the execs from better bowls (ie Music City or Rate) don’t pick any of the three B1G teams ranked below us in conference wins or overall wins (PSU, NEB, NWU) over us.
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The Alamo Bowl in San Antonio was the best potential spot in the bowl system to land during Mason's Era. In those days the business leaders running each bowl got to make the final call on the match-up within the conference ties to each bowl.

Several times I-O-W-A or Wisky "jumped" the Gophers to play in San Antonio even though the programs had the same number of total wins. The reason was these other fanbases "traveled better" than Minnesota. Of course there was no good data behind that belief but why should facts get in the way? Drove us crazy back in the day.

It is better now but still a consideration. I know the Gophers traveled great for the Outback Bowl and Citrus Bowl and for others too. We'll see.
 

MGGopher said:
I agree with this…not just because it’s what I’d like to see happen, but b/c of the B1G working to avoid repeats at bowl games. Minnesota has already been sent to the Pinstripe and Rate after 8-4 seasons.
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That was four years ago, and we want to go to the Rate, if we don't have a better option.
 

I
gopherbadgerman said:
I agree a bowl is way better than staying home. I do think the amount of ire that gets raised over going to the Rate, Music City, Vegas, Pinstripe, and Mayo type bowls is way overblown. In the end they are mid tier at best games that are basically all the same. Outside of a couple hundred hardcore fans the Music City Bowl vs the Pinstripe bowl or Rate Bowl is of little to no cnosequence. The team gets basically the same benefit no matter what bowl they go to.

Although I will admit I would guess everyone thinks the Detroit Bowl is shit.
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the Detroit bowl was the most pleasant experience I have had actually. But I didn’t go to any of the Florida bowls.

And I saw them the year they played Georgia Tech.


I hope the big ten only re-ups that bowl if it gets a big 12 or ACC opponent in a slot that’ll consistently be that conference
 



Some guy said:
I

the Detroit bowl was the most pleasant experience I have had actually. But I didn’t go to any of the Florida bowls.

And I saw them the year they played Georgia Tech.


I hope the big ten only re-ups that bowl if it gets a big 12 or ACC opponent in a slot that’ll consistently be that conference
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Both Florida bowls were great. As for the GT game, that was a fun day as a Gophers fan on TV and I'm sure in person.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
I agree a bowl is way better than staying home. I do think the amount of ire that gets raised over going to the Rate, Music City, Vegas, Pinstripe, and Mayo type bowls is way overblown. In the end they are mid tier at best games that are basically all the same. Outside of a couple hundred hardcore fans the Music City Bowl vs the Pinstripe bowl or Rate Bowl is of little to no cnosequence. The team gets basically the same benefit no matter what bowl they go to.

Although I will admit I would guess everyone thinks the Detroit Bowl is shit.
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The Detroilet Bowl would be a dadgum travesty.
 



Some guy said:
I

the Detroit bowl was the most pleasant experience I have had actually. But I didn’t go to any of the Florida bowls.

And I saw them the year they played Georgia Tech.


I hope the big ten only re-ups that bowl if it gets a big 12 or ACC opponent in a slot that’ll consistently be that conference
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That was what the QuickLane Bowl was setup to be, the Big Ten vs ACC.

Looks like they were only actually able to get teams into that matchup three times: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameAbove_Sports_Bowl

Just too low on each confs pecking order to consistently make it happen. ACC appears to have dropped that bowl now.
 


Would absolutely love a Gophers v LSU music city bowl.

LSU fans are awesome.

Nashville is great and filled with great concerts at year end.

And, we could increase our winning streak against blue bloods. 😉

Our last games against Auburn, Bama, and Arkansas are all Gopher wins. Let's add Geaux Tigers to that group.
 

We would've got the Music City, if we had beaten Northwestern.

Losing that game likely took it off the table.
 




GopherGrit said:
That was what the QuickLane Bowl was setup to be, the Big Ten vs ACC.

Looks like they were only actually able to get teams into that matchup three times: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameAbove_Sports_Bowl

Just too low on each confs pecking order to consistently make it happen. ACC appears to have dropped that bowl now.
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Big ten should drop the bowl if it isn’t against a P4 opponent most of the time
 

BilldGopher said:
The Alamo Bowl in San Antonio was the best potential spot in the bowl system to land during Mason's Era. In those days the business leaders running each bowl got to make the final call on the match-up within the conference ties to each bowl.

Several times I-O-W-A or Wisky "jumped" the Gophers to play in San Antonio even though the programs had the same number of total wins. The reason was these other fanbases "traveled better" than Minnesota. Of course there was no good data behind that belief but why should facts get in the way? Drove us crazy back in the day.

It is better now but still a consideration. I know the Gophers traveled great for the Outback Bowl and Citrus Bowl and for others too. We'll see.
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The Alamo snubs pushed us into the Sun Bowl I think and those were big fun. El Paso isn’t much of a destination but the venue, local game support, and Mexican food and beverage were outstanding. Regardless, it sucked not landing at least one trip to San Antonio in that stretch of bowls.
 

Panthadad2 said:
The Alamo snubs pushed us into the Sun Bowl I think and those were big fun. El Paso isn’t much of a destination but the venue, local game support, and Mexican food and beverage were outstanding. Regardless, it sucked not landing at least one trip to San Antonio in that stretch of bowls.
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Chico's Tacos in El.Paso is the best hole in the wall Mexican restaurant in America.
 

I'm going to guess that we get the Rate Bowl.....which wouldn't be too bad depending on the opponent. WVU was a disappointment a few years ago since we were 8-4 and they were 6-6 (and didn't look great getting to that record). Playing ISU or TCU would be a fun matchup. Even KSU at 6-6 (much better than the 6-6 WVU team) would be a nice option.....thinking about the Power Trip narratives with Ben Leber being a KSU alum.

We're eventually going to get invited to the Music City Bowl again. Maybe that happens this year? Unfortunately I think last year's team.....and the two 8-4 teams that slid down the pecking order were better than this year's team. Would have felt a little better about an SEC matchup versus a team like LSU that obviously edges us in overall talent. But Fleck takes the bowl games seriously (as he should) and we don't tend to have many opt outs. So who knows? There'd be an added narrative with Kiffin taking the LSU job (even though he almost definitely won't be coaching).
 


MGGopher said:
I agree with this…not just because it’s what I’d like to see happen, but b/c of the B1G working to avoid repeats at bowl games. Minnesota has already been sent to the Pinstripe and Rate after 8-4 seasons.
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Yes, we were passed up by the Music City Bowl and banished to lesser bowls after good seasons but I'm not sure that the proper compensation for that is to assign a much lesser team to the better bowl. It could work out all right though with opt outs. I remember watching Iowa play Kentucky in the 2022 Music City Bowl. Kentucky had to play a freshman QB who could do almost nothing and Iowa won 21-0.
 

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