Gopher Football 2025 Schedule - How Many Wins?

[FredCoxRocks]

I said 9 wins, but there will be two games for sure where we totally shit the bed and at the end of the season we'll say "if only this hadn't happened, or that had happened, our record would be...". Happens every year. So I probably should have said 8.

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

As a side note- pretty ridiculous that the Big Ten still has yet to release the 2025 schedule.

 

[stocker08]

The main reason they exceeded Vegas's win total this year was competent/above average by Gopher standards QB play. Real tough to predict anything without knowing who the QB is going to be.

This. Looks like a favorable schedule on paper.....but it really hinges on what we get out of the QB position.

 

[60's Guy]

The gopher's official site doesn't even list the conference games ... makes me wonder if those too could be adjusted unexpectedly...

They do confirm the opponents here ... 2025 Opponents
We play Ohio State 3 of the next 4 years.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

This. Looks like a favorable schedule on paper.....but it really hinges on what we get out of the QB position.

Yep, I really wonder what Fleck will do here in the offseason. Is he willing to trust a young, untested QB with perceived potential or does he go to the transfer portal to try to land a seasoned QB? Given the contrast between this year with Max and last year with Athan, I would try to go to the latter option if it were me. Athan was better this year than last year. All in all, he had a pretty good season but he still wasn't as consistent or efficient as Max.

 

[Otis]

My assessment of next year’s schedule.

Fleck should be fired if we lose these:
Buffalo
Northwestern State

Should win games:
Purdue
@NW
MSU
Rutgers
Wisconsin

Acceptable losses:
@California (should be favored)
@iowa (50-50 game really)
Nebraska (assuming their QB stays)

Fantasy Victories: (ie. sure fire losses, 96% of the time)
@Oregon
@tOSU

So, my minimum expected record is 7-5.
Best reasonable expected is 10-2.
Most likely is either 8-4 or 9-3, if and only if, we have a Brosmer or better level QB. A bad QB situation would throw this whole season into the shitter.

Unless we suddenly get a ground paving offensive line again.

 

[Drew21]

And once we do know who the QB will be, it’s likely going to be someone who is unproven at the P4 level, so will be tough to predict how well they’ll do.

We do know who the QB will be...Drake Lindsay

 

[DrunkDons]

So, my minimum expected record is 7-5.
Best reasonable expected is 10-2.
Most likely is either 8-4 or 9-3, if and only if, we have a Brosmer or better level QB. A bad QB situation would throw this whole season into the shitter.

Spot on. If Vegas has us at 4.5 wins, or anything below bowl eligibility, again before the start of the season, I will not make the same mistake again by not hammering the over.

 

[mngg11]

We do know who the QB will be...Drake Lindsay

There's nothing I'd love more than for him to be ready next year but it's still early. If there's a high level transfer interested in our school I'd give that guy a shot and let Drake sit one more year, then give him three years to run the show. If he goes, he goes, but I don't think he will.

 

[swelna]

Oregon and OSU are the only games I think the gophers would struggle to win. The other 10 are in the "winnable" column. Add one weird fluke game and I put 9-3. Would be pretty content with 8-4 as well.

 

[Taji34]

At the moment, I see 2 for sure losses: Oregon and OSU
I see 2 "toss up"s: Iowa and Nebraska (Iowa's QB situation is dire, but given Fleck has only beaten Iowa once I wasn't comfortable putting them in the "for sure win" category even though any other team in the same situation I would.)

Everything else I see as for sure wins. 8-4 or 9-3 well within reach, and there is a chance (probably a small chance, but not nonexistent) we head into our last 2 games undefeated if we win both of the games I view as "toss ups" and don't inexplicably drop a game somewhere else. I ended up voting 9-3 in the poll.

IMO the 2 biggest things that will make or break our season next year: OL play and QB.

Our OL took a step back this year. We can debate the reasons why in a different thread, but at the end of the day our OL struggled to open holes for our RBs, was inconsistent in pass protection (sometimes being stellar, other times not so much), and also struggled with false start penalties that occasionally killed momentum as we were driving down the field.

QB is a question mark. Brosmer elevated our offense by being a very capable, smart QB. He may not have had the raw athletic ability of a star QB, but was efficient while passing, made relatively few mistakes, and was able to read defenses and progress through his options when he had the time. However, unfortunately he is graduation. Drake Lindsey looked good in the brief amount of playing time he got this season, but the sample size was WAY too small to draw any conclusions (Athan looked great taking over for Tanner Morgan at the end of the 2022 season, but we all know how the 2023 season panned out). Hopefully some of the best qualities of Brosmer have rubbed off on the QBs currently on the roster, and we see similarly smart/efficient passing with perhaps an improvement in raw athletic ability. However, if we find ourselves back in the position of our offense living or dying by how well our running game is I think it will be a long season.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I think a lot of us see the schedule in similar fashion.

have to win all 3 non-conf games. Cal was 6-6 this year - but that is the type of game you need to win to make it a good season. (similar to North Carolina this season)

in the conference: yes, things can change in the off-season, but for now, I'll put Oregon and OSU in the loss column. Gophers should be favored over Purdue and Northwestern for sure.

of the other 5 B1G games: Iowa, Neb, WI, MSU & Rutgers-- these could all be coin-toss or one-score games. MSU seems to be improving, and cannot be over-looked. (i.e. Rutgers this year).

in this scenario, if the Gophs go 3-2 in those 5 games, I have them at 8-4 overall. that seems reasonable.

I reserve the right to change my mind or panic depending on early-season results.

 

[GoForGold]

I never knew there even was a Northwestern State until I saw this schedule. I assume that's a win. This looks like a fairly easy schedule until the last two games.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Win all the home games and we will be sitting nice.

 

[touchdownvikings]

Do we have an idea who WR1 and WR2 will be?

Also, is Ersery bolting for the NFL? How much of that OL do the Gophers have to replace? I think 3 of 5 return? (I know Nathan Roy should be waiting in the wings.)

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

We do know who the QB will be...Drake Lindsay

No, we don't know that and after the season that Max just had, I'm not certain that Fleck is sure about that either.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

Do we have an idea who WR1 and WR2 will be?

Don't know but I expect him to bring one or two from the portal. With a good QB, Spencer had a fine year.

 

[alaska]

How many wins do you see??????
2025 Minnesota Football Schedule​
Thursday Aug. 28		Buffalo BullsHuntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Saturday Sep. 6		Northwestern State DemonsHuntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Saturday Sep. 13		at California Golden BearsCal Memorial Stadium, Berkeley, CA	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		at Iowa HawkeyesKinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		Michigan State SpartansHuntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		Nebraska CornhuskersHuntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		Purdue BoilermakersHuntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		Rutgers Scarlet KnightsHuntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		Wisconsin BadgersHuntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		at Northwestern WildcatsRyan Field, Evanston, IL	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		at Oregon DucksAutzen Stadium, Eugene, OR	Time TBA ETTV TBA
Date TBA		at Ohio State BuckeyesOhio Stadium, Columbus, OH	Time TBA ETTV TBA

 

[alaska]

10-0 goin into Oregon????

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

10-0 goin into Oregon????

That isn't the actual schedule or order of the schedule.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

No, we don't know that and after the season that Max just had, I'm not certain that Fleck is sure about that either.

If Fleck did anything this year, it was show the ability to change and learn from his prior mistakes, finally relenting on some of his stubbornness. He'll have to have seen a lot from Lindsey to just hand him the job. He just had a guy with more a resume than Drake walk away from the program and the team ended up better because of it. There's almost no chance he doesn't bring in someone experienced to at least compete for the job.

 

[IrishGoph55]

We are due for a Nebraska loss . But also do got another Iowa win!

 

[short ornery norwegian]

saw this online. someone took all the B1G teams' schedules for 2025 and ranked them based on the number of conference games each opponent won in 2024 - an attempt to determine who might have the hardest schedule and the easiest schedule.

teams ranked by # of conference games their 2025 opponents won in 2024
(the bigger the number - the harder the conference schedule in theory)

Wisconsin 54
Iowa 52
Rutgers 50
Penn State 48
Purdue 48
Northwestern 48
Oregon 47
Michigan State 47
Indiana 43
Maryland 42
Washington 42
Ohio State 41
MINNESOTA 40
USC 40
Nebraska 40
UCLA 39
Illinois 36
Michigan 30

Gophers tied for 13th hardest schedule. Bucky has the toughest schedule, with Iowa and Rutgers close. Michigan with by far the easiest schedule.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Obviously, no way to know for certain but based on history of programs and that most put out a similar product each year, I don't mind seeing Wisconsin and Iowa with potential difficult schedules.

 

[MaxyJR1]

That isn't the actual schedule or order of the schedule.

It's the actual schedule of opponents, just not in the right order.

 

[Panthadad2]

Get back to me after the Game 3 Cal game so I have a feeling for the QB and O Line play. If it was this year's Gophers in the second half of the season, I'd say

3-0 Nonconference, and
6-3 Conference

 

[MaxyJR1]

Schedule comes out on B1G Network starting at 1pm.

 

[MaxyJR1]

MN at Iowa Week #9 October 25th.
Looks like at Oregon on November 15th

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

It's the actual schedule of opponents, just not in the right order.

Yea sorry, I phrased that poorly.

 

[Strongazzoffer]

I'll go 8-4