the Gophers were sure a powerhouse before 61 and haven't been since.
Two developments since 1961 have greatly impacted the relative power of northern football (and basketball) teams:
1) the population shift to the southern US (undoubtedly greatly assisted by the invention and widespread affordability of air conditioning). The 5 most populous states in 1960 were: New York, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio. The top 5 in 2020 were: California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. According to 2021 population estimates, NY and PA combined have about 4 million more residents than they had in 1960 whereas Texas and Florida combined have about 37 million more residents than they had in 1960.
2) Desegregation: African American players couldn't play on those southern university teams in 1960