Good afternoon from TCF Bank Stadium on a sunny and brisk fall day for the Gophers vs. Wisconsin. Today's weather – a forecast high of 40 around game time with the temperature dropping to the mid-30s by 5 p.m. with no precipitation – shouldn't have a big impact on the game. There is a bit of a wind, though, around 9 mph out of the northwest.
For the Gophers, what's at stake is simple: Win and they reach 6-6, qualify for a bowl game and end Wisconsin's 13-year hold on Paul Bunyan's Axe. For Wisconsin, the stakes are much higher. Win, and the Badgers will go into next week's Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State with a 12-0 record and their College Football Playoff hopes very much alive. Wisconsin, No. 5 in the playoff rankings, got a boost Friday with Pitt's 24-14 upset of No. 2 Miami.
A few odds and ends:
** Gophers center Conner Olson, who suffered a left leg injury last week at Northwestern, was snapping to starting quarterback Demry Croft during pregame drills. Bronson Dovich, Olson's backup, was snapping to Conor Rhoda.
** In the spirit of Paul Bunyan's Axe, some Wisconsin players are sporting shoes and socks with red plaid accents.
** The Gophers are wearing maroon jerseys and pants, and their maroon helmets feature the giant Goldy Gopher logo on the left side, with the traditional block "M'' on the right.
** Former Gophers tight end Matt Spaeth gave the speech to the team at Saturday morning's captains' breakfast. Spaeth, the 2006 Mackey Award winner as the nation's top tight end, played for the Gophers from 2003-06. He spent nine seasons in the NFL, seven for Pittsburgh and two for Chicago. His last NFL season was in 2015.
