Scoggins: Call the Gophers' November schedule the main event

The month of November has loomed in the distance like a final exam for the Gophers football team. Four quality opponents, two hated rivals, a chance to show how much the program has grown up.

Everything that has happened to this point matters, but their season always was going to be defined by this month.

One bad loss didn't change that.

They can't undo what happened at Illinois. That loss halted their momentum, left them fuming and reduced their margin for error entering their November grind.

Doesn't mean their season is ruined, though. November stands as the ultimate referendum on how their season will be judged.

"Yes, that's absolutely true," senior defensive tackle Cameron Botticelli said. "What we do this month will be the guideline for what we're doing at the end of the year. However, you can't think about the rest of this month."

That's a wise view. Nothing should preoccupy their thoughts except Iowa. But that's merely Step 1. Then come Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

This represents the big-boy portion of the Gophers season, the main course. None of their first four Big Ten opponents currently has a winning record. Their final four opponents own a combined record of 27-6, including 14-3 in the conference.

That's like going for a warmup jog before running a marathon.

"This is the meat of our schedule," receiver KJ Maye said. "That's exciting for us."

Well, it should be. The Gophers begin November as one of four teams in the Big Ten West Division with only one conference loss. Nobody on that side has separated from the pack. The Gophers haven't dug themselves a hole.

Their season is still relevant entering crunch time. Their position certainly would've looked better had they not muddled through the first half at Illinois, but they're still in the discussion. Now, it's up to them what they make of this opportunity.

"We're fortunate enough to be playing meaningful games in November," Botticelli said.

Oftentimes, the Gophers have been both bad and irrelevant in November. Since the 2000 season, the team is 16-30 in November games.

Not counting this season, they've gone 25-42 in Big Ten games before reaching November in that same span. The Gophers entered the final month with a winning conference record only three times in those 14 years.

"As I told them, right now you're playing for something in November," coach Jerry Kill said, "and that hasn't always been the case."

The Gophers probably won't be favored in any of their remaining games. Since the start of fall camp, the narrative has sounded something like this: "The Gophers better stockpile wins early because those last four games look tough."

While that still holds true, the Gophers should view this as an opportunity. They get to measure themselves against established winners in the middle of a division race. Here's their chance to prove that they should be taken seriously as a team on the rise.

The Gophers gained credibility by winning four consecutive conference games last season. This month represents another potential marker in Kill's master plan for building his program.

"We know what's at stake," Maye said. "Coming into this stretch, these last four games, we look it as a playoff season. We have to play our best games."

They'll have to earn it. The Gophers will see three of the top four scoring offenses in the league. They also face three of the top four scoring defenses in the Big Ten.

First up, Iowa. This game will reveal a lot about the Gophers. They've had two weeks to stew about their maddening loss to Illinois. They're at home, big rival, rested after a bye.

If this moment doesn't bring out their best, nothing will.

"I feel like we'll be defined by how we come back from adversity," Maye said. "So this game is going to be the game that really defines us."

All of November will do that. The Gophers enter this final stretch still relevant in the Big Ten race. It's entirely in their hands as to whether they stay that way.

Chip Scoggins chip.scoggins@startribune.com