Good morning from balmy Minneapolis. And I say balmy, because as of 10 a.m., the Minneapolis temperature, 32 degrees according to Accuweather, was the highest among the seven Big Ten games today. The remainder were 31 or lower, including a low of 23 in State College, Pa., for the Penn State-Rutgers game.
Gophers running back Shannon Brooks, who was in concussion protocol this week after missing last week's Michigan game, was in street clothes during pregame warmups and will not play. But running back Kobe McCrary, who suffered a neck injury at Michigan, participated in warmups. So, the likely running back tandem is Rodney Smith and McCrary.
Gophers offensive tackle Donnell Greene, who was ejected from the Michigan game for punching a Wolverines player, is in warmups with the first team. Coach P.J. Fleck said he would face discipline for his actions, calling it "unacceptable.'' We'll see if he starts.
As for the offense, quarterback Demry Croft was taking pregame snaps from Conner Olson, who has moved over from guard in place of the injured Jared Weyler.
Both teams enter the game 4-5 and need two wins for bowl eligibility. Nebraska still has to play at No. 14 Penn State and home vs. No. 20 Iowa, while the Gophers have No. 25 Northwestern on the road and No. 8 Wisconsin at TCF Bank Stadium. The loser will be in tough shape in regards to bowl eligibility.
