It's way too early for any of this, but the Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas has early odds on the favorites to win the college football championship next year.
(Yes, less than 24 hours after the title game this year).
We only mention it in this space as further affirmation that the Gophers' schedule next year will be pretty tough. That's because the two teams at the top of the odds — Ohio State at 9 to 2 and TCU at 7 to 1 — are both on Minnesota's schedule.
TCU is at TCF Bank Stadium on Sept. 3 to open the season in the second of a home-and-home series, while the Gophers play in Columbus on Nov. 7.
The rest of the schedule actually stacks up OK … but those two games against what could be considered the top two teams next year in all of college football will leave little margin for error if Minnesota has hopes of exceeding this year's accomplishments.
