
Good afternoon on College Football Playoff Championship Day. Looking forward to watching Round Four of Alabama vs. Clemson tonight. Let's hope we get a game more like the previous two Crimson Tide-Tigers national title thrillers (Alabama's 45-40 win for the 2015 crown, and Clemson's 35-31 triumph for the 2016 title) than last season's one-sided semifinal (Tide, 24-6).
Tonight's game marks the end of the college football season, but what an interesting, roller-coaster season it was for the Gophers, especially with a 3-1 finish that featured dominant victories over Purdue (41-10) and Wisconsin (37-15) and was capped by a 34-10 rout of Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl.
That surge provides momentum for 2019, and it's caught the attention of some in the college football world. The Sporting News announced its Pre-Preseason Top 25, and the Gophers check in at No. 25.
"Row the Boat, indeed,'' TSN's Bill Bender writes. "We know the risks of ranking the Gophers, but P.J. Fleck had this team playing at a high level with blowout wins against Purdue and Wisconsin in November before an impressive bowl rout against Georgia Tech. Plus, the Gophers' schedule is a little easier than the other contenders.''
Minnesota is one of six Big Ten teams that Bender has in his Top 25. The others are: No. 5 Ohio State, No. 10 Michigan, No. 12 Penn State, No. 22 Wisconsin and No. 24 Northwestern.
Interesting bowl stats
In their victory over Georgia Tech, the Gophers put up some solid stats. Here's how they ranked in bowl season in a few areas: