With their 8-4 finish and impressive showings against Ohio State and Nebraska, Minnesota surprised virtually everyone except for Jerry Kill and his players.
The Golden Gophers can end their season on a real high note with a solid upper-tier bowl win...let's take a look at their 3 most likely destinations:
Holiday Bowl (Big Ten vs. Pac-12)
Sat., Dec. 27, 8:00 p.m. ET
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
San Diego would be a bit of a hike for Minnesota fans, but there are plenty who'd love any excuse to be in Southern California in the middle of winter. The Holiday Bowl would be a nice vacation, but the team will need to stay focused against one of the deceptively solid upper-tier Pac-12 squads. The best-case scenario for Minnesota here would be a game against USC, a team that finished their year like they're already looking ahead to next season.
Outback Bowl (Big Ten vs. SEC)
Thu., Jan. 1, 12:00 p.m. ET
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Right now, this is the most likely outcome for Minnesota - with Nebraska's downward spiral and Wisconsin's blowout loss to Ohio State, the Golden Gophers are suddenly one of the most appealing Big 10 squads for higher-tier bowl games. The opportunity to take on an SEC team would be huge for Jerry Kill's squad, and a big win here (over, say, Auburn or one of the Mississippi schools) would have far-reaching recruiting implications for years to come.
TaxSlayer Bowl (ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC)
Fri., Jan. 2, 3:20 p.m. ET
EverBank Field, Jacksonville, FL
The TaxSlayer, not formerly an option for Big 10 teams, adds a new wrinkle to Big 10 bowl selections....and it's a very real possibility for Jerry Kill's squad. For fans used to Minnesota winter, visiting a stadium with built-in cabanas would be the ultimate culture shock...but you wouldn't hear much complaining. This would also see the Gophers take on an SEC squad, and we don't have to tell you how far a win here would go towards restoring some Big 10 pride.
Where do you want to see the Gophers go bowling? Let us know in the comments!
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