With the bye week in the rearview mirror, the Gophers enter a three-stage obstacle course against ranked opponents with top-tier defenses.
First up, Minnesota plays No. 15 Michigan and its top-rated scoring defense on Saturday night at TCF Bank Stadium.
Then come No. 1 Ohio State and its ninth-rated defense and No. 10 Iowa and its 10th-ranked scoring defense.
"Kind of like they say on how you eat an elephant: one bite at a time," Minnesota's associate head coach and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said Tuesday.
The Gophers (4-3, 1-2 Big Ten) had trouble with Nebraska's defense in a 48-25 loss Oct.