As expected, February began with a bang for the Gophers who had the unenviable task of playing both Purdue and Wisconsin to begin the month, which resulted in the first two-game losing streak of the season. Neither were blowouts, but with wins at a premium, the margin for error is beginning to shrink substantially for the Gophers, who need a victory in the worst way.
Things don’t get much easier on Saturday, when they head to Michigan State to face the 9th-ranked Spartans on the road in East Lansing. Looking like a favorite to win the conference outright not more than two weeks ago, the Spartans are in the midst of a curious three-game losing streak that has included losses to Purdue, Indiana and recent upstart Illinois.