Finally, we're here. It's game week for the No. 21 Minnesota Golden Gophers as they host the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines in a Saturday night primetime showdown on ABC.
The Gopher Report staff each gives their take on what's at stake for Minnesota in their huge season opener.
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Sean Williams - The Little Brown Jug, obviously. But, there is a lot more riding on this game for Minnesota than winning an historic inanimate object. It's about earning more respect and being considered one of the elite programs of the Big Ten conference and continuing their emergence on a national scale. The Gophers stifled Penn State 30-26 in one of last season's showcase games on their way to an historic 11-2 mark and an Outback Bowl win. Now, it's time to see if Minnesota is ready to take down another blue blood conference program in the Wolverines and move up the Big Ten food chain.
Connor Stevens - The 21st ranked Gophers starting the season against the 18th ranked Michigan Wolverines is huge for many reasons. The oldest trophy game in college football, The Little Brown Jug, hasn't been owned by Minnesota since 2014 and PJ Fleck would love to bring that back to the Minnesota faithful. Also, this game is a chance to build on last years 11-2 season. From a recruiting standpoint, this game will be on College Gameday (their second straight home game on College Gameday), and many eyes around the country will be on the ABC Primetime matchup to see if what PJ Fleck is building at Minnesota is for real.
Alex Carlson - An opportunity for Minnesota to continue to expand on their exposure and brand. Last year the Gophers lost 38-17 to Wisconsin when they had the entire college football landscape watching. Now, they have an opportunity again on a national stage to show they are one of rising programs in the country. With star players moving on to the NFL and the offensive coordinator leaving, I am excited to see if Minnesota can continue to rise.
Jared Halus - No matter how good or bad, no matter how big the stakes, and no matter what your opinion is on khaki pants, Michigan is and likely always will be a respectable program. Kicking off the season against them on the biggest stage provides a massive opportunity for the Gophers to pick up where they left off, prove they are contenders both in-conference and nationally, and likely turn the heads of many other programs and recruits along the way. This is a game that has tripped Minnesota up in the past, so a win here would be telling and could spark some heavy momentum early on.
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