BTN ranks all 56 conference games

per Dienhart:

It was a thankless task, but someone had to do it. Someone had to take a stab at ranking each and every Big Ten league game—all 56–in 2015.

Today, in the first of a three-part series, I’m looking at games 56-31. Thursday, it will be 30-11; Friday, I’ll offer my top 10.

42. Minnesota at Purdue, Oct. 10. Minnesota has won four of the last six vs. Purdue. This will be the Golden Gophers’ first trip to West Lafayette since 2011.

33. Illinois at Minnesota, Nov. 21. Minnesota lost at Illinois last season. Before that, the Golden Gophers had won four in a row vs. the Fighting Illini. Illinois last won in the Twin Cities in 2009.

http://btn.com/2015/07/22/ranking-2015-big-ten-league-games-tom-dienharts-list-56-31/

Go Gophers!!

I'd take watching game 56 right now...ready for this to get started already!

per Dienhart:

Now, it’s time for the second installment, taking a look at games 30-11.

23. Minnesota at Northwestern, Oct. 3. The Golden Gophers have won the last two meetings vs. the Wildcats. Before that, NU had won three in a row and five of six vs. Minnesota.

16. Michigan at Minnesota, Oct. 31. Minnesota beat Michigan for the Little Brown Jug last season for the first time since 2005 and just the fourth time since 1967. The last time the Gophers won two in a row vs. the Wolverines? It was when Minnesota won four meetings in succession from 1960-63.

14. Minnesota at Iowa, Nov. 14. This will be the Golden Gophers’ first trip to Iowa City since 2012. Minnesota thumped Iowa last year in the Twin Cities, taking a 51-14 decision to claim Floyd of Rosedale. The Gophers haven’t won in Kinnick Stadium since 1999, Kirk Ferentz’s first season in Iowa City. In fact, Iowa is 10-4 vs. Minnesota in the last 14 meetings.

http://btn.com/2015/07/23/ranking-2015-big-ten-league-games-tom-dienharts-list-30-11/

Go Gophers!!

I don't know what others think, but I'm way more interested in the Michigan game than the Iowa game.

dpodoll68 said:

I don't know what others think, but I'm way more interested in the Michigan game than the Iowa game.

Click to expand...

I think if you had to choose to win just one of those, I'd rather win the Michigan game. Let's just win both though.

per Dienhart:

Now for those top 10 games:

10. Minnesota at Ohio State, Nov. 7. A Big Ten title game preview? Perhaps. Since 1969, Ohio State has lost just twice to Minnesota (1981 and 2000). The Buckeyes won, 31-24, in the Twin Cities last season.

7. Nebraska at Minnesota, Oct. 17. The Golden Gophers have passed the Cornhuskers on the Big Ten West food chain. It’s true. The proof is in the last two seasons, when Minnesota dumped Nebraska not once … but twice. The Gophers took a 34-23 decision in 2013 in the Twin Cities and prevailed, 28-24, last year in Lincoln. Before that, Minnesota had lost 16 in a row to Nebraska. The Gophers need to keep their foot on the neck of the Cornhuskers if they want to claim their first Big Ten West crown. And if Nebraska keeps losing to Minnesota, it will be hard-pressed to get to the Big Ten title game—or win the program’s first league title since 1999.

4. Wisconsin at Minnesota, Nov. 28. A season ago, the two rivals played with a trip to Indianapolis on the line. Could it be the same case this year? For the record, Minnesota has lost 11 in a row to Wisconsin and has just two victories vs. the Badgers since 1995, going 2-18 in the last 20 meetings. If this is going to be a special season, Minnesota needs to beat Wisconsin when it visits in the season finale.

http://btn.com/2015/07/24/ranking-2015-big-ten-league-games-tom-dienharts-list-10-1/

Go Gophers!!

BTN has us with the most interesting slate of games, cumulatively. So we got that going for us.