per Greder:
Chad Leistikow wasn’t aiming to be contrarian when he picked the Gophers football team to win the Big Ten Conference’s West Division this season.
But when all 39 votes were counted in cleveland.com’s Big Ten preseason poll, the Hawkeyes beat writer for the Des Moines Register found himself alone as the only reporter to pick Minnesota to finish first. While the Pioneer Press selected the Gophers to end up second to Iowa, the consensus among Big Ten writers was the Gophers would finish fifth in the seven-team division.
“I’m not saying I’m smarter than anyone else or did more research than anyone else,” Leistikow said. “It wasn’t just pulled out of nowhere.”
The poll results were released in July; Leistikow remained steadfast in his reasoning on Wednesday morning. Come afternoon, ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit explained why he, too, is picking Minnesota to win a “wide open” West and advance to the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 2 in Indianapolis.
“If they can beat Oregon State to open the season (next) Thursday, I think there is a real shot they could be sitting there looking at maybe 8-1 when they get ready to go to Nebraska on Nov. 12,” Herbstreit said in a conference call. “Maybe I’m crazy. I just have a weird feeling about them having a great year.”
http://www.twincities.com/2016/08/24/at-least-two-media-types-agree-gophers-will-win-big-ten-west/
Go Gophers!!
