With the 2019 college footballs season complete, we look back on how the Big Ten did in bowl games.
As we go through all the bowls, in no particular order, we will focus on two main things:
1. How did the bowl performance end the 2019 season? Was it a fitting end or a poor performance, etc.
2. What impact, if any, will it have on the 2020 season.
Now that we’ve gone through all four Big Ten losses (not including the CFP), let’s move on to the wins.
2020 Outback Bowl: Minnesota vs Auburn
The matchup
Auburn came in as a favorite, though surprisingly not a heavy one. The Tigers entered this game off the back of an upset win over Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Meanwhile, Minnesota lost two of its final three, against Iowa and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin game, in particular, wasn’t close. Auburn also came closest to beating LSU during the regular season.
Yes, coming in the matchup was one of a supremely talented but slightly underachieving Auburn team. All three Tigers losses came to Top 10 teams (LSU, Georgia, and Florida), and Auburn had wins over Oregon and Alabama. Minnesota, meanwhile, was 10-2 on the back of a lot of wins over bad teams, and losses to two of the three ranked teams it faced. The Golden Gophers also did not look great in early close wins (that should have been losses) over teams like South Dakota State, Fresno State, and Georgia Southern.
What went right
The Minnesota offense was really the story of this game. Yes, the defense did its job to keep Auburn more or less in check. But it was the offense that really won this game for Minnesota. This isn’t even just about Tyler Johnson’s career day, including the eventual game-winning 73-yard touchdown catch. Minnesota controlled the game on the ground, with Mohamed Ibrahim shouldering most of the load. Behind that powerful running game, the Golden Gophers were able to keep their defense rested, keep the game at the pace they wanted, and let Tanner Morgan efficiently throw for almost 300 yards behind it.
What went wrong
Not much, honestly. An early interception is the biggest fair critique of Minnesota. Sure, the Gophers didn’t play a perfect game–no college football team ever does. But Minnesota took its game plan against a more talented team and executed perfectly. It covered its weaknesses and the defense really shut down Auburn. This game went as well as any Gopher could have hoped for.
