The 2-3 Wisconsin Badgers were given a gift by the Big Ten Conference on Sunday as they received a shot at renewing their long-standing rivalry with 3-3 Minnesota after the game between the two schools during the regular season was canceled due to COVID-19.
A win could be a breath of fresh air for the struggling Badgers, as no matter how rough a season is trending, a win against Minnesota always seems to help turn the season’s struggles around.
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A loss on Saturday, however, would make an extremely tough season even worse for a team that has seen three games canceled due to COVID-19 and is riding a three-game losing streak heading into the contest.
The state of Wisconsin saw Minnesota break out last season, finishing with an 11-2 record and a co-Big Ten West crown (which the Badgers obviously won thanks to their win against the Gophers). Everybody also saw the Gophers create championship rings for their season, which included “winning” the Big Ten West even though they finished second.
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That is all in the past, however, and the battle for Paun Bunyan’s Axe will be renewed just two days from now.
Here is a complete team preview of the 2020 Minnesota Golden Gophers: