There’s a reason that college football is among the toughest things to accurately predict, let alone just in sports.
A primary example is seen in Minnesota’s 26-19 loss to Rutgers on Saturday.
Related: Bye Week Report Card: Grading Wisconsin’s offense and Grading Wisconsin’s defense
Every trend line pointed toward a Golden Gopher victory. The team had won four straight games after starting the season 2-3, including a narrow triumph over USC, a blowout over Maryland and a big road win over Illinois. The team appeared to have elevated itself into the top third of the Big Ten power rankings.
Rutgers, meanwhile, entered Saturday losers of four straight. The team entered a nosedive after a 4-0 start. The Minnesota game was thought to eventually be yet another blemish on a poor final record.
But the Scarlet Knights won.
QB Athan Kaliakmanis led the way with 240 passing yards and three touchdowns in a rematch against his former program. Rutgers held Minnesota to only 35 total yards on 1.8 yards per carry. In all, the Scarlet Knights out-gained the Gophers 354-297. It was a somewhat decisive victory for Rutgers standards.
The result is notable for the Wisconsin Badgers as it halts Minnesota’s momentum entering the final weeks of the season. The Gophers fall to 6-4 (4-3 Big Ten) with the loss, dropping from their previous position of long shot Big Ten contention. The team now enters a bye week before hosting No. 6 Penn State. Now, there’s a real chance the team is riding a two-game losing streak when it travels to Madison to close the regular season.
Wisconsin and Minnesota will meet in that annual battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Black Friday. Depending on the next few weeks, the contest could be pivotal for Wisconsin’s bowl hopes.
Any Minnesota loss is somewhat notable for Wisconsin fans. This one, however, could have significant impact on the rest-of-season outlook.
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