The Gophers football team might go bowling in Detroit — again.

Minnesota’s two-game slide in recent weeks makes it a possibility to return to the lowest-rung bowl game, which has had a sponsor name change from Quick Lane to GameAbove Sports Bowl.

After a 26-19 loss to Rutgers on Nov. 9 and a 26-25 loss to No. 4 Penn State on Saturday, the U might head back to Detroit, if they lose at Wisconsin on Friday. The Badgers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) are two-point favorites against Minnesota (6-5, 4-4) for the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe at Camp Randall Stadium.

One theory is if Michigan State (5-6) becomes bowl eligible with a win over Rutgers (6-5) on Saturday, the Spartans would most likely head to the Detroit bowl. For that scenario, Gopher fans will be cheering for former U defensive coordinator Joe Rossi to slow ex-Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and Co. in East Lansing, Mich.

But if the Badgers and Scarlet Knights win, Minnesota could head to Detroit for a fourth appearance and for a second straight year. Stipulations that have kept a program from making repeat appearances in the same bowl are leaving the sport’s postseason landscape.

Where the Gophers end up in late December or early January will also be determined by how many Big Ten teams make the 12-team College Football Playoff. And No. 5 Indiana’s 38-15 loss to No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday might cut the conference’s entrants down to three: No. 1 Oregon, Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State.

If the Hoosiers don’t make the playoff, that would push other bowl teams in the conference down a rung in the bowl selection process. The believed order for bowl picks is: Citrus, ReliaQuest (former Outback), Music City or Duke’s, Pinstripe, Guaranteed Rate and GameAbove.

If the U wins its rivalry game on Black Friday, it would further open up the possibility for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte or the Music City Bowl in Nashville. Pinstripe is also out there, where the Gophers beat Syracuse at Yankee Stadium in 2022.

A win of the Axe would also end Wisconsin’s 22-year streak of bowl game appearances; that’s the third-longest active streak behind Georgia and Oklahoma.

If the Gophers lose the rivalry game, another distinct bowl possibility would be the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix. That is another familiar locale after Minnesota beat West Virginia at Chase Field in 2021.

Another factor in where the Gophers end up is how Nebraska (6-5) reached bowl eligibility with a 44-25 home win over Wisconsin on Saturday. Since the Cornhuskers have a massive fanbase that hasn’t been to a bowl since 2016, it’s possible they could be picked ahead of Minnesota.

Related Articles

Gophers suffer excruciating 26-25 loss to No. 4 Penn State

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck explains trick play call on game-defining drive in Penn State loss

Gophers look to duplicate 2019 upset of Penn State on Saturday

Gophers football vs. No. 4 Penn State: Keys to game, how to watch and who has the edge

Gophers left tackle Aireontae Ersery is out to prove he’s ‘the best’