Undefeated No. 17 Minnesota is 8-0 and one of only seven undefeated teams in the country. But none of the other teams without a loss are as unique as Minnesota because the Gophers were not supposed to be 8-0. Minnesota almost never goes 8-0. The 2019 Minnesota team is the first Minnesota team to open a season 8-0 since 1941. While World War II was raging in Europe, America had yet to enter the war at that point, because Pearl Harbor had not yet been bombed by the Japanese.
So it's been a long time since we've seen an 8-0 Minnesota, and the undefeated Gophers are hosting another one of those seven undefeated teams this weekend. No. 4 Penn State is 8-0 itself, but not nearly as many people are as surprised by its success.
Who wins this Big Ten showdown from Minneapolis? Let's take a closer look at what to expect from this matchup and make some expert picks both straight up and against the spread.
Storylines
Penn State: Many were surprised to see Penn State at No. 4 when the first set of College Football Playoff Rankings were released this week. It had been assumed that the top four would be Alabama, Clemson, LSU and Ohio State in some order. Penn State, despite being 8-0 with a couple big wins on its resume, was mostly overlooked. Well, nobody is overlooking it now. While the Nittany Lions have flown a bit under the radar so far in 2019, that's no longer an option. Once you're in the top four of the CFP rankings, a target shows up on your back and this will be a tough test for the Nittany Lions. Of course, there's just as much on the line for Penn State. It might be No. 4 now, but a loss to Minnesota would put a serious dent in its hopes of still being in the top four come the end of the season.
Minnesota: This is the biggest Minnesota football game in a long time. The last game of this magnitude might have been back in 2003. Minnesota started that season 6-0 and had climbed to No. 17 in the AP Top 25 poll after beginning the year unranked. That's when No. 20 Michigan came to town, and Minnesota got off to a great start. The Gophers led the Wolverines 14-0 at halftime, and 28-7 after three quarters. That's when it all fell apart. Michigan would score 31 points in the fourth quarter, and Garrett Rivas would kick a 33-yard field goal with 47 seconds left to give Michigan a 38-35 lead. A lead the Wolverines wouldn't give up. The loss lingered the next week when Minnesota would again lose at home, this time to Michigan State. Minnesota would still finish that season with a 10-3 record after winning the Sun Bowl, but the Gophers haven't won 10 games in a season since, nor have they played in a game of that magnitude since. They'll be hoping to finish the job this time around.
Viewing information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 9 | Time: Noon ET
Location: TCF Bank Stadium -- Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: ABC | Live stream: WatchESPN.com
Game prediction, picks
I don't want to take anything away from what Minnesota has accomplished in 2019. This is a program on the rise, and P.J. Fleck has worked wonders. Minnesota is headed in the right direction, but I think it's a bit out over its skis right now. The Gophers have taken advantage of some breaks that have come their way. Their nonconference schedule wasn't challenging, yet they struggled to get through unscathed. All five of their Big Ten wins have come against teams who either started a backup quarterback, or had to turn to one for the majority of the game due to injury. Only one of their Big Ten wins -- Illinois -- came against a team that currently has a winning record. Penn State is a much better team than any Minnesota has faced this season, and it's also a team that's used to playing in these kinds of games. I think the talent and experience edge will be enough for Penn State here. They aren't going to blow Minnesota out, but they will cover this spread. Pick: Penn State -6.5
So what picks can you make with confidence in Week 11? And which line is way off, making it a must-back? Visit SportsLine to see which college football teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $4,000 in profit over the past four seasons.
