Gophers 101 — a Minnesota Gophers Podcast

The Minnesota Gophers will look to move to 7-0 under P.J. Fleck in bowl games on Friday when they take on the New Mexico Lobos in the Rate Bowl. Who will win the game and why? What matchups favor the Minnesota Gophers and what matchups are a cause for concern? Thor Nystrom and Ross Brendel preview the game, look at Gophers in the pros and provide some thoughts on the college football playoff.&nbsp...

In honor of the Minnesota Gophers appearance in this years Rate Bowl, Ross Brendel and Manny Hill rate their belief in P.J. Fleck, Niko Medved and Bob Motzko in leading their respective programs. The boys also take a look at the Minnesota Gophers basketball team as they near conference play and provide their thoughts on the upcoming Rate Bowl. 2:06 – The boys rate Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck, Niko Medv...

If you are a college football sicko well then this is the show for you! On this edition of Gophers 101 SKOR North’s Ross Brendel and Daniel House from gophersguru.com break down every college football bowl game and first round college football playoff matchup. The two breeze through every game but pause to dive a bit deeper into the Minnesota Gophers and New Mexico in the Rate Bowl. The two close...

The Niko Medved era at Minnesota got off to a great Big Ten start as the Minnesota Gophers upset the #22 ranked Indiana Hoosiers on Wednesday night at the barn. What a fun night as the maroon and gold got it done with a total team effort from the starting five. What does is mean for the 2025/2026 Minnesota Gophers and might they be better than expected? Ross Brendel and Manny Hill break down a cou...

The Minnesota Gophers retained Paul Bunyan’s Axe for the fourth time in five years this past Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. Thor Nystrom and Ross Brendel give their HOTTEST TAKES on Minnesota Gophers football as we head into bowl season. Did the Minnesota Gophers overachieve in 2025 and is the Gopher football program a better program than the University of Wisconsin? Ross and Thor also look...

Was it pretty? No. BUT the Minnesota Gophers and P.J. Fleck again beat the Wisconsin Badgers to claim Paul Bunyan's Axe for the fourth time in five years on Saturday. The Minnesota Gophers now await their bowl placement and opponent while Wisconsin limps to another offseason filled with uncertainty. What a day for John Nestor and the Minnesota Golden Gophers defense, especially after last Saturday...

It’s rivalry week in college football which means the Minnesota Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers do battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe this Saturday. Will the Minnesota Gophers be able to retain the axe over the Badgers for the fourth time in five years? Or, will the Minnesota Gophers defense make Wisconsin’s struggling offense look like one of the best in college football? Ross Brendel and Thor Nystrom al...

The Minnesota Gophers suffered a heartbreaking and annoying loss to Northwestern on Saturday mostly due to a horribly inept defense. Is the Minnesota Gophers problem on defense schematic or personnel? Does a change need to be made at Defensive Coordinator? Even if it does, do you trust P.J. Fleck to make that change? Ross Brendel and Manny Hill are getting “defensive” on today’s Gophers 101. Oh ye...

The Minnesota Gophers will attempt to win a road game for the first time this season in their last opportunity when they take on Northwestern at Wrigley Field. The experts have Northwestern as the favorite and rightfully so, but what are the Minnesota Gophers chances to win on the road this Saturday? Is the game a must win for the Gophers? Will the defense show up and help the maroon and gold grab...

Friday night in Eugene sadly went as most people expected for the Minnesota Gophers as they were dominated by Oregon 42-13. The Oregon Ducks outgained the Minnesota Gophers by 310 yards, amassing 510 on the night. The Minnesota Gophers offense wasn’t much to write home about, but it was the defense that continues to be worrisome. With a defense this leaky, should we be worried about beating Wiscon...

The Minnesota Gophers will have their hands full on Friday night when they take on the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Oregon. Is there any realistic path to a Minnesota Gophers victory? Thor Nystrom lays out his path to the Minnesota Gophers, shocking the college football world on Friday night. Is it too early to start planning for bowl season? Where might the Minnesota Gophers end up in bowl season? Som...

It is officially Oregon Ducks week for the Minnesota Gophers! Can the Minnesota Gophers be competitive and perhaps even shock the college football world when they visit Autzen Stadium on Friday night? Ross Brendel and Manny Hill discuss the likelihood for a fun and good game from the Minnesota Gophers on Friday night. Minnesota Gophers basketball is underway and 2-0 on the season. What does succes...

The Minnesota Gophers are 6-3 as they head into a bye-week. What should be the Minnesota Gophers bye-week priorities? Do Minnesota Gophers fans need to calm down a bit? Why do some fans treat wins like they are losses? Ross and Thor also start to look ahead a bit to Northwestern in a game that could be the true swing game that defines the season if the Minnesota Gophers want to get to 8-4 this yea...

Somehow the Minnesota Gophers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by beating Michigan State 23 to 20 in overtime on Saturday. Just how did the Minnesota Gophers overcome a 4th quarter deficit and total yardage deficit? What to make of Drake Lindsey’s performance and what do we want to see from him the remainder of the season… Should we still be worried about the Minnesota Gophers defense and...

It’s been a few days since the Minnesota Gophers were absolutely destroyed by Iowa so now seems like a good time to reassess the Minnesota Gophers and Iowa game, P.J. Fleck’s tenure as the Minnesota Gophers coach, and the University of Minnesota’s support of the football team. Also, would 7-5 be a successful 2025 season for the Minnesota Gophers? Thor also gives us his Thorfer highlighting a Minne...

Minnesota Gophers are blown out 41-3 by the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. The Minnesota Gophers losing in this manner isn't acceptable. Can the Minnesota Gophers bounce back next week against Michigan State? Will the Minnesota Gophers still get to 7 wins? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The Minnesota Gophers are now 5-2 after their big win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers! Just how did the Minnesota Gophers beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and can they turn one nice win into another when they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes this Saturday? How can the Minnesota Gophers beat the Iowa Hawkeyes? Ross and Thor do a deep dive into the Minnesota Gophers and Iowa Hawkeyes game. P.J. Fleck also pick...

Minnesota Gophers dominated the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday night in Dinkytown! The Minnesota Gophers defense put on a clinic and the Minnesota Gophers run game on offense returned. When was the last time we were surprised by a Minnesota Gophers victory of this magnitude, and can the Minnesota Gophers beat Iowa next weekend??? Finally, should Minnesota Gophers fans really be rushing the field a...

As the Minnesota Gophers prepare for the Nebraska Cornhuskers tomorrow night. The boys review the Minnesota Gophers win over Purdue and examine the state of the Minnesota Gophers offensive and defensive line. Can the Minnesota Gophers beat Nebraska tomorrow night? Thor Nystrom also proclaims P.J. Fleck to be the BEST coach at Minnesota in 75 years. Ross agrees. The two breakdown what he has been a...

The Minnesota Gophers season is now halfway over after a 27-20 win over the Purdue Boilermakers. We start the show with our hottest Minnesota Gophers takes at the halfway point of the season. Do we now know exactly what type of team the 2025 Minnesota Gophers are? How about that “gutsy” Minnesota Gophers win over Purdue? When looking at the next two weeks for the Minnesota Gophers, that win was ve...

The Minnesota Gophers host Purdue this Saturday night for homecoming. The Minnesota Gophers defense has been trending the wrong way since losing at Cal. The Minnesota Gophers defense will need to step up this weekend when they take on Purdue. Can they? And will they? Ross and Thor also dive deep into the Minnesota Gophers remaining schedule and look at the Big Ten. What is wrong with Penn State? P...

The Minnesota Gophers took one on the chin against Ohio State. It’s not that the Minnesota Gophers were beaten badly, it’s that the game went exactly as you might expect. The Minnesota Gophers were dominated as the defense put up little fight and the offense struggled to move the ball. Purdue comes to town next weekend for homecoming. Can the Minnesota Gophers defense stop Purdue? Right now, all s...

Minnesota Gophers are fresh off a nice win over Rutgers on Saturday. How can the Minnesota Gophers take lessons learn from Rutgers and apply them to Ohio State on Saturday night? If the Minnesota Gophers are to have any chance at a BIG win on Saturday night they’ll need a nice night from Koi Perich. Could the 2025 Minnesota Gophers be laying the foundation for a 2026 CFP appearance? Ross Brendel a...

The Minnesota Gophers are 1-0 in Big Ten conference play after a nail-biting 31-28 victory over Rutgers. What a day for Minnesota Gophers Quarterback Drake Lindsey who passed all over Rutgers as he threw for 324 yards in the Minnesota Gophers victory. The Minnesota Gophers did struggle to run the ball and stop the run. How concerned should Minnesota Gophers fans be as the Gophers prepare for Ohio...

The Minnesota Gophers will take on Athan Kaliakmanis and Rutgers this Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. Is this a stereotypical revenge game for the Minnesota Gophers when they take on Athan Kaliakmanis and Rutgers? How important is this weekend’s game for the Minnesota Gophers and what do the Minnesota Gophers need to do to ensure a victory over Rutgers to start the Big Ten season off strong?...