With a win against the Badgers and a Northwestern upset of Michigan State of Saturday, the Gophers would have set up an epic Legends Division championship game next weekend in East Lansing. Instead, the No. 13 Spartans took care of business in their 11 a.m. game against the Wildcats, winning easily, 30-6.
Now Minnesota’s game against Michigan State will have no title significance and officially wiped clean are the Gophers’ chances of playing in Indianapolis for the conference title or in the Rose Bowl. What’s still on the line for Minnesota, however, is playing for a better bowl game, hopefully one in the New Year. Current projections have the Gophers either playing in the Texas Bowl following Christmas or in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 1, 2014.