Preseson Bowl Projections: What bowl game will the Gophers play in this postseason?
The college football season officially gets underway this weekend with week zero featuring a handful of matchups. With the season almost here, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach released their 2025 preseason College Football Playoff and bowl projections.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers enter the 2025 season with eight or more wins in three of the last four seasons and have made bowl games in six-straight non-COVID seasons. The Gophers this fall could tie a program record for consecutive bowl games made at five, joining the 2012-16 teams.
But will the Gophers continue their success this fall? Both Bonagura and Schlabach believe so.
Sclabach has the Golden Gophers headed to Phoenix, Arizona, to play in the Chase Bowl against the Big 12’s TCU Horned Frogs. Bonagura also likes the Gophers to get to the postseason, with a bowl projection to face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.
Minnesota last played in the Rate Bowl in 2021 when it was the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia, an 18-6 win for the Gophers. The Gophers haven’t played in the Music City Bowl, however, since the 2005 season in a 34-31 loss to Virginia. They also played in the Music City Bowl in 2002 and 20024.
Which Big Ten programs are projected to make a bowl game this season?
Illinois: The Fighting Illini are projected to play in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Schlabach has the Illini headed to Orlando for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Texas A&M.
Indiana: Both Bonagura and Schlabach project Indiana to the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa against Ole Miss / South Carolina.
Iowa: Bonagura projects the Hawkeyes to the Rate Bowl against Baylor, while Schlabach likes the Hawkeyes to be headed to New York for the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl against Pittsburgh.
Maryland: Bonagura has the Terrapins facing Miami (OH) in the GameAbove Sports Bowl
Michigan: Schlacbach projects the Wolverines to be playing in the Music City Bowl against Ole Miss, while Bonagura has them headed to Orlando for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Tennessee.
Michigan State: McMurphy has the Spartans set to take on the Buffalo Bulls in the GameAbove Sports Bowl (formerly the Quick Lane Bowl).
Nebraska: Both bowl projections have the Huskers playing in the SRS Distrubtion Las Vegas Bowl against the Utah Utes.
Northwestern: No bowl game.
Ohio State: Both writers have Ohio State returning to the College Football Playoffs this fall.
Oregon: The Ducks are also projected to return to the College Football Playoffs, as the No. 8 seed by both writers.
Penn State: Both Bonagura and Schlabach are high on the Nittany Lions ahead of this fall, with both writers projecting them as a top-four seed in this year’s College Football Playoffs.
Purdue: No bowl game.
Rutgers: No bowl game
UCLA: Bonagura projects UCLA to face Virginia in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
USC: In a pivotal season for Lincoln Riley, Schlabach projects USC to face Kansas State in the Alamo Bowl, while Bonagura likes the Trojans to make the Holiday Bowl against Georgia Tech.
Washington: Bonagura projects the Huskies to face Kansas State in the Alamo Bowl
Wisconsin: No bowl game.
