Minnesota’s last two games have been enough to change the conversation, and now the Gophers are heading into one of the biggest stages in college football with ESPN’s College GameDay waiting in Bloomington.
Fresh off a 13-10 win over No. 15 Iowa at Huntington Bank Stadium, Minnesota is 5-2, 3-1 in Big Ten play and sitting fourth in the league behind only Indiana, Ohio State and UCLA. That victory over the Hawkeyes - won as a 7.5-point underdog - brought the Floyd of Rosedale back to Minneapolis and scrambled the Big Ten picture with one swing.
The next stop is a Halloween matchup against No. 6 Indiana, one of the last unbeaten teams in conference play and the defending National Champs.
On Sunday morning, ESPN announced that College GameDay will be on site for Minnesota @ Indiana. The game is set for 2:30 p.m.
CT on CBS at Memorial Stadium.
GET READY, BLOOMINGTON‼️
We’re coming to your city to see the defending champ Hoosiers against the upset-minded Gophers 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JvlMz7IL7m
- College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 25, 2026
Indiana comes in at 7-1, with its only loss a 19-15 heartbreaker against Ohio State. The Hoosiers responded this weekend with a 13-6 win at Michigan. Through eight games, Indiana has given up 96 points, which works out to 12 per game, and the defense has already posted shutouts against Howard and Western Kentucky.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has scored 13 points in each of its last two games. That’s part of why DraftKings lists Indiana as a 20.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 42.5.
For the Gophers, this will be the third time College GameDay has been on hand for one of their games, but it’s the first time the show has followed Minnesota on the road. The first visit came on Nov. 30, 2019, when GameDay broadcast from Northrop Mall before No.
8 Minnesota hosted No. 12 Wisconsin.
The show came back the very next home game on Oct. 24, 2020, airing from inside TCF Bank Stadium for Minnesota’s season opener against Michigan.
According to the University of Minnesota, that made it only the fifth time the show had visited a school for consecutive home games. The results weren’t kind to the Gophers, though. They lost both of those matchups, falling 38-17 to Wisconsin and 49-24 to Michigan, which leaves Minnesota 0-2 in games with GameDay on site.
Indiana’s history with the show is shorter but familiar. GameDay first went to Bloomington in 2017 for a game against Ohio State, and its first on-campus visit came on Oct. 26, 2024, for Indiana vs.
Washington. Next Saturday will be the third GameDay appearance in Bloomington.
The series history also tilts Minnesota’s way. The Gophers lead the all-time matchup 40-26-3 and have taken the last four meetings, going back to 2008. Indiana’s last win over Minnesota came in 2007, when it beat the Gophers 40-20 in Bloomington.
The most recent meeting was a 35-14 Minnesota win in Bloomington on Nov. 20, 2021.
The teams have only faced each other three times since 2008 because of scheduling, so this will be their first meeting in five years. Memorial Stadium, though, has not been easy ground for Minnesota, where the Gophers are 8-17-2 all-time.
In Other News...
Minnesota Just Pulled Off A Rivalry Feat Fans Rarely Get To Celebrate
Minnesotas 13-10 win over Iowa at home was the kind of rivalry result that lingers well beyond one Saturday in the standings. The Gophers leaned on defense and special teams throughout, getting a blocked punt and enough timely stops to keep the game tight, then making just enough plays on offense to stay in position for the finish.
Luke Drzewiecki delivered the decisive kick after Drake Lindsey connected with Jalen Smith on a 39-yard pass in the final minute, a sequence that turned a tense matchup into a celebration for the home side. For Minnesota, the payoff went beyond beating Iowa, because this was the kind of trophy season fans rarely get to enjoy all at once. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Found An Unexpected Hero At Exactly The Right Time
Minnesota got a late addition in placekicker Luke Drzewiecki after a Louisiana court ruling opened the door for him to return for a fifth year of eligibility. The move looked like a depth piece at the time, especially with Drzewiecki bringing a resume that included a minicamp stint with the Baltimore Ravens, but it has turned into one of the quieter success stories on the roster.
Drzewiecki has been flawless on field goals through six games, and his most important swing of the season came against Iowa. In a tight rivalry game, he delivered the game-winner from 46 yards out, the kind of kick that can change how a team views its special teams in a hurry and leave everyone around the program grateful the extra year became available. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Just Took Back Floyd In A Win Fans Will Remember
The Gophers finally gave their home crowd something to celebrate in one of the sports most familiar border wars, beating No. 15 Iowa 13-10 at Huntington Bank Stadium and reclaiming Floyd of Rosedale. Minnesota had been stuck in a five-game home losing streak in the rivalry, so this one carried the kind of weight that goes beyond one Saturday in October and lands somewhere in the programs memory bank.
What made it even sweeter was the way it unfolded, with the game hanging in the balance until the final play. The win also adds another trophy to Minnesotas collection, a reminder that this season has already given the Gophers a rare place in the rivalry landscape even before the full story of the year is written. [Read more 🡒]