Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[ShireNiner]

Gophers prepare for a few familiar foes for the upcoming season

Minnesota Golden Gophers Announce 2027 Season Schedule

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | June 6, 2027
Minnesota Gopher Report

MINNEAPOLIS— The 2027 season schedule has been announced, and for Minnesota fans, there are some big dates to look forward to mixed in with the usual grind of the Big Ten season.

(Records are from 2026)
1. Stanford (4-8)
The Cardinal comes to Minnesota for the first time since 1966. These two teams have only played each other twice in school history, a win for the Cardinal in California in 1931 and a Gopher win in 1966.

2. at Texas A&M (8-5)
The Aggies gave Mick Smith his first loss since taking over at Minnesota back in 2025. The two schools agreed to two matchups, with both taking place at Kyle Field. In the last meeting, the Aggies won 30-22 after Minnesota's second-half comeback attempt fell short. Recap

3. Ball State (10-3)
Ball State surprised people last season, going 10-3, but the highest win was over unranked Purdue. Minnesota will be favored in this one, but with future games looming, this could be a trap game if the Gophers are not careful.

4. 1 Ohio State (12-3)
The schedule makers could not wait to get a rematch with Ohio State and Minnesota. The Buckeyes are 3-0 against Mick Smith, with the last two coming down to the last play of the game. Despite losing the championship, Ohio State comes into the season as the preseason number 1. Recap

5. at Iowa (7-6)
The first rivalry trophy of the year. Minnesota and Iowa have split the last two seasons, with the home team winning both games. Recap


6. at 3 USC (15-4)
A rematch of last season's Big Ten Championship game. USC is coming off a national championship and has a retooled offense that looks ready to repeat in 2027 Recap

7. Open

8. Indiana 6-6
Despite the record, Indiana took Minnesota down to the wire last year in a 27-26 win for the Gophers. A Minnesota interception in the endzone as time expired ended the game in Bloomington so do not expect this one to be an easy win. Recap

9. at Nebraska 7-5
The win over Nebraska in 2025 was Mick Smith’s first rival trophy. Minnesota gave up 450 yards of offense to a Nebraska team without Dylan Riola. Riola is back healthy this season and will be looking to win the ‘Broken Chair’ back. Recap

10. at Maryland 4-8
A first meeting for Mick Smith and Maryland. Historically, Minnesota dominates this series winning 48-23 and 52-10 in recent years. The last match up coming in 2024.

11. Washington 5-7
Turnovers cost Minnesota in the trip to Washington last year. Giving the ball away three times in the loss despite AJ Turner rushing for over 250 yards. Washington has a new QB in CJ Carr (Michigan transfer) but the Gophers will be coming back with more firepower on offense, ready to get this one back Recap

12. Illinois 7-6
A first-time meeting for Mick Smith and Illinois. These two have not played since Minnesota knocked Illinois out of the top 25 in November 2024.

13. Wisconsin 4-8
If there was one team that Smith and the Gophers love to beat up on, it’s the Badgers. What is supposed to be their biggest rivals ends up being the biggest punching bag over the last two years. 2025 was a 38-13 beating in Minnesota, and last season was a 52-10 embarrassment at Camp Randal. What will be in store for the struggling Badgers this time? Recap

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Aiden “AJ” Wexler is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering Minnesota Gophers Football. He previously covered local high schools in the Minneapolis area. He is based in Minneapolis, MN. Follow AJ on Twitter @AidensFake.

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Comments

[Captain Canada]

Go Ponies

Texas A&M and Ohio State in the first half of the season is going to be one hell of a measuring stick.

[redsox907]

honestly, only three games that should be rough. And they're all early so you can build a win streak going into the late season for a CFP push

10-2 is my prediction

[ShireNiner]

Go Ponies

Texas A&M and Ohio State in the first half of the season is going to be one hell of a measuring stick.

I’m not sure about A&M based on last years record. But I wanted the rematch with them so hopefully they end up good and it becomes a ranked win.

honestly, only three games that should be rough. And they're all early so you can build a win streak going into the late season for a CFP push

10-2 is my prediction

last year it looked like a schedule from hell then one 3 teams I played ended up ranked. Ohio State, USC and at Iowa will be the biggest challenges early. Maybe Aggies with the running QB.

Back end looks easy like you say but Nebraska with their QB back and Washington with Carr might be hard.

[The Hunted]

Good luck this upcoming season, i hope SMU get blown out every week and Reed throws more Int's then TD's. (hopefully not in real life as he is coming back).

That freshman LB with 81 speed looks decent, will he get any playing time?

[djp73]

All the challenges should be in the first half of the schedule then yall can hopefully roll into the playoffs

[ShireNiner]

Good luck this upcoming season, i hope SMU get blown out every week and Reed throws more Int's then TD's. (hopefully not in real life as he is coming back).

That freshman LB with 81 speed looks decent, will he get any playing time?

Yea, he will get in as a back up to start, mostly due to lack of depth. With his speed and agility, if he can cover in zone then he might even become a starter.

All the challenges should be in the first half of the schedule then yall can hopefully roll into the playoffs

In that way, the schedule helps us. Once we get back Ohio State and USC, we will know if the playoffs are a possibility or not.

[ShireNiner]

USC is already being written off, can Lincoln Riley turn that into his favor?

Big Ten Preview: Ohio State Bounces Back and USC Suffers a Hangover

By: Bruce Felderman | August 10, 2027
Senior Writer, CFB

The 2027 Big Ten season is less than a month away, and the hierarchy of the "Super Conference" has never been more defined. As we look at the ShireNiner predictions, it’s a tale of two worlds: an elite upper crust of national title contenders and a basement battling to avoid total embarrassment.

Here is how the 18-team gauntlet shakes out.

The Big Three: National Title or Bust
At the top, three programs have separated themselves through elite recruiting and a talent pool that mirrors an NFL roster.

Ohio State Buckeyes (96 OVR): Ryan Day has constructed a complete masterpiece. After a heartbreak in last year's National Championship, the Buckeyes return Julian Sayin (92 QB) and James Peoples (90 HB). But the headline is the receiver room—headlined by George Parker (95), a freshman drawing Marvin Harrison Jr. comparisons. With Quincy Porter (93) and Phillip Bell (92) alongside him, Day has the best aerial arsenal in college football.

Oregon Ducks (94 OVR): While the Buckeyes have the depth, Oregon has the superstar. Dakorien Moore (97 WR) is the best individual playmaker in the country. Paired with Heisman favorite Dante Moore (95 QB), the offense is lethal. However, it’s the 99-rated defense that makes the Ducks contenders. Led by the interior duo of Aydin Breland and Jericho Johnson, there are no gaps. The only question: Can new hire Kenny Dillingham match Ryan Day’s big-game experience?

Michigan Wolverines (94 OVR): The second season of the "Sark Era." Steve Sarkisian has a healthy Bryce Underwood (93 QB) and a healthy Donovan Olugbode (91 WR). Behind the best offensive line in the conference (led by Blake Frazier), Michigan is built to win in the trenches. The only question for Michigan comes at the end of the season in The Game.

The Outside Chances
USC (91 OVR): Lincoln Riley isn't calling this a rebuild, but it’s certainly a transition. For the first time, USC lacks a 90+ rated skill player on offense and has zero preseason All-Americans on defense. Riley is banking on Bear Bachmeier to prove that the system, not just the stars, wins games.

Minnesota (84 OVR): Mick Smith has reached Indy two years running, and this is his best offense yet. However, the defense is a massive liability, coming off a season where they were statistically bottom-five. A favorable schedule helps, but the Gophers need a miracle on defense to make it three in a row.

Penn State (87 OVR): Out with James Franklin, in with Marcus Freeman. The Nittany Lions have the talent to play spoiler if Freeman can bring the "Irish luck" to State College.

Washington (86 OVR): The dark horse. Landing CJ Carr (94 QB) from Michigan was the heist of the offseason. If the Huskies can survive a late-season gauntlet of USC and Oregon, they could be the playoffs' biggest surprise.

The dark, dark horses
Nebraska: All eyes are on Dylan Raiola (93 QB) returning from an ACL tear. Paired with Kalen DeBoer, the Huskers are the ultimate wild card.

Michigan State: Chuck Martin has the Spartans back in the AP Top 25, but a lack of defensive depth and no stars on offense might limit their ceiling.

Iowa & UCLA: These teams are the defensive stalwarts of the middle class, but both lack the offensive explosiveness required to hang with the top teams. They might pull an upset like UCLA over USC last season or Iowa over Ohio State in 2025, but don't look for consistent wins out of these two.

Indiana & Maryland: James Franklin (IU) and Brent Key (Maryland) are essentially starting from scratch. Expect a year or two of "growing pains" while they recruit to the new standard.

The teams you only watch if it's a weeknight and nothing else is on
The basement of the Big Ten is a bleak landscape. At Illinois, Bret Bielema is struggling to break a cycle of 12th-place finishes. Sonny Cumbie (Northwestern) and Butch Jones (Purdue) are firmly on the hot seat, fighting for five-win seasons just to keep their jobs.

However, the outlook is grimmest in Madison. Despite the hire of Jason Candle, the Wisconsin Badgers are scraping the bottom of the barrel for recruits. For the third year running, the Badgers look like the conference cellar-dwellers, lucky to find two wins in the toughest conference in America.

The ShireNiner Prediction
Big Ten Championship: Ohio State over Oregon
Player of the Year: Dakorien Moore (Oregon)
Coach on the Hot Seat: Jason Candle (Wisconsin)
Freshman of the Year: George Parker

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Bruce Felderman is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering NCAA Football. Bruce previously wrote for ESPN, The Telegraph, and The Athletic before we paid way more money and he came to us.

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Comments

[The JZA]

Wish Wisconsin was on the early side of the schedule. Wanna see their asses curb stomped into the turf

[djp73]

Anyone but Ohio state as champs plz