What bowl game will the Gophers play in after their loss to Penn State?

Minnesota couldn’t live up to its poor bid against No. 4 Penn State on Saturday and suffered its second straight loss. Now 6-5 on the season, the Gophers still have a big game on the schedule against Wisconsin, but which bowl do experts think they’ll be invited to?

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and 247sports’ Bud Crawford agree that Minnesota will play in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl, but they differ on the opponent. Schlabach expects the Gophers to face Syracuse for the second time in three years, while Crawford expects Pittsburgh to represent the ACC.

Minnesota faced the Orange in the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl, with the Gophers winning 28-20. The last time they faced Pitt was in 1992 in a real road game. If Minnesota loses to Wisconsin this week as a 2-point underdog, its chances of returning to the Bronx will skyrocket.

Despite two straight losses, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura still believes Minnesota will be the Big Ten’s representative at the Music City Bowl this winter. This game is affiliated with the SEC and Big Ten conferences and is considered one of the main tournaments outside of the traditional New Year’s Six games.

The Gophers haven’t played in the Music City Bowl since 2005. They practically need to win this week against Wisconsin if they want to have any chance of getting an invite. There are many scenarios that have yet to play out, but Minnesota is currently 4-4 in conference play and has a three-way tie for seventh place. A win over the Badgers could make the Gophers the third-best team in the conference outside of the playoffs.

If the Gophers lose this week and Michigan State gets its sixth win, there’s a chance they’ll be picked over other Big Ten opponents like Nebraska, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin and Iowa in the bowl selection process. The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy predicts Minnesota will play in the Quick Response Bowl against Boston College. This may be a disappointment to some, but at least it will be a game against a power conference team in a warm climate.

Ultimately, a win this week over Wisconsin will go a long way in keeping Minnesota out of the vaunted Detroit Bowl or heading to New York again for the Pinstripe Bowl. At the end of the day, the organizers of each tournament have to choose who they want to see in their game, and resumes and records haven’t always meant everything in the past.