Gophers football slotted 12th in Big Ten preseason poll

Gophers 6-win season in 2023 'didn't sit well with anybody'

The Gophers football team had local media day for the 2024 season on Thursday at Athletes Village after going 6-7 last season.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota football team will likely head into the 2024 season with quite the chip on its shoulder.

The Gophers, coming off a 6-7 season, were placed 12th in a Big Ten preseason poll put together by Cleveland.com on Monday. The league will have 18 teams for the first time with the addition of former Pac-12 teams USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon.

What we know

Minnesota and the other Big Ten teams head to Lucas Oil Stadium this week in Indianapolis for media days. P.J. Fleck will have linebacker Cody Lindenberg, quarterback Max Brosmer and running back Darius Taylor representing the Gophers. Kicker Dragan Kesich will also attend as their social media correspondent, which will provide its own source of entertainment.

What does Minnesota’s ranking mean?

Coming off a five-win regular season in 2023 and needing a high APR score to earn a bowl game, there’s not a lot of preseason chatter around the Gophers. Ohio State is predicted to win the Big Ten, Oregon is second and Penn State rounds out the top three. Michigan, last year’s national champion, dropped to fourth. Washington, which lost to Michigan in the title game, dropped to 10th.

Of the Big Ten teams on their schedule, the Gophers are behind Penn State (3), Michigan (4), Iowa (5), USC (6), Wisconsin (7), Rutgers (9) and Maryland (11). They are in front of Illinois (13) and UCLA (15).

Why Brosmer, Taylor and Lindenberg at Big Ten Media Days?

Brosmer threw for more than 3,400 yards and was a finalist for FCS Player of the Year in 2023 at New Hampshire. He had 70 career touchdowns in FCS, and should make the Gophers more explosive this season. Taylor led the Big Ten in rushing and was the league’s Freshman of the Week three straight times before going down with an injury. Getting him back this season was one of Fleck’s biggest recruiting wins. Lindenberg, a former Anoka standout, is the heart and soul of the defense, one that must improve after allowing more than 26 points per game last season.

Fleck is entering his eighth season at Minnesota. He’s 50-34 with the Gophers, 29-32 in league play and 5-0 in bowl games. Stay tuned for a P.J. Fleck Show on FOX 9 from Big Ten Media Days.

What's next

After Big Ten Media Days, the Gophers will start fall camp as they open the 2024 regular season on Thursday, Aug. 29 against North Carolina at Huntington Bank Stadium, a game you can watch on FOX 9.