Game-by-game: Here is the Gophers' realistic path to Big Ten West title

Just a few weeks ago, the Gophers football team was 3-3 after a humbling loss to a Michigan team that may or may not have stolen their sideline signs but didn't need to regardless. The Vikings on that same weekend dropped to 1-4 after losing to Kansas City.

Neither the Gophers nor Vikings have lost since, going a combined 5-0 to create realistic expectations for meaningful football deep into the fall and early winter.

Vikings expectations have taken multiple detours along the way, the latest created by Kirk Cousins' season-ending injury. The Vikings should get a lot of information in their final nine games, as I talked about on Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast. On that same show, Gophers football writer Randy Johnson joined me to talk through the plausibility of the Gophers rallying enough to win the Big Ten West title.

The Gophers technically control their own destiny. If they win their final four games, they will be the division champs. But they are the only team in that four way tie — Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin are the others — that still has to play an elite team (Ohio State) from the Big Ten East.

So the Gophers need some help. Short of controlling their destiny with an upset of the Buckeyes, here is how their realistic path, week by week, could play out on the way to a title:

Saturday: The Gophers are only a mild favorite (about a field goal) at home against 3-5 Illinois, but let's put that one in the win category for Minnesota. Any Big Ten West title talk starts with a win in that game. The bad news is that Wisconsin (at Indiana), Nebraska (at Michigan State) and Iowa (at Northwestern) should also win this weekend. But at least a Northwestern loss would essentially eliminate the Wildcats, who are a game behind the leaders and own the tiebreaker over the Gophers, from the title pursuit.

Nov. 11: The Gophers win at Purdue, who will probably be on a four-game losing streak after facing Michigan this weekend. Surging Rutgers could very well knock off Iowa, giving the Hawkeyes their third Big Ten loss. Wisconsin should beat Northwestern, and let's say Nebraska defeats Maryland. Now it's a three-way tie at 5-2 between the Gophers, Badgers and Cornhuskers.

Nov. 25: It's Gophers vs. Badgers at Huntington Bank Stadium for what amounts to the Big Ten West title. Even if one of Nebraska or Iowa hasn't lost during the previous three weeks, they play each other so one of them will lose. The Gophers beat the mediocre Badgers, finishing in a tie with Wisconsin (at least) and perhaps Iowa and/or Nebraska as well. But the Gophers would be 3-0 against those teams, taking the tiebreaker and the spot in the Big Ten title game.

Here are four more things to know today:

*I have no idea how these next nine Vikings games will go, nor would I guess who will play quarterback from week to week. But I do know the Vikings have a unique opportunity to gain a lot of information about how they should proceed at quarterback in 2024 and beyond.

*Colorado coach Deion Sanders, talking about players have cash and jewelry stolen while playing at UCLA, which plays its home games in the Rose Bowl: "Our kids got robbed during the game last week. I think that's a travesty. I would expect the NCAA to do something about that. This is the Rose Bowl. They said the granddaddy of 'em all, right? I'm sure granddaddy had some money. Grandpa should have some money to give these kids."

*Tonight's Wolves home game against Denver feels about as important as Game 4 of an 82-game season can. After an uneven 1-2 start, the Wolves get a chance to prove themselves against the undefeated and defending champion Nuggets.