Verdict on Gophers football season again comes down to beating Iowa, Wisconsin

The resume has two head-scratchers on it, but the overarching view of the Gophers football season will be defined by what comes next against you-know-who.

The neighbors. The rivals. The nemeses.

Same as always.

Want to win the Big Ten West? Do something that hasn't been done since 1990: Beat Iowa and Wisconsin in the same season.

Want to maximize a roster crammed full of seniors and super seniors and super-duper seniors? Beat Iowa and Wisconsin. These circumstances don't come along often.

Want to make losses to Bowling Green and Illinois resemble a footnote instead of a grotesque scar? Beat Iowa and Wisconsin. Possession of the bronzed pig and giant axe will cause fans to forgive and forget Bowling Green.

This is not a call to climb Mount Everest or decipher hieroglyphics. The Big Ten West has never been more winnable.

No team has separated itself from the pack. No team looks invincible, particularly on offense. Four teams are tied for first place with three games remaining. All four teams have obvious flaws.

P.J. Fleck is searching for mile markers in building a program that has sustainable success, the kind of stability he sees when he looks east and south. That's the model he's chasing, the consistency of Iowa and Wisconsin as landlords of the division. It's just assumed that both teams will be contenders every November, because that has become their standard.

The Gophers strive to reach that level too, and they have made progress. The next step is a big one, but getting there has been an uphill Slip 'N Slide.

Fleck is 1-7 against the two biggest rivals in his Dinkytown tenure, 0-4 against Iowa and coach Kirk Ferentz. The Gophers have not won in Iowa City since 1999. They have looked overmatched some years, overwhelmed in others. Kinnick Stadium has chewed them up in different ways.

The 2019 season sent an electrical charge into the Gophers program with 11 wins, a visit from "College GameDay," field storming after Penn State and a big-boy performance against Auburn. Important developments that felt like a tide turning. But they didn't win the West. Their only two losses were to Iowa and Wisconsin.

Those two games remain the measuring stick, a hurdle the Gophers must clear to ascend to the next phase as a program.

The advice here is to cut it loose. Be aggressive. Don't fall into a trap of thinking that a conservative approach on offense is going to be successful against Iowa and Wisconsin. If Fleck and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. have been saving something in the folder, now is the time to put everything on the table.

In 2019, the Gophers lead Wisconsin 7-0 at home when they faced a fourth-and-2 at the Badgers 35 early in the game. Fleck punted. The decision felt deflating. The Gophers lost in a rout.

He took a different approach against Auburn in the Outback Bowl one month later. Leading by a touchdown late, the Gophers faced a fourth-and-1 at the Auburn 41 with four minutes remaining. Fleck went for it, and a successful pass play allowed the Gophers to run out the clock.

"We came here to win the football game," Fleck said of his aggressive play call.

That should be their mindset again in these final three games. Whatever it takes.

The Gophers enter crunch time with a Top-15 defense that is holding opponents to 18.3 points per game, the team's best showing since 1999.

The offense must pull its weight against a pair of Top-5 defenses in Iowa and Wisconsin. A game plan of run-run-run-run-run-pass won't work the way it does against Northwestern and Nebraska. Tanner Morgan and the passing game can't tag along as passengers against these defenses.

The Gophers' goal coming into the season was to be relevant in November, to be in contention. They've done that, but now it's prove-it time for a veteran team. Prove that they can do more than just contend. Prove that they can clear the two hurdles that always trip them up.

The West is there for the taking. Will they seize it this time?