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ESPN’s FPI predicts Top 25 showdown between Michigan and Minnesota
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Michigan and Minnesota will come out of the gates in what should be a marquee matchup for the B1G this weekend.
The B1G schedule finally gets underway after being delayed, and the Wolverines and Gophers will provide the lone Top 25 matchup in the conference this week to start the season. If the ranking alone is not enough to draw attention, this matchup provides plenty of intrigue in other areas.
Minnesota enters the 2020 schedule after being one of the breakout teams of 2019. Though the Gophers fell just short of a B1G West title, head coach P.J. Fleck has the program on the rise and looking to take that next step.
Michigan enters this season with plenty of question marks, including how to replace starting quarterback Shea Patterson. Beyond that, Jim Harbaugh’s future is currently a bit murky as he has yet to guide the Wolverines over the hump in the B1G East.
The cross-division matchup should be a tight contest, but ESPN’s Football Power Index does have a slight favorite. Heading into the game, the FPI is favoring Michigan with a 55.8% chance of winning the season opener.
Saturday’s action will get rolling at 7:30 pm EST on ABC.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.