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P.J. Fleck not downplaying signficance of Penn State matchup: ‘It’s one of the biggest games TCF Bank Stadium has ever seen’

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

It’s not often that Minnesota is home to one of the biggest, most important games of the B1G season. On Saturday, however, that will be the case.

No. 17 Minnesota hosts No. 4 Penn State in a cross-division battle of B1G unbeatens. The Gophers have an opportunity to notch their first signature win of the season, and the Nittany Lions get the chance to prove they’re one of the best four teams in the country.

All eyes will be on that noon kickoff.

Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck recently joined SiriusXM to talk about the marquee showdown in the Twin Cities. He didn’t downplay the significance of the game one bit.

“It’s one of the biggest games — if not the biggest game — TCF Bank Stadium has ever seen,” Fleck said. “I know our fans are really excited about the sellout crowd and what’s gonna take place on Saturday afternoon.”

The buzz is all about the significance of the game, and the impact it could have on the B1G race and the College Football Playoff picture. While Fleck recognizes all of that, he’s not focused on much outside of the game.

“The big thing is you’re playing a top opponent in the country. You’re playing a team that’s picked to be in the playoff  and we know that,” Fleck said. “But what we keep talking to our players about is we’ve taken every week as a one-game championship season. …We have a group of seniors full of 11 guys who have been through a lot who have been through a lot. Highs, lows, injuries, everything. And they are relentless.”

Minnesota and Penn State both enter Saturday’s game with perfect 8-0 records. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET with coverage on FOX.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB