The Walkthrough -- Minnesota

-- WR Colin Sandeman gets the start over Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. Just like the opener against EIU.

Senior Josh Koeppel is in at right guard. Adam Gettis and Nolan MacMillan are the No. 2s. They're recovering from injury, but looked as though they could play. 

-- By the way, it looked like Mike Meyer's range was 40-45 yards today. I saw Trent Mossbrucker try a 50-yarder. It was short.

-- So, Rich Rod gone? I think yes and I think you'll see Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor next season.

If Brady Hoke comes to Minnesota, that's a gigantic upgrade for the Big Ten.

-- I think the Outback is on the line today, given the results of the early games, which will help Iowa.

Interestesting fact, Iowa's TV ratings this season are better than Penn State's. That's a factor.

Penn State's best argument to Outback is it hasn't been there since 2007 (a 20-10 victory over Tennessee) and Iowa was just there in 2009 (a 31-10 victory over South Carolina). It would be Iowa's fourth Outback trip since 2004. Penn State has been to the Tampa bowl game just three times since 1996.

If the Penn State score holds, the Nittany Lions will finish 7-5. If Iowa holds serve against 2-9 Minnesota, it will finish 8-4 with a victory over Penn State. Michigan also will finish 7-5 with its impending loss at Ohio State.

The Gator Bowl is in the first year of a Big Ten tie-in. Iowa was last there in 1983 (a 14-6 loss to Florida). Penn State's last trip was 1976, a 20-9 loss to Notre Dame.

Logic says the Hawkeyes would deserve the Outback bid over Penn State and Michigan. But in bowls, deserve's got nothing to do with it.

"I have a pretty good sense  . . . with a win today . . . it would be the Outback Bowl," Iowa AD Gary Barta said on the pregame radio. "But don't discount the Gophers. The pig means a lot to them."

-- Binns and Klug are out on the field doing some drills.

They are native Minnesotans.

___

There are no bowls here today.

The Outback and Gator are at Michigan State-Penn State today, checking out the Lions according to this post. The Gator has never scouted Iowa this season. This is the first game in a long time that the Outback hasn't checked out the Hawkeyes in a while. The Outback was at Kinnick Stadium last weekend.

-- Welcome to gameday.

It's 15 degrees here in Minneapolis and TCF Bank Stadium. They named it after a bank because it's so money.

This stadium is 50,850 but can expand to 70,000-something. with additional seating in the end zone.

Immediately visible from here on the sixth floor in the press box is a feed mill and railroad to the right and Williams Arena and skyscrapers to the left.

Iowa is a 15-point favorite, latest number.

I picked Iowa 38-14 on the blog and 28-14 on the podcast. The weather is cold, but it's not windy, so that's a plus.