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ESPN’s FPI predicts the outcome of Virginia Tech-Minnesota bowl game
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ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) predicts the outcome of each college football game ahead of each week. With the regular season games behind us, the model has now been updated for the upcoming bowl slate.
In the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the Minnesota Golden Gophers are taking on the Virginia Tech Hokies. The model sees this game as a true toss-up, giving the Hokies a 51.1% chance to win while giving the Gophers a 48.9% chance.
In the regular season, the Hokies went 6-6 while the Gophers went 7-5. The Hokies were seen as a darkhorse ACC champion candidate but ended up barely making a bowl. The Gophers, meanwhile, exceeded expectations and even gave Penn State a close game. The Hokies beat Georgia Tech and their rivals, Virginia. The Gophers’ best wins came against Illinois and USC.
This bowl game will be the first-ever meeting between these teams. This will be the first appearance in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl for the Gophers and will be the 3rd appearance for the Hokies. The Hokies are 1-1 in this game, with their most recent appearance coming in 2019 in a loss to Kentucky.
In the 2023 edition of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, West Virginia took on North Carolina. The Mountaineers won the matchup convincingly, with a final score of 30-10. This game has been played since 2002 but has only been sponsored by Duke’s Mayo since 2020.
This game between the B1G and ACC will kick off from Bank of America Stadium on Jan. 3.
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
