The return trip of the home-and-home series after OSU opened the 2016 in Minneapolis (a 30-23 Minnesota victory). This will be the Golden Gophers’ first game played in Oregon in program history. It also brings some national intrigue, thanks to new Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck. Fleck who transformed Western Michigan into a Cotton Bowl participant, then was hired by Minnesota earlier this month after Tracy Claeys was fired following a short-term player boycott due to the suspension of 10 players who were connected to sexual assault allegations. The trip to Corvallis will be Fleck's first contest against a Power 5 opponent as the Golden Gophers' coach, and also marks an early opportunity for the Beavers to make a statement against a team that went 9-4 and beat Washington State in the Holiday Bowl in 2016.
How will OSU fare in 2017?
