STEELE SPORTS

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are in the midst of preparing to take on the University of Syracuse Orange at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 29, in what could turn out to be a war of attrition.

In the final game of the season for both sides this year, there is no doubt that fans and athletes alike will be tuning in for the last ride, and in my opinion, it may just come down to the wire.

While both sides boast viable offenses, what has been the bread and butter for each team has been their stingy defensive play.

Minnesota will enter the game as 9.5-point favorites on the spread, while the over/under will be set at 42 points.

For Minnesota fans statewide, these two lines would appear to heavily favor the Golden Gophers, but this game may prove to be closer than it initially seems.

Minnesota is currently dealing with two injuries at quarterback between Tanner Morgan and Cole Kramer, meaning that there is a possibility that fans will be watching backup quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis take the field at Yankee Stadium this week.

Add this on top of the fact that Syracuse’s defense has allowed less than 200 yards passing per game this season, and it will mean that the Golden Gophers may be forced to rely on the run game more heavily than usual.

Fortunately for Minnesota, Syracuse boasts college football’s 68th-best rush defense, meaning that, in theory, there should be room to run for Minnesota’s star running back Mohamed Ibrahim.

While Syracuse has proven to have a balanced offense, averaging 224 passing yards and 143 rushing yards a game, Minnesota should be primed to have answers for the Orange offense as the Golden Gophers have NCAA’s fourth-best scoring defense.

Minnesota has been excellent on the defensive and has allowed on average a measly 13 points to opposing offenses.

While these two teams have not played one another since 2013 and have only squared off on the gridiron five times in NCAA history, they do have a strong track record of keeping games close.

Across five games, the average scores have favored Syracuse by a minimal 22-21 edge, with totals going under three out of five times and pushing twice.

For those unfamiliar with betting lines, the translation is: This game could go either way and likely will be low scoring.

In doing my best football coach impression, the key to this game will undoubtedly be controlling the line of scrimmage, as both teams figure to lean on old-fashioned, ground-and-pound football to keep possession and burn the clock with a lead.

As much as I would love to believe in the Golden Gophers to cover the spread, I think the best play in this game may be rooting for the under at 42.

Yet, as a football fan and a former offensive player, rooting for an under seems sacrilegious at times, so I’m sure I will be yelling at my TV for some offense if things are moving too slow.

Kickoff for the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl is scheduled for 1 p.m. CST and can be viewed on ESPN.