One of the final bowl games outside of the College Football Playoff will bring the spotlight to one of the most unique games in the entire postseason schedule. The Duke's Mayo Bowl brings together two teams looking to finish the season strong, but most importantly, it also features a mayo bath for the game's winning coach.
This year, the game features Minnesota from the Big Ten and Virginia Tech from the ACC, two teams that showed competitiveness with the best teams in their respective conferences when they were at their best but also some inconsistencies throughout the season. The Golden Gophers gave Penn State one of their closest calls of the season in a 26-25 defeat in November and beat an Illinois team that would go on to finish with 10 wins on the year. The Hokies had their moments, also, like pushing Miami to the brink in a 38-34 thriller back in late September. If both teams bring their best, the result should be another competitive showing in a bowl game that's always brings the entertainment.
After Friday night's Mayo Bowl, all that's left is a Bahamas Bowl on Saturday and then the conclusion of the College Football Playoff with the semifinals on Jan. 9-10 and the championship game on Jan. 20. The best time of the year will be coming to a close, so let's take a look at what you need to know to dive in on the conclusion of the bowl season.
Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech: Need to know
Virginia Tech's depth will be tested: While every team in the bowl season has some roster fluctuation because of NFL Draft opt-outs, injuries and and the transfer portal, the Hokies are missing some key players on both sides of the ball for the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Starting quarterback Kyron Drones will miss the game with an injury, multiple All-ACC starters are going to be out on the defensive side of the ball, including second team All-American defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland, and 1,000-yard running back Bhayshul Tuten is among the offensive stars who are opting out of the game. These absences will test the depth of Brent Pry's team, which is seeking to finish the year with a bowl win for the second straight season.
Minnesota looks to extend its bowl streak: P.J. Fleck stands out among his peers in terms of his ability to get results in bowl games, and Minnesota as a program is currently carrying the nation's longest active bowl winning streak with seven bowl wins in a row. Fleck is responsible for five of those seven wins, carrying a 5-0 record in bowl games as the Golden Gophers coach, and he's 6-2 overall in bowl games. The last time Minnesota lost a bowl game was the Citrus Bowl at the end of the 2014 season.
First-ever meeting between these two programs: Minnesota and Virginia Tech have never met on the football field, though P.J. Fleck did coach against the Hokies during his time as Western Michigan's coach (a 35-17 Virginia Tech win in Blacksburg). The Golden Gophers are 20-14-1 all-time against ACC opponents, most recently taking a loss to North Carolina in this year's season opener, while Virginia Tech just last season defeated Big Ten foe (and former ACC rival) Maryland in last year's Military Bowl.
How to watch Duke's Mayo Bowl live
Date: Friday, Jan. 3 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium -- Charlotte, N.C.
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Duke's Mayo Bowl prediction, picks
Picking against Fleck in bowl games has not been profitable, and doing so in this spot would be investing a lot of faith in a Hokies team that's without many of its best pieces. Minnesota might have suffered from some of the same head-scratching results throughout the season, but its best was better and the bowl record is an X-factor to consider in the pick. Pick: Minnesota -7.5
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