fantasy inland

i got off the plane late friday and picked up the paper to relax. according to sid hartman, the strib's elder scribe, vikings coach brad childress had a lot to say about planes:

"I thought that the right group got on the plane, and I talked to those guys about that," Childress said. "The right group got on the plane when we went to Washington -- not so much the right group when we went to Buffalo. I thought these guys were right-minded. When our right-minded group gets on the plane, we feel like we can play with anybody ... individually, as a group, offense, defense, special teams, because it's a collective group that gets on the plane."

well, the minnversity's college football team got on the plane to columbus this week, chased out of town by angry maroon and gold fans with torches and pitchforks. they are 27-point underdogs to the nation's top-ranked team, and they barely eked out a victory over a teeny-tiny school with teeny-tiny players last week.

that's why i'm picking my gophers in this one. against all rational judgment, i somehow know they'll keep the buckeyes within 26 points and they just ... might ... even ... win. here's my reasoning:

1. the weather is lousy, which might lead to turnovers and keep the point differential close.
2. minnesota coach glen mason is a former ohio state assistant. he'll have the lads fired up for this one.
3. fan support has hit bottom. they were chanting "fire mason" at the hockey game last night.
4. ohio state will be coasting until the michigan game november 18.
5. the players know that this single game is their last best chance to turn a sad season into a great success. playing the "nobody believed in us" card can be a great motivator when nobody does, in fact, believe in you.

i believe, lads. go get 'em.