Minnesota Football: 5 reasons the Gophers can win Big Ten West in 2017

Minnesota football can realistically win the Big Ten West in 2017 and here's why the Gophers will be the popular pick soon enough.

Coming off a 9-4 season, you would think that Minnesota football would get a little more credit from national pundits, but that's surprisingly not the case. In fact, the Gophers are looked at as a mid-level Big Ten squad for the 2017 season, despite bringing back a plethora of talent.

Not just that, but the program fired Tracy Claeys amid team chemistry issues and the Gophers have since hired P.J. Fleck. The former Western Michigan head coach was the hottest commodity on the market and just came off a 13-1 campaign with the Broncos in which he led them to a New Year's Six bowl.

The program is in good shape and the coaching staff has been upgraded, so why the constant disrespect? Honestly, who knows. This is just another case of a solid program proving itself the year before getting nationally overlooked.

Here's why the Golden Gophers can realistically come away with the Big Ten West crown in 2017.

5. Solid defense

Last season, Minnesota had one of the top defenses in the Big Ten. The Gophers ranked No. 21 in the nation in terms of scoring defense as well as total defense. They really excelled against the run, ranking 14th in rushing yards allowed per game.

Although there are seven starters who will be replaced in 2017, the linebacking corps are as deep as ever and Jon Celestin leads the way. He will be back as the starter in the middle of the defense and could be an All-Big Ten candidate. The run defense will be just as good as it was a season ago.

On top of that, defensive tackle Steven Richardson and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. all return as starters and can be difference-makers for this group.

Despite losing starters, Fleck has the potential to replace those guys with just as talented players and potentially even better playmakers. This defense will be strong enough to contend in the Big Ten West.

Nov 19, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Rodney Smith (1) rushes with the ball for a first down in the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

4. Rodney Smith, Shannon Brooks combo

Heading into his junior season with Minnesota, Rodney Smith has proven that he's capable of carrying the load for the Gophers and will likely do so once again in 2017. With a new quarterback under center, Conor Rhoda, the Gophers are likely to rely more on the run game than anything else.

Luckily, they have one of the Big Ten's best running backs in Smith. If you're thinking that without an elite passing attack, they're not going to win anything, that's just not true. If this were the Big 12, then I'd agree with you, but the Big Ten is a conference based on smash-mouth football.

Minnesota hasn't had an elite passing attack in years, and that still hasn't stopped the Gophers from competing under Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys. The run game is what will separate Minnesota from the rest of the pack and it's not just Smith, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, that will have the ground game playing at a high level.

Moreover, Shannon Brooks is also entering his junior year with Minnesota after posting 650 yards and five touchdowns on 4.7 yards per carry in 2016. Couple those two with four out of five offensive line starters returning and you have a dominant rushing attack.

Nov 26, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Rodney Smith (1) during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

3. Big Ten West is wide open

Just look at the Big Ten West. There have been three different teams to win the division since the conference was split into East and West (as well as Leaders and Legends). Wisconsin is the type of team that will always be near the top of the conference, as a whole. The Badgers run a solid program and seem to compete for titles each season.

Nebraska is another team to watch for, but the Cornhuskers might be trending in the wrong direction for 2017, having to replace Tommy Armstrong and bringing back seven starters on an offense that ranked 90th nationally in 2016.

Iowa took a step back in 2016 after making the Big Ten Championship in 2015. The Hawkeyes went 8-5 with an ugly Outback Bowl loss to Florida, 30-3. They, too, are replacing a starting quarterback.

Northwestern could be a threat, but the Wildcats seem to be inconsistent every year. When they aren't expected to compete, they finish with 9-10 wins, but when they're the trendy pick, they finish with 6-7. Pat Fitzgerald's squad is a toss-up, but not necessarily a favorite.

Lastly, Purdue and Illinois have been bottom-dwellers for years. That won't change in 2017 as both are still in the 'rebuilding' process.

The West is wide open for a team like Minnesota to swoop in and win.

Nov 28, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; A Minnesota Golden Gophers cheer leader waves a flag while standing out on the field in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at TCF Bank Stadium. The Badgers won 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

2. Favorable schedule

If you just take a glance at Minnesota's 2017 schedule, you'll realize that the Gophers' non-conference slate is relatively easy. While you might be thinking about what that has to do with the Big Ten West title, just hear me out.

Let's say Minnesota beats Buffalo, Oregon State and a pesky Middle Tennessee team to begin the season, that gives the Gophers a 3-0 mark and some momentum heading into conference play. Winning those non-conference games are more important to conference titles than you might think.

Next on the schedule is Maryland at home followed by a road game against Purdue. Minnesota should be favored in each of those contests which would give the Gophers a strong 5-0 start to the campaign.

Then, Minnesota will host Michigan State which is coming off a rough 3-9 season and tumultuous offseason. If this game was in East Lansing, I'd give the Spartans the edge, but Minnesota should win, pushing its record to 6-0.

Illinois at home is next, which will be a win, followed by a tough road contest at Iowa. If they can beat the Hawkeyes, the Gophers should have some leeway for the remainder of the season.

The final games are at Michigan, Nebraska, at Northwestern and Wisconsin. If they can win one road game and take care of business at home, they'll be in good shape.

Luckily for Minnesota, the toughest divisional games (Nebraska, Wisconsin) are on their home turf.

Nov 18, 2015; DeKalb, IL, USA; Western Michigan Broncos head coach P.J. Fleck during the second quarter against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Huskie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

1. P.J. Fleck brings a new winning culture

If you've taken notice of Minnesota football over the past few years, you'd realize that the tides have been turning in the right direction. The Golden Gophers have been winning more and it all started with the hiring of Jerry Kill. After he stepped down due to health concerns, he left the program with Tracy Claeys.

Controversy struck the team in 2016, but he still led the Gophers to a 9-4 record before being let go and P.J. Fleck being hired.

The new direction that the athletic department wants the football team headed in is obvious. The program wants to be known for a winning attitude led by a hard-nosed, no-nonsense coach who respects and upholds moral values. Fleck is that guy.

Bringing in a new winning attitude to Minneapolis is refreshing and taking over a team that just finished with nine wins will be require no rebuilding effort. Players seem to love Fleck and it will show in year one with a major contention for the Big Ten West.

If there's any coach who could come from a mid-major program and win a division title in his first season, it's Fleck. He's a proven winner and if he can lead a MAC team to a New Year's Six bowl, imagine what he'll do with a nine-win Big Ten program.