Minnesota fans made their way down to the front rows for an up-close view of the revelry, replacing the Wisconsin fans who had filed out into the cold, windy afternoon.

With their methodical 24-7 triumph over the Badgers, the Gophers won the border battle for the third time in four years and fourth time in P.J. Fleck's eight years in Dinkytown. They went 7-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten games, and after Saturday's results trickled in, they finished in a seventh-place tie with Michigan in the conference standings. This coming from a team that Las Vegas oddsmakers originally pegged as a 4.5-win team for over-under wagers and one that Big Ten media members picked for 12th among the league's 18 teams.