Last week, I covered Vikings Training Camp in Eagan and came away with a few conclusions heading into the 2026 season. The first thing is that the defense looks like it is picking up where it left off at the end of last year. Dallas Turner was in Lamar Jackson’s face often during the joint practices with Baltimore last Wednesday and Thursday. He is embracing the challenge of being an elite pass-rusher after Johnathan Greenard was traded to the Eagles this offseason. Jalen Redmond was disruptive play in and play out, and the secondary was flying all over the place. The question will be how the offense can be consistent, balanced, and avoid turnovers to give Minnesota a chance to win week in and week out. Kyler Murray gives this team a chance to be explosive, but more than anything, the running game must be effective if this team wants to make the postseason. I will give my NFL predictions in my column coming up after Labor Day.
This week, college football gets underway, so here are some of my predictions for the upcoming season. 1) NDSU will qualify for a bowl game in their first year of playing FBS football. The Bison might be going through some growing pains at this level, but will still finish in the top tier of the Mountain West Conference. I predict NDSU will finish 8-4 and play in Boise, ID, for the Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday, Dec. 21. 2) UND will get to the semifinals of the FCS playoffs and be bounced by one of the Montana schools. They will finish tied for the Missouri Valley Football Conference title with South Dakota State and will be a top-four seed. The Fighting Hawks have quarterback Jerry Kaminski and star pass-rusher Lance Rucker returning and will be a force this year in FCS football. The big key is how quickly Rucker will come back from his foot injury 3) MSUM will go through some growing pains with NFL preseason phenom Jack Strand now with the Atlanta Falcons and will finish in the middle of the NSIC. The Dragons will finish 6-5 to be over .500 this year, while their neighbors a few blocks away, Concordia will finish 7-3 in the MIAC which is about where the Cobbers usually finish. 4) The University of Minnesota will finish 8-4 this year. The Golden Gophers have a relativly easy non-conference schedule, but games at Washington, home vs. MIchigan, at Penn State, and at Indiana keep them from qualifying for the College Football Playoff, but they will get a nice bowl heading to either Orlando or Tampa New Year’s weekend.
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