Have A Great Weekend!

PJS is taking a weekend away from home and travelling further north to the smoke free casinos in Atlantic City. Two nights at the Borgata (the only place to stay in AC) should do wonders for my bank account. Not really, but considering the shear amount of idiots who come to play poker counting on losing $1,000 or more, it's easier pickings than you might think.

Saturday is yet another big game opportunity for the Gophers. At 7-8, the Gophers are one game back in the conference of the 8-7 Ohio State Buckeyes. The positioning matters because the 5th seed (currently OSU) in the Big Ten tournament gets a bye while the sixth seed plays on day one. During the teams' first meeting this season in Columbus, the Buckeyes jumped out to an insurmountable double-digit lead.

During that contest, as was the case at Purdue this week and in so many other losses this season, the Gophers put together stretches of brilliance. But they also put together stretches of highly inconsistent play. A Minnesota win gives them a very outside chance at a NCAA berth, but more than anything else it gives them a shot at finishing 5th in the Big Ten. And that's not a bad accomplishment for largely the same team that went 9-22 a season ago.

I'll be back Sunday with my thoughts on the game. Until then, have a great weekend!