“It’s either win or go home; this is it,” Bell said. “It could be our seniors’ last games or we can put them back in a bowl game, so we’ve still got something to play for.”

It’s a unique situation for many of the Spartans to be in, especially considering the past two years, a bowl game already had been locked up before the final game of the season.

However, for juniors such as wide receiver Bennie Fowler and quarterback Andrew Maxwell, it brings about shades of the 2009 season, in which the Spartans finished 6-7, with only a 41-31 loss to Texas Tech in that year’s Alamo Bowl to show for it.

“I think that’s when we turned the tide in 2010 when we realized it’s not easy; it just doesn’t happen for you,” Maxwell said. “You really saw the leadership emerge. You really saw guys get determined and set their minds to some goals, take that workmanlike attitude, and you saw the fruits of that in 2010 (and) 2011.”

However, the start of that turnaround begins at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Maxwell said he expects the Golden Gophers to try to stuff Bell and the run, leaving it up their strong secondary to blanket the wide receivers. However, senior guard Chris McDonald said he relishes the challenge of trying to create holes in a crowded box.

“As an O-Lineman, you want that,” he said. “You want that on your shoulders to say you know what, put 12 guys in the box, put nine guys, put however many guys you want in the box, we’re going to come after it.”

The defense will have to prepare for a varied offensive attack, as junior wide receiver MarQueis Gray was converted from quarterback earlier in the year.

Junior linebacker Denicos Allen said he thinks it’s an advantage that Gray no longer is under center for the Gophers, but redshirt freshman linebacker Taiwan Jones is cautious.

“We know he comes in a little bit on third downs and the different schemes they try to put him back there and we see that on film and we game plan for that,” he said.

But when it comes down to it, head coach Mark Dantonio looks forward to Saturday’s game not only for the challenge Gray and the offense present, but also the chance to keep the program’s — and his own — streak alive.

“In a tough year where you’ve lost some tough games very close, to be able to continue to respond, get over the hump a little bit, opportunity to play in a bowl game against a great opponent —and I’m sure we’d have a great one — those are the things that are important,” he said.