| Year: | 2021 |
| Team: | Minnesota Golden Gophers |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Big Ten Conference |
| Division: | West Division |
| Short Conf: | Big Ten |
| Record: | 9–4 |
| Conf Record: | 6–3 |
| Head Coach: | P. J. Fleck |
| Hc Year: | 5th |
| Off Coach: | Mike Sanford Jr. |
| Oc Year: | 2nd |
| Cooff Coach1: | Matt Simon |
| Cooc1 Year: | 2nd |
| Off Scheme: | Spread option |
| Def Coach: | Joe Rossi |
| Dc Year: | 4th |
| Codef Coach1: | Joe Harasymiak |
| Codc1 Year: | 2nd |
| Def Scheme: | 4–3 |
| Stadium: | Huntington Bank Stadium |
| Bowl: | Guaranteed Rate Bowl |
| Bowl Result: | W 18–6 vs. West Virginia |
| Champion: | Guaranteed Rate Bowl champion |
The 2021 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Golden Gophers played their home games at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and competed in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by fifth-year head coach P. J. Fleck.
See also: 2021 Ohio State Buckeyes football team. The Golden Gophers opens the 2021 season at Huntington Bank Stadium, where they will host the 4th ranked team in the nation the Ohio State Buckeyes. This will be the 51st meeting between the 2 teams, with Ohio State having a winning record against the Gophers at 44-7-0. The Buckeyes have won 10 straight, which is their 2nd longest current Big Ten winning Streak. The teams last met in 2018, with the Buckeyes winning 30–14 at Ohio Stadium.
The TV Broadcast on Fox was the fourth most-watched broadcast television program of the week, averaging 6.295 million viewers.[2] That is the largest audience for an opening-week college football telecast on Fox.[3]
See also: 2021 Wisconsin Badgers football team and Minnesota–Wisconsin football rivalry.
See also: 2021 West Virginia Mountaineers football team and 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl.