Not to nitpick drive4cy but I have my doubts that Minnesota will finish in the lower level of a mediocre Big 10 this year. They look to have all the right parts to be pretty decent in my opinion.
First off, the Big Ten is 4-1 against the Big 12. And the teams they have beaten are ISU, Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Colorado. The only loss is an extremely young and inexperienced Ohio State team against a very talented and veteran Texas A&M team. So if the Big Ten is mediocre, the Big 12 is dismal.
That being said, I don't think Minnesota will finish in the top half. They'll finish higher than Iowa, Penn State, and Northwestern. But I don't see them doing better than Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, or Illinois. The only team that's an "if" that they are better than is Michigan.