Post Game Thread: Hawkeyes Humiliate Gophers

Colorado, Washington and Georgia Tech have won nattys in my lifetime. The Gophers last one was 12 years before I was born.

Washington was in the national title game a couple years ago. GT right now is undefeated and ranked 8th. Pitt has two conference titles in the last 20 years, and as recently as 2021 went 11-2, won the ACC and went to the Peach Bowl.

The point is, all of these are in markets with 3 or more major pro teams.
Building on that...TCU beat Michigan and was in the national championship game 3 years ago. Houston and Villanova are college basketball powers. Hell, Northwestern--a complete afterthought in Chicago--has appeared in 2 Big Ten football championship games in the last 8 years and has played in 2 New Year's Six games in the last 30 years (2 more than us).
 

Yes, Indiana has quickly built a powerful team. Maybe it's possible here, but 6 decades, 11 coaches, and new facilities haven't done it. Thanks for the civil discussion.
I think the idea that you keep changing coaches until you get a Cignetti is a pretty good recipe for sucking. The math on the number of mid level P5's changing coaches and a Cignetti situation has to be astronomical.

We got beat up by a team that has NOT done that ...
 


Colorado, Washington and Georgia Tech have won nattys in my lifetime. The Gophers last one was 12 years before I was born.

Washington was in the national title game a couple years ago. GT right now is undefeated and ranked 8th. Pitt has two conference titles in the last 20 years, and as recently as 2021 went 11-2, won the ACC and went to the Peach Bowl.

The point is, all of these are in markets with 3 or more major pro teams.
Ok thanks for clarifying, I wasn't sure if you were referring to the last 10-15 years or going back 30+ years, because if it was the former I don't think you could say that about the 3 schools I pointed out.
 

I think the idea that you keep changing coaches until you get a Cignetti is a pretty good recipe for sucking. The math on the number of mid level P5's changing coaches and a Cignetti situation has to be astronomical.

We got beat up by a team that has NOT done that ...
Yeah, fans who want a coaching change are real quick to point out the times it has worked, while conveniently ignoring the significantly longer list of times where coaching changes haven't worked.
 


Yeah, fans who want a coaching change are real quick to point out the times it has worked, while conveniently ignoring the significantly longer list of times where coaching changes haven't worked.
Our neighbors to the East are a good example.

Dairy Raid!

Oh noes ...
 

Yeah, fans who want a coaching change are real quick to point out the times it has worked, while conveniently ignoring the significantly longer list of times where coaching changes haven't worked.
Not sure the guy who ranted and raved about keeping Ben Johnson until the bitter end is the guy we should be taking coaching advice from.

That said, few are asking for Fleck to be fired.

Lots of reasonable folks asking for Fleck to change his best.
 

Our neighbors to the East are a good example.

Dairy Raid!

Oh noes ...
This. We complain about Fleck's not so exciting style, but Wisconsin tried something completely different from their usual and it's a total disaster.
 

Ok thanks for clarifying, I wasn't sure if you were referring to the last 10-15 years or going back 30+ years, because if it was the former I don't think you could say that about the 3 schools I pointed out.
To be fair, one could also note that while those schools all have significantly higher highs than MN, they also have some pretty horrible lows as well. Washington and Colorado had some putrid teams in that stretch.
 



I think the idea that you keep changing coaches until you get a Cignetti is a pretty good recipe for sucking. The math on the number of mid level P5's changing coaches and a Cignetti situation has to be astronomical.

We got beat up by a team that has NOT done that ...
Yes, Cignetti is an outlier not something you managed toward.
 

I think the idea that you keep changing coaches until you get a Cignetti is a pretty good recipe for sucking. The math on the number of mid level P5's changing coaches and a Cignetti situation has to be astronomical.

We got beat up by a team that has NOT done that ...
So, be satisfied with what we have in Fleck...is that your point?
 

Not sure the guy who ranted and raved about keeping Ben Johnson until the bitter end is the guy we should be taking coaching advice from.

That said, few are asking for Fleck to be fired.

Lots of reasonable folks asking for Fleck to change his best.
Right. I don't think its reasonable to fire Fleck and I'm not one of the "this is as good as it gets" crowd. The fact of the matter is that he still wins more games than he loses, although the losses are so often so maddening. But I don't think its unreasonable to ask more of him and I also don't think its unreasonable to take the risk that he leaves on his. own.

I've said before that Coyle can't be afraid to watch him leave. He shouldn't be given his annual raise and extension. While I'd like to see Coyle ask Fleck to amend his contract to decrease his pay to increase the assistants' pool I doubt that happens. But any increase in coaching salaries should go towards the assistants' pool and not the head coach.

Alternatively, if Fleck is extended or given a raise, I'd look for a drastic buyout reduction in the event that certain metrics are not met. For instance, reduce the buyout by 75% if Fleck doesn't hit 8 wins overall, or 5 conference or win a trophy game, or something of the like.

Finally, if I'm Coyle, I demand that PJ hire experienced coordinators and give them greater autonomy to call the game as they see fit.
 

Yeah, fans who want a coaching change are real quick to point out the times it has worked, while conveniently ignoring the significantly longer list of times where coaching changes haven't worked.
There's a dynamic with fans and sports where if teams listened to the loudest fans ... those same fans would almost certainly quit because the result would be that the team would stink.

But the voices are there for every dang team of every sport where they want the team to put a gun to its head and pull the trigger.

It's strange.
 



I think the loss was to a more skilled team. My point was that I think it's easier to recruit top kids to a college town where they are adored by the fans who are not distracted or diluted by an excess of pro sports attractions. i.e. in college towns, the players are on page one while in the TC, they are on page 6. I've made this opinion on GH for many years and it is not well received. Yet it remains my opinion absent a better explanation for why the Gophers were a national power until the arrival of the big pro franchises. Thanks for the civil post. How are things in The Falls? :)
The U of M would be dominant in sports were it situated in Mankato and not run by horn-rims. Understand, it is Minneapolis and always has been that is the problem with the athletic department.
Couple that with an administration that doesn't care about sports much at all and this is what we get.
It's been that way for generations now and people still don't understand why and blame it on the Pro Sports teams...
 

Ok thanks for clarifying, I wasn't sure if you were referring to the last 10-15 years or going back 30+ years, because if it was the former I don't think you could say that about the 3 schools I pointed out.

You really shouldn't get to count National titles from when you were the only University allowing black players on the team. Sorry, but this was the reason the Gophers won all those years ago.
 

The U of M would be dominant in sports were it situated in Mankato and not run by horn-rims. Understand, it is Minneapolis and always has been that is the problem with the athletic department.
Couple that with an administration that doesn't care about sports much at all and this is what we get.
It's been that way for generations now and people still don't understand why and blame it on the Pro Sports teams...
This is an absurdly stupid statement.
 


You're only as good as your coaching staffs. PJ has lost way too much coaching talent over the last few years and eventually it just gets impossible to reload and replace these guys every single year. We (and PJ) have been complaining about not paying our assistants enough for years. We are near the bottom every year.

I'm sure Danny Collins is a nice guy, but he was clearly given the keys because he was basically the last man standing. We let Cal's QB pick us apart like prime Brady, then they go get blanked 0-34 the next week against San Diego State. We have the most athletic d-line we've ever had, two 5-6 year LB's, and a young but very talented and athletic secondary. I'm not saying this all falls on the coaches, I do think we still have talent holes on the team. But this roster is to good to put on some of these performances this year.
 

Tell me why things never work out at the U sports-wise then?

Generation after generation of the same old thing. Think it's just bad luck??
1. I already pointed out a number of programs in major cities that have had success on the football field. The city vs. college town argument is unfounded and a cop out. It MAY have mattered once upon a time, but it's about money and facilities now.

2. Literally nearly ALL colleges are run by academics. At least public ones. That's why they're COLLEGES. I suppose diploma mills like Liberty or Oral Roberts founded by charlatan TV preachers might be a little different.
 
Last edited:

You really shouldn't get to count National titles from when you were the only University allowing black players on the team. Sorry, but this was the reason the Gophers won all those years ago.
Wouldn’t this be something to be proud of as University?
 

You really shouldn't get to count National titles from when you were the only University allowing black players on the team. Sorry, but this was the reason the Gophers won all those years ago.
Holy crap that is an ignorant statement.....we were ahead of the curve in allowing black players to play but we were far from the only team doing it.
 

Says the guy whining about "liberal bias" on a football forum.

Every accusation is an admission that you haven’t learned to read. Come up out of the basement. Our University is managed by people who care less about winning. Don’t pay attention to the many complaints about game day experiences. Just go along with the statusquo. Forced a DEI hire for men’s basketball (how did that work out?). Just a bunch snow flakes leading our University who aren’t willing to make the necessary changes to allow for the Gophers to be competitive in the B1G Ten.
 





Top Bottom