It's hard to be competitive in football games when...

[Ole]

The youth, depth issues, and culture change have all been big reasons the team hasn't looked great. Iowa and MSU added alot of injury issues and wear and tear. Perfect storm as wisky enters with a typical power running game, but this time with an efficient passing attack. We don't match up right now.

I said before, think 2008 Iowa and how far off we thought we were from ever regaining Floyd. That was a young and deep team full of NFL talent that was going to be around for several years. Next year on the road we lost 12-0, and despite alot of bad football we stand here today with 2 consecutive victories against a team that beat us 55-0 just 4 years ago at home on senior night, in our best season since 2005.

We played poorly Sat, but it wasn't due to any individual or certain play.
Anyone really believe we will not improve going forward into the next several years? We desperately need a year of strength training, a bunch of reserve bodies, and an offseason of scheme and coaching stability.
I can easily see us catching up quick to wisky, college football is a very turbulent beast.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

The youth, depth issues, and culture change have all been big reasons the team hasn't looked great. Iowa and MSU added alot of injury issues and wear and tear. Perfect storm as wisky enters with a typical power running game, but this time with an efficient passing attack. We don't match up right now.

I said before, think 2008 Iowa and how far off we thought we were from ever regaining Floyd. That was a young and deep team full of NFL talent that was going to be around for several years. Next year on the road we lost 12-0, and despite alot of bad football we stand here today with 2 consecutive victories against a team that beat us 55-0 just 4 years ago at home on senior night, in our best season since 2005.

We played poorly Sat, but it wasn't due to any individual or certain play.
Anyone really believe we will not improve going forward into the next several years? We desperately need a year of strength training, a bunch of reserve bodies, and an offseason of scheme and coaching stability.
I can easily see us catching up quick to wisky, college football is a very turbulent beast.

I think a lot of people are confusing talent with youth. Call me naive, but I'm not quite ready to admit that the Gophers have a MASSIVE talent deficiency. They are playing an EXTRAORDINARY amount of freshmen and sophomores and more importantly, they are doing so at key positions. Yes, yes, yes, I know there are successful programs that play freshmen and underclassmen; but they are usually buoyed by upperclassmen, leaders, who have been around the block and it usually ISN'T at a key position like the offensive line.

Do they lack talent? I'm sure they do to an extent. But their problems currently stem MUCH more from just plain inexperience and youth (and the lack of strength and maturity that comes with it) than it does with a program-wide lack of talent.