MN -NE game is the most important Gopher Football game in 20,30,40 yrs?

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Anyone recall a game that meant more to a Gopher football season than the MN NE game on Nov 22? Maybe, the 80 something Independence Bowl game.
 

I would put that 2003 Michigan game ahead of this by quite a bit. But there aren't many others to choose from. If the Gophers manage to win on Saturday, the Wisconsin game will be the biggest game since 1967.
 

Hates Monikers said:
I would put that 2003 Michigan game ahead of this by quite a bit. But there aren't many others to choose rom. If the Gophers manage to win on Saturday, the Wisconsin game will be the biggest game since 1967.
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This.
 

Yeah the '03 Mich game always comes to mind. Yes, it was early in the season, so it had less impact on the conference race directly since there were so many games yet to be played. But importance to the program/perception/etc I'd say it was bigger.

But I don't know that we've had a game this meaningful post-November 20th in 40 years, so I'll agree with that. Win this one and the Wisconsin game outshines the 03 Michigan game for importance.
 



Last year we were 8-2 (4-2) going into a big ten showdown at home with a ranked Wisconsin team (nov. 23rd). Would have put us to 9 wins overall.
 


Hates Monikers said:
I would put that 2003 Michigan game ahead of this by quite a bit. But there aren't many others to choose from. If the Gophers manage to win on Saturday, the Wisconsin game will be the biggest game since 1967.
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Agreed. Much bigger game. Had we won, we likely had a BCS bowl and the future of the program may have taken a different track. The Nebraska game is meaningless if we win and then lose to Wisconsin. Then it becomes just another win.
 

Sparlimb said:
The Nebraska game is meaningless if we win and then lose to Wisconsin. Then it becomes just another win.
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Well, that's not really true. If we lose to NE and then beat WI, the Nebraska game had just as much meaning (kept us from winning the West). We need both wins to win the west, so this game is quite important.
 



Sparlimb said:
Agreed. Much bigger game. Had we won, we likely had a BCS bowl and the future of the program may have taken a different track. The Nebraska game is meaningless if we win and then lose to Wisconsin. Then it becomes just another win.
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I agree that it would have been a much better season, but it is all hindsight and speculation. We were 6-0(2-0) going into that game and had a lot of season to play yet. That game derailed our season. But before the game it wasn't one which had direct conference implications and it certainly didn't guarantee us a BCS bowl. We would have been 7-0 not 10-0. While I agree that our season and program might have taken a different track, it wasn't a foregone conclusion.
 

I don't think a win against Nebraska on the road is " meaningless " no matter what the outcome against Wisconsin is. This gives us 8 wins with a tougher schedule then last year. A win against Nebraska also improves our Bowl situation.
 

I would argue that the Michigan game this year was the 'biggest' game so far this year. Even though that was a down Michigan team, they were also down last year and thumped us. I think that game prepared us mentally to be 'Winners' this year and going forward with Coach Kill. This Nebraska game is huge- but I think regardless the outcome, next week's Wisconsin game is bigger.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
I don't think a win against Nebraska on the road is " meaningless " no matter what the outcome against Wisconsin is. This gives us 8 wins with a tougher schedule then last year. A win against Nebraska also improves our Bowl situation.
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+1 We need to win at least one more game in order to get us into the next tier of bowls. If we end up with two more losses we are 7-5 and on a 3 game losing streak. We don't end up with the best bowl in that scenario. We need to win one of these last two games if possible.
 



IAGopherfan said:
Last year we were 8-2 (4-2) going into a big ten showdown at home with a ranked Wisconsin team (nov. 23rd). Would have put us to 9 wins overall.
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At the same time, while we woke up that morning still mathematically alive for the title, we were eliminated by MSU before we kicked off. This year, we go into this weekend not only alive, but in total control of our title hopes. We win, we are in, we don't have to do any watching or hoping or praying, any snap that affects our title hopes is taken with us on the field. That is a big deal.
 

IAGopherfan said:
+1 We need to win at least one more game in order to get us into the next tier of bowls. If we end up with two more losses we are 7-5 and on a 3 game losing streak. We don't end up with the best bowl in that scenario. We need to win one of these last two games if possible.
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Beating Nebraska pretty much clinches the 4th best record in the Big Ten. This is a huge game for bowl selection. Bigger than the Wisconsin game.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
At the same time, while we woke up that morning still mathematically alive for the title, we were eliminated by MSU before we kicked off. This year, we go into this weekend not only alive, but in total control of our title hopes. We win, we are in, we don't have to do any watching or hoping or praying, any snap that affects our title hopes is taken with us on the field. That is a big deal.
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True, I had forgotten that MSU clinched before we even played.
 


afurry91 said:
Beating Nebraska pretty much clinches the 4th best record in the Big Ten. This is a huge game for bowl selection. Bigger than the Wisconsin game.
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Do we need Maryland to lose another game for that scenario (assuming beat Neb and lose to Wiscy)? I am not sure what the tie breakers would be if we end with the same conference record as them.
 

afurry91 said:
Beating Nebraska pretty much clinches the 4th best record in the Big Ten. This is a huge game for bowl selection. Bigger than the Wisconsin game.
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1 win, in either of the next 2 is big for Bowl selection. But if we beat NE, WI is way bigger.

To answer the original question, agree that only Michigan 03 in my life has been as important.
 

IAGopherfan said:
Do we need Maryland to lose another game for that scenario (assuming beat Neb and lose to Wiscy)? I am not sure what the tie breakers would be if we end with the same conference record as them.
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Ya that's the one unknown for me. I'm just hoping Maryland loses to Michigan and we don't have to worry about that.

To be honest, I don't think there are tie breakers for teams that aren't even in the same division. Even if we get bumped down to fifth because of it, that should still have us in tier 1 but it would probably mean holiday bowl instead of outback bowl. I'm pushing for outback because I have a feeling a bowl game in San Diego will cost me more money than a bowl game in Tampa. Especially since I have family in Sarasota I can stay with.

Obviously this all hinges upon the conference not having the helmet schools jump the schools that are more deserving.
 

DougMN said:
I would argue that the Michigan game this year was the 'biggest' game so far this year. Even though that was a down Michigan team, they were also down last year and thumped us. I think that game prepared us mentally to be 'Winners' this year and going forward with Coach Kill. This Nebraska game is huge- but I think regardless the outcome, next week's Wisconsin game is bigger.
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You make a good point about the Michigan game. That was a big confidence builder.
 

I agree on the Michigan game, I said it at the time that it was the most important game to date for Kill's tenure and I stand by it. Lose and we're 3-2, same old Gophers, why can't Kill get it done in year 4, etc. That win was really key to getting things moving in a good direction for the season.

This game is undoubtedly huge this weekend, however. That's what happens when you're a contender - each game is huge.
 

Sparlimb said:
The Nebraska game is meaningless if we win and then lose to Wisconsin. Then it becomes just another win.
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The Gophers’ last win in Lincoln was in 1960 (26-14). Since then, we are 0-7 there. In those seven games we scored a total of 28 points (while giving up 277). Four of the games were shutouts and only once was the final margin less than 24 points. The scores of games 25-45 years ago won’t have much bearing on what transpires on Saturday, but as a fan of the program I believe that winning the game in Lincoln on Saturday is far from "meaningless" or "just another win" if they don’t win the next week in Madison.
 

afurry91 said:
Beating Nebraska pretty much clinches the 4th best record in the Big Ten. This is a huge game for bowl selection. Bigger than the Wisconsin game.
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4th best record in the Big Ten but not the 4th best record overall as Nebraska (if it beats Iowa) will finish with one more win and one less loss. Just because the league office now has a lot of say about bowl assignments doesn't mean Nebraska wouldn't go to the Outback before us. I would rather see the team go to the Holiday than the Outback anyway. The Holiday features good competition and is the only night bowl game on that day whereas two other big bowls compete with the Outback at the same time.
 

Gopher07 said:
I agree on the Michigan game, I said it at the time that it was the most important game to date for Kill's tenure and I stand by it. Lose and we're 3-2, same old Gophers, why can't Kill get it done in year 4, etc. That win was really key to getting things moving in a good direction for the season.

This game is undoubtedly huge this weekend, however. That's what happens when you're a contender - each game is huge.
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THIS. Wiscy game next week will be even bigger if we win this one. The beauty of actually being relevant in November.
 

This is the biggest game in my lifetime because it is the first game that could directly put the Gophers in the playoffs for a championship. No other game has done that to my recollection. Win or go to a lesser bowl starts this Saturday.

The Michigan result has happened a number of times in my lifetime. Meaningful in late November is different.

2002 - 7-1
2003 - 6-0
2004 - 5-0
2008 - 7-1

Last year against Wisconsin was huge, but MSU was a full game ahead. This year it's control in our hands.
 

cjbfbp said:
4th best record in the Big Ten but not the 4th best record overall as Nebraska (if it beats Iowa) will finish with one more win and one less loss. Just because the league office now has a lot of say about bowl assignments doesn't mean Nebraska wouldn't go to the Outback before us. I would rather see the team go to the Holiday than the Outback anyway. The Holiday features good competition and is the only night bowl game on that day whereas two other big bowls compete with the Outback at the same time.
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That the kind of thing I'm worried about. If we beat Nebraska head to head we'll have finished ahead of them in the standings that count AND beaten them on the road.

If Nebraska still goes to the better bowl because they beat McNeese State on a prayer, then I've lost all faith in the bowl system.
 

afurry91 said:
That the kind of thing I'm worried about. If we beat Nebraska head to head we'll have finished ahead of them in the standings that count AND beaten them on the road.

If Nebraska still goes to the better bowl because they beat McNeese State on a prayer, then I've lost all faith in the bowl system.
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Does it really matter that much? Personally I don't see much difference between the Outback and the Holiday. The Outback will feature something like the 5th best SEC team while the Holiday will feature something the 3rd best PAC 12 team. And, again, the Holiday owns its night while the Outback competes with two other big bowls (another Big Ten team, probably Wisconsin, in the Citrus and an At Large bowl) at the same time on New Years day. I think the team gets more exposure in the Holiday.
 

I think this is the second biggest game in decades. Next week is our chance to shift the tide of the last 30 years.
 

A win against any SEC team in a bowl will probably give us better recognition than a win against a PAC 12. I will happy with NOT playing in Texas this year please.
 

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