and we have had it beaten over our heads over and over and over again the past several years- Bowl Games are JUST exhibition games.
(I still like winning them)
Well, on reflection, P.J. has done "pretty well" on the "Beat Wisconsin sometime" portion of his "job expectations and goals".
Coincidentally, I was just doing work evaluations for five of my people, and reading some of this human resources "goals and expectations" gobbedlygook. It made me...
Normally, I don't think about Indiana football very much. Especially since the Gophers hardly ever play them any more. But....... they are a Big Ten/Eighteen team. And I really don't like the whole overall Notre Dame football thing. SO..... here is to the Hoosiers kicking some in-state butt...
I have lived through Murray Warmath, Cal Stoll, Joe Salem, Lou Holtz, John Gutekuhnst, Jim Wacker, Glen Mason, Tim Brewster, Jerry Kill, Tracy Claeys, and P.J. Fleck. 11 different football coaches!
The best of these is P.J. Fleck.
Fun to play Virginia Tech. Gophers have never played them, they are really never on our radar. We really do not recruit the same areas. So one of the bonus things about Bowl Games. And Charlotte is a nice City.....
Also add "Fereentz is a cheating jerk" to get a rise out of some Hawk fans. I almost got in a fist fight down here with one.
DeJean was/is a great athlete. But they did try to cheat.
One of the really cool things about Bowl season is playing some team you are not that familiar with, and getting to know some of their fans. Va Tech and Minnesota have never met before. I have a brother who did grad school in Charlottesville. He says the Va- Va Tech rivalry is pretty intense...
I always get nervous when we are in these "pools" of teams for Bowl games. 50 years following the Gopher program - it very often seems like we get passed over by the better Bowls. Year after year. Perceptual evidence only, but I am thinking of the Alamo Bowl, the Outback Bowl, the Vegas Bowl...
It also makes sense that if we fell in the overall Big Ten pecking order for Bowls, we would say that we were just in the Pinstripe Bowl. (Two years ago). So if we do have to fall, send us to Phoenix, where it is at least warm. And we have a pretty strong alumni base down there, we had fans...