2011 Is the Year...

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Gopherlovin

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Let's face it, our schedule in 2010 is very difficult, and everyone has hope for improvement in the team overall, but does not expect to see an improvement in the W column. Let's look ahead one more year quick...

Schedule:
@ USC
New Mexico State
Miami (Ohio)
North Dakota State
@ Indiana
Wisconsin
@ Ohio State
Michigan State
@ Michigan
Northwestern
Penn State
@ Iowa

- Brewsters full recruiting classes will be upper-classmen
- Gray will have had a year of leading the offense under his belt after 2010 and really start showing his talent
- The OL will have much more size and talent. We're already seeing improvement. Another 1.5 years with Davis and they'll be a solid core.
- Our defense will be reloaded with speed an size. Our young DL's will have a full year under their belts and establish a decent pass rush. Linebackers will be stronger and faster. Young D-backs have shown promise already. After the big recruiting class this year, will be loaded with talent in 2 years.
- The schedule is much more favorable.
- It's a tough road schedule, but OSU should have a new QB (Pryor goes to the draft after a strong junior season). Indiana, though improved, is who we thought they were. Michigan may have a new coach and is beatable at home. Iowa is always tough on the road, but have not dominated us in Kinnick like they have at our place as of late.

If we're looking for a true test of an improved program, this will be the year. If we fail, Brew gets canned. However, I will put myself out there as saying we get 8-9 wins and finally go to a January bowl game.

Go Gophs!
 

Really?

I'm not a Brewster hater, but I'm pretty sure it's posts like this that have so many fans frustrated.
You're already looking forward to 2011? Hell, why stop there. I think we're going to have a fantastic football team in 2015 and the schedule is shaping up favorably!
 

Gopherlovin said:
Let's face it, our schedule in 2010 is very difficult, and everyone has hope for improvement in the team overall, but does not expect to see an improvement in the W column. Let's look ahead one more year quick...

Schedule:
@ USC
New Mexico State
Miami (Ohio)
North Dakota State
@ Indiana
Wisconsin
@ Ohio State
Michigan State
@ Michigan
Northwestern
Penn State
@ Iowa

- Brewsters full recruiting classes will be upper-classmen
- Gray will have had a year of leading the offense under his belt after 2010 and really start showing his talent
- The OL will have much more size and talent. We're already seeing improvement. Another 1.5 years with Davis and they'll be a solid core.
- Our defense will be reloaded with speed an size. Our young DL's will have a full year under their belts and establish a decent pass rush. Linebackers will be stronger and faster. Young D-backs have shown promise already. After the big recruiting class this year, will be loaded with talent in 2 years.
- The schedule is much more favorable.
- It's a tough road schedule, but OSU should have a new QB (Pryor goes to the draft after a strong junior season). Indiana, though improved, is who we thought they were. Michigan may have a new coach and is beatable at home. Iowa is always tough on the road, but have not dominated us in Kinnick like they have at our place as of late.

If we're looking for a true test of an improved program, this will be the year. If we fail, Brew gets canned. However, I will put myself out there as saying we get 8-9 wins and finally go to a January bowl game.

Go Gophs!
Click to expand...

The signifigance of a J1 bowl game is mitigated in the BT starting next year as five of the conference's bowl games will be J1 bowl games. That doesn't mean that if we make it to a bowl on that day that we should apologize for it, but playing on J1 in the BT next year isn't what it used to be:

http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/101309aaa.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Don't use the tough schedule as a cop out. You've got to start beating some of those teams that you aren't supposed to beat if the program is ever going to go anywhere.
 

wels0081 said:
I'm not a Brewster hater, but I'm pretty sure it's posts like this that have so many fans frustrated.
You're already looking forward to 2011? Hell, why stop there. I think we're going to have a fantastic football team in 2015 and the schedule is shaping up favorably!
Click to expand...


This.

I understand that it takes time to re-build a program, but come on. Some of these Brewster apologists go a little overboard sometimes.
 


I honestly don't see 2011's schedule as any easier than this or next year by any stretch.
-at USC, OSU, Michigan, and iowa. That's very difficult. Michigan will fully be into RichRod's program and recruits by then.
-sconnie, MSU, NW, and PSU at home? All 4 of these teams have the ability to bury us from year to year. We can beat them too, but they are certaintly no gimme's
-at indiana? it's a freakin' toss up!
-who knows about the NC schedule. THere should be 3 wins there.

We will just flat out HAVE to be a more talented and smarter team to have any improvement in our W/L record. The schedule to me is just as difficult.
 

Call me insane, but I'm starting to believe 2010 is the year. In some ways, it almost has to be the year.

I look at it like this:

- We have our four toughest opponents, USC, PSU, tOSU, and Iowa at home. At some point, we need to beat one or more teams of their caliber and we'll find it much easier at home than on the road.
- All of our Big Ten road games are winnable, with Purdue, Illinois, MSU, and Wisconsin. Wisconsin will be tough, but, on paper at least, we match up well with all of them. This road schedule is much preferred to tOSU, Michigan, and Iowa in 2011 (@ Indiana should be a cakewalk, but the other three are brutal).
- Brewster's lauded 2008 class will have had two full years in the S&C program. We should be expecting significant contributions from juniors or redshirt sophomores.
- Either Gray and Alipate should be significant upgrades at QB, provided the coaches develop schemes appropriate to their strengths.
- We are loaded, nay, beyond loaded at WR. With consistent QB play, we should be able to score enough points to rank in the upper half (or better, actually) of the conference.
- Reinforcements for the O-line will be available in the form of Olson, Michel, and Gjere should they be necessary to improve the running game.
- Three potential freshman RB starters are in this year's recruiting class. As has been pointed out, RB is the position where one can expect decent contributions from freshmen.
- Our defense, while young and relatively inexperienced, will have a higher ability ceiling than any Gopher defense in my lifetime. With appropriate coaching, this defense should exceed the accomplishments of the 1999 defense.

I'm not saying we'll be winning the conference championship next year, but, in my opinion, the pieces are in place for a good season; in my opinion, 2010 lines up more favorably than 2011. I'm a Brew supporter and he's had three years to build the program into something he believes he can win with. I've been content with the sizzle up to this point, but I'm starting to get hungry for some steak.
 

I think next year looks as easy as 2011. The tougher games are all at home, and the teams I expect to beat are on the road, except wisconsin, but overall I like the way next year shapes up. 8-4, no excuses.
 

JoeDirt said:
I honestly don't see 2011's schedule as any easier than this or next year by any stretch.
-at USC, OSU, Michigan, and iowa. That's very difficult. Michigan will fully be into RichRod's program and recruits by then.
-sconnie, MSU, NW, and PSU at home? All 4 of these teams have the ability to bury us from year to year. We can beat them too, but they are certaintly no gimme's
-at indiana? it's freakin' toss up!
-who knows about the NC schedule. THere should be 3 wins there.

We will just flat out HAVE to be a more talented and smarter team to have any improvement in our W/L record. The schedule to me is just as difficult.
Click to expand...

^^ This

Sorry, didn't get to read your post before I started writing mine.
 



MBAGuy said:
Call me insane, but I'm starting to believe 2010 is the year. In some ways, it almost has to be the year.

I look at it like this:
- We have our four toughest opponents, USC, PSU, tOSU, and Iowa at home. At some point, we need to beat one or more teams of their caliber and we'll find it much easier at home than on the road.
- All of our Big Ten road games are winnable, with Purdue, Illinois, MSU, and Wisconsin. Wisconsin will be tough, but, on paper at least, we match up well with all of them.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Every year the Gophers will be playing tough teams within the Big Ten - when the toughest games are all at home? That's a blessing, not a curse. USC being on the schedule makes it look more imposing, but is that really much different than having Cal on the schedule this year? Both are difficult non-conference matchups for sure, but again, the 2010 USC game is at home.

The road games are winnable and the toughest matchups are all at home (save for Wisconsin). Change the USC or PSU/OSU to road games and make the Illinois/Purdue matchups at home? Now THAT would be a tough schedule!
 

wels0081 said:
I'm not a Brewster hater, but I'm pretty sure it's posts like this that have so many fans frustrated.
You're already looking forward to 2011? Hell, why stop there. I think we're going to have a fantastic football team in 2015 and the schedule is shaping up favorably!
Click to expand...

The 2015 full schedule isn't out yet...

I knew posting this would draw this exact response. I think we can make great strides in 2010 and take down one or two of the top BT teams with our strong home schedule. However, to be a top team in the BT, you have to be able to win on the road on a consistent basis. I don't believe we will be at that point next year. The players who are going to give us the best chance at bringing this program out of the depths are young, and need one more year to develop to add strength and depth in all aspects.

I was not trying to overlook the importance and necessity for a strong and improved 2010. If we don't improve next year, I say pull the plug on Brewster. However, from a program standpoint, I don't think we will drastically improve our W/L record until the 2011 season, regardless of the coach.
 


I think next year is a great opportunity to at least make noise. They will be very inconsistent, I can tell you that now, cause that defense will be young. But if they can use their athleticism to score a big win or two, despite some possible slipups, that might generate the buzz necessary going into 2011. But I agree with others, we got a rough BT 2011 road schedule, but at the same time, it makes those winnable games more winnable by being at home, and if you lose to OSU on the road, it's not the end of the world really. That could still net 9 wins if you take care of business at home. Next year, taking care of business at home will be a VERY tough proposition. Stealing one of those beast home games would be huge.
 



PlayHosea said:
Don't use the tough schedule as a cop out. You've got to start beating some of those teams that you aren't supposed to beat if the program is ever going to go anywhere.
Click to expand...

Well said. College football changes every year. You can't just look at the schedule, say we should win X and be satisfied. If that were the case, nobody would ever get better. why even play the games?

You have to be realistic, but you also have to go out and get it done if you ever want to win the Big 10. I have news for you, the schedule in the Big 10 is going to be tough every year. OSU, IA, PSU, WI (despite what you may think) are not going anywhere. That says nothing of the sleeping giant UM and PU, MSU and NU who can be good in any given year.

No matter what the pundits say, this league is no picnic.

Gophers have an amazing schedule next year. Go win some big games.
 




GVBadger said:
OSU, IA, PSU, WI (despite what you may think) are not going anywhere.
Click to expand...

I seriously laughed out loud when you had the audacity to lump Wisconsin in with those other three.

And you mock people here for being homers.
 

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