2024 Gopher Football is a watershed moment.

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Every game is a must win game, until the next one.

Every year is a watershed year, until the next one

 

[short ornery norwegian]

everyone has a right to their own opinion.

I come from the perspective of a fan who spent years just hoping that the Gophers could find some way to win 6 games and make it to a bowl game - any bowl game.

Mason raised the bar a little bit. Kill/Claeys at least kept the bar at Mason's level. Fleck seemed to be raising the bar a little more.

but now - like it or not - we live in a time of the portal and NIL, where another school can take away your best players or poach your best recruits by out-bidding you. and the Gophers are competing against other schools that have more resources.

the rules have changed.

It has gotten harder for a school at MN's level to compete in a P5 Conference.

accepting that does not make me a "bad" fan. I think it makes me a realistic fan.

 

[swelna]

Next year is tough, but I don't think as scary as I initially thought. Maybe that's the optimism talking though...

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Next year is tough, but I don't think as scary as I initially thought. Maybe that's the optimism talking though...

I was looking at future schedules.

In '24, the Gophers have NCar as a non-conf, and B1G games with Mich, USC, UCLA and PSU, plus IA & WI. the other B1G games are Mary, Illinois & Rutgers. that's a lot different than facing the B1G West.

But - in '25 - the top non-conf game is with Cal, while the B1G schedule has Oregon and OSU, but then IA, WI, MSU, Neb, Purd, Rutg and NW. that appears to be the most favorable schedule in the near future.

in '26 the Gophers get Mich, UCLA, PSU and Wash. in '27, OSU, Wash and USC.

 

[btowngopher]

I bet they change these super conferences real quick if people stop going to the games.

 

[MplsGopher]

I bet they change these super conferences real quick if people stop going to the games.

TV pays the bills.

I bet we easily get more money from the Big Ten check than all revenues minus expenses related to Gopher football gamedays over the season.

 

[Elevenseven]

2024 the QB and defense will be better, maybe a lot.

 

[Tucker32]

Well said.

Being bowl eligible, competing well with our rivals will probably be the (realistic) goal. In a way, that is more or less unchanged from past seasons. We've lost the fun of competing for a division title, yes. And from this fan's point of view, that is a real shame.

But in 3 of the last 5 seasons starting with 2019, the Gophers have had one Top Ten (national!) finish, plus two 9-win seasons. With the 'new' B1G, should we assume we can no longer (occasionally) rise to that level?

On the other side of the coin, is that level of success no longer acceptable to Gopher fans?

We were in the West, played an awful schedule. The 9-4 seasons are a joke. We didn’t beat a good team either year. PJ had the easiest run of any coach in MN history.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

We were in the West, played an awful schedule. The 9-4 seasons are a joke. We didn’t beat a good team either year. PJ had the easiest run of any coach in MN history.

We beat number 14 Wisconsin in 2021. That’s the lone ranked team we beat out of 18 wins

 

[Some guy]

I was looking at future schedules.

In '24, the Gophers have NCar as a non-conf, and B1G games with Mich, USC, UCLA and PSU, plus IA & WI. the other B1G games are Mary, Illinois & Rutgers. that's a lot different than facing the B1G West.

But - in '25 - the top non-conf game is with Cal, while the B1G schedule has Oregon and OSU, but then IA, WI, MSU, Neb, Purd, Rutg and NW. that appears to be the most favorable schedule in the near future.

in '26 the Gophers get Mich, UCLA, PSU and Wash. in '27, OSU, Wash and USC.

I have 100% confidence in Oregon continuing to be a 10 win team going forward
I am curious how Washington does. They’ve been more inconsistent as a program the past 10-15 years.

 

[Some guy]

We were in the West, played an awful schedule. The 9-4 seasons are a joke. We didn’t beat a good team either year. PJ had the easiest run of any coach in MN history.

You clearly didn’t watch football in between the Penn state addition and the Nebraska addition.

 

[ergopher]

Yes, this year sucked. Yes, we lost our DC and our recruiting class is taking a hit in the process. There's a lot to be sad about. That said, right now I can't see a game on the schedule besides maybe Michigan that we can't potentially win. The Iowa losing streak is over, and we have an axe to take back in Madison. We have a new QB with tons of play experience and we're returning most of our starters, and on top of that we're reining in tons of potentially impactful transfers. I understand the reasons to feel like Gopher football as a program is on a downhill track going into next year, but I think we're going to be just fine. We'll have bad years like this one, but that's natural for 99% of college sports programs. We haven't seen anywhere near our last 2019-style season, and who knows, maybe next year's the year.

 

[walrus]

The woe is me mentality around here is pervasive. We have a super fun schedule for next to me it’s not whether you win or lose them alll, it’s kinda how you play the game. We’re part of the conference with the most money being dished out to its schools. We are not a have not school. We should all just get over it, be thankful for everything we have, and expect our coach to get his shit together on 12 Saturdays in ‘24.

No “woe” for me! For virtually every B1G game day at home And away my Gopher team has the chance to help send or start sending some damn rival conference team a funk & panic filled week should the Gopher hand any old rival they may face or any of the new former Pacific coast teams a loss. There are some teams like Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue. Nebby too? I don’t have a schedule handy. Wisky & Iowa. There are a lot of rivalry’s there…and there will be a couple really interesting teams to take on. Don’t know when we play some of these teams but next time we do there are old rivals, teams to pay back and a lot of really interesting conference games to play. I kind of love this new age of Gopher football!

Give ‘em hell Gopher!

 

[disco]

We're certainly not the only program in this situation. Until the Big Ten expands, and then divides into back into divisions, it's our new reality.

Exactly. A lot of schools are in the same position. Not just in the B1G. We have USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington coming in. But the SEC has Texas and Oklahoma coming in too. If I'm a fan of Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi State, I'm probably going to feel the same as a fan of Minnesota, Purdue, Indiana, Rutgers, Maryland and even Iowa, MSU and Wisconsin.

The one thing that keeps popping into my mind is the implosion of the old WAC in 1999 when the conference got too large, and the MWC was formed.

 

[AF_Howie_2180]

Maybe in 2024, we won't have to worry about an "NFL" talent level TE dropping nearly every ball that hits him in the hands at key moments that would have kept drives alive and the ball moving forward down the field, and we won't have to go to the bottom of the barrel to find someone to be our running back after the top players go out. To me 2023 felt like anytime there was an opportunity to take that next step, make that game changing catch (outside of the game v Nebraska) we failed to rise to the opportunity. Then again that seems to be the way it goes for whatever MN sports team it is so who knows where it goes from here.

 

[Tech Machine]

To me all this portal and NIL stuff is really bringing out disloyalty in both the coaching staffs and players. Guys who might take until they are Jrs to start or play significantly are either going to take a step back in competition for playing time or the coaches are going to encourage them to maybe look elsewhere. Individually it may be the best decision for a player, but the team takes it in the shorts.

The super conference thing is such a sick money grab that will only help the top 15 programs or so, in my opinion of course. I guess change is what it is, sometimes good sometimes not, all I can say is: GET OFF MY LAWN!!!

 

[Texan Gopher]

everyone has a right to their own opinion.

I come from the perspective of a fan who spent years just hoping that the Gophers could find some way to win 6 games and make it to a bowl game - any bowl game.

Mason raised the bar a little bit. Kill/Claeys at least kept the bar at Mason's level. Fleck seemed to be raising the bar a little more.

but now - like it or not - we live in a time of the portal and NIL, where another school can take away your best players or poach your best recruits by out-bidding you. and the Gophers are competing against other schools that have more resources.

the rules have changed.

It has gotten harder for a school at MN's level to compete in a P5 Conference.

accepting that does not make me a "bad" fan. I think it makes me a realistic fan.

Perfectly said

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Yes, this year sucked. Yes, we lost our DC and our recruiting class is taking a hit in the process.

It may be helpful to remember thst recruits are projected players/ contributors at this juncture -

Two names come to mind -

Blake Cashman
Walker Ashley

Both prepped at EP and one was a zero star ️ with zero college offers and the other was a high three star and nationally recruited by USC & tOSU.

One is a professional football player and one isn’t,

No one knows how any of these recruits will turn out at this point.

There's a lot to be sad about. That said, right now I can't see a game on the schedule besides maybe Michigan that we can't potentially win. The Iowa losing streak is over, and we have an axe to take back in Madison. We have a new QB with tons of play experience and we're returning most of our starters, and on top of that we're reining in tons of potentially impactful transfers. I understand the reasons to feel like Gopher football as a program is on a downhill track going into next year, but I think we're going to be just fine. We'll have bad years like this one, but that's natural for 99% of college sports programs. We haven't seen anywhere near our last 2019-style season, and who knows, maybe next year's the year.

 

[DarthGopher]

It may be helpful to remember thst recruits are projected players/ contributors at this juncture -

Two names come to mind -

Blake Cashman
Walker Ashley

Both prepped at EP and one was a zero star ️ with zero college offers and the other was a high three star and nationally recruited by USC & tOSU.

One is a professional football player and one isn’t,

No one knows how any of these recruits will turn out at this point.

The board would appreciate it if you could freak out and lose your shit instead of countering with this empirical data obtained from real outcomes. What are you going to propose next? That losing a recruit with a .8817 composite and having to go with a replacement who scores .8781 is simply OK? That .0036 differential can mean the difference between 3 - 9 and 10 - 2.

 

[MaxyJR1]

The one division is going to help make if feel a bit like the old one division league where all games are weighed the same and you start to get a better sense of where you fit with all teams. Schedules aren't equal, but I like the one division look. It's going to be 4 good teams 10 teams within a game of each other and 4 bad team.

 

[FredCoxRocks]

In any other major North American sport, having an over-.500 season and qualifying for the postseason is considered a decent year. Winning 75% of your games (9-3) is amazing and enough for the best record most years in the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL.

Only college football routinely has undefeated teams (a function of unevenly distributed resources, no drafts, and short schedules)

The expectation mismatch comes from the existence of a few Goliaths. Set your expectations to most any other sport where 8-4 or 9-3 would be proportionally great, and where .500 seasons aren't a calamity, and you won't be disappointed as much.

This is why the the helmet schools will always want schools like us around. No blue blood wants 2, or god forbid...3, losses on their schedule. They need us.

 

[walrus]

Right out of the gate we know there is no chance of making the New Big Ten champ game.

No West title to play for.

Same issue at Iowa, etc. don’t get me wrong.


How do you motivate the guys, in that sense??

“Come on guys! We’ve got to make it to 7 regular season wins, so we can go to a decent mid-tier bowl game! Who’s with me!!??”

Pride. Common sense. Reality. Less inflated poll numbers. Trophy games with border battle states. Forget about the damn "national championship play off b.s. Quit trying to to feel like, "...I.m cool because my team is ranked in the top 10...top 25..."

Just go out there and play the team's best and leave it all out there on the field.

Is anyone here going to go out and brow-beat your child or grand child because he/she didn't become a state champion in an individual sport in high school? Will anyone here be ashamed that their son and daughter graduated from a local state college rather than Harvard or MIT? Does the "national ranking" of a college on an academic scale based upon how large that school's endowment fund is really matter at all? Can you be successful in life if you don't work for a company that is ranked as the number one company to work for in some stupid poll ranking?

I am taking the stand that I am proud enough of my team that is a member of the B1G conference. That means that my team will play a schedule that is damn tough every season. It means that not many teams in the country will have week in and week out solid to great football teams to play every conference game. That is good enough for me. I would think that would be awfully good for any young person talented enough to get a scholarship to a B1G school to be motivated to play their best against GREAT competition and show-case their talent. I would guess that the pay scale for head and assistant coaches would attract some of the really good coaches. I would think that there would be great interest locally and regionally and even nationally that the games would receive high viewer interest.

Most any kid who is talented, loves football and wants to play at a high level and sees the value of a B1G level education could be motivated for every conference game they play to do their best, leave it all out there on the field and have great pride to be a Minnesota Gopher Football player and be a member of the B1G conference and a student at a really good to great academic institution.

But, that's just my take on it. I'm old and biased in the fact that Gopher Football is such a huge part of my tradition.

Maybe I'm just lucky enough to not have to question whether it is worth it for me to still be a fan of my team if they lose a few games. Or have a bad season based upon my expectations.
Guess I would really hate to be a fan of Michigan or tOSU or, heaven help me if I was a die-hard USC or UCLA or Washington or Oregon fan wondering just how this B1G gig is going to go for my pride in my teams' poll rankings.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

everyone has a right to their own opinion.

I come from the perspective of a fan who spent years just hoping that the Gophers could find some way to win 6 games and make it to a bowl game - any bowl game.

Mason raised the bar a little bit. Kill/Claeys at least kept the bar at Mason's level. Fleck seemed to be raising the bar a little more.

but now - like it or not - we live in a time of the portal and NIL, where another school can take away your best players or poach your best recruits by out-bidding you. and the Gophers are competing against other schools that have more resources.

the rules have changed.

It has gotten harder for a school at MN's level to compete in a P5 Conference.

accepting that does not make me a "bad" fan. I think it makes me a realistic fan.

I don't feel like we're far enough along in transfer portal and etc to really know how this plays out.

Having said that accepting it and not throwing a fit is always a good choice.

 

[MaxyJR1]

This is why the the helmet schools will always want schools like us around. No blue blood wants 2, or god forbid...3, losses on their schedule. They need us.

This was talked about on the radio yesterday.

The College football expectation is .750 or better on the season. or 9-3 to 12-0. That's 6-2 or 7-2 in a conference games.

In pro sports the expectation is over .500 and a playoff berth.

There are currently 4 of 32 NFL teams over .750 12%
2 of 30 NBA teams over .750 7%
18 of 68 P5 teams were .750 in Conference play. 26%

However, the 12 Team college football playoff will only take teams that win 75% of their games. That's down from the 92% you had to win to make the 4 team playoff.

 

[disco]

Guess I would really hate to be a fan of Michigan or tOSU or, heaven help me if I was a die-hard USC or UCLA or Washington or Oregon fan wondering just how this B1G gig is going to go for my pride in my teams' poll rankings.

Yeah, how awful it would be to be a fan of a team that contends for championships.

This whole post reeks of acceptance of mediocrity.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

How do you motivate the guys, in that sense??

That's easy. The majority of these guys have a goal of playing professionally (at least in the back of their minds) and playing well improves their chances of achieving that goal.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

It may be helpful to remember thst recruits are projected players/ contributors at this juncture -

Two names come to mind -

Blake Cashman
Walker Ashley

Both prepped at EP and one was a zero star ️ with zero college offers and the other was a high three star and nationally recruited by USC & tOSU.

One is a professional football player and one isn’t,

No one knows how any of these recruits will turn out at this point.

Another great example of that: 247 still lists our highest ever prep recruit as running back Jeff Jones, class of 2014 from Washburn HS. He's best known for his inability to stay academically eligible here, then getting kicked off his junior college team, and his eventual arrest on felony drug charges.

 

[walrus]

Yeah, how awful it would be to be a fan of a team that contends for championships.

This whole post reeks of acceptance of mediocrity.

Thanks for consuming my point of view and providing your insight re: the aroma of my post.

;0)

Yeah, how awful it would be to be a fan of a team that contends for championships.

This whole post reeks of acceptance of mediocrity.

 

[walrus]

Yeah, how awful it would be to be a fan of a team that contends for championships.

This whole post reeks of acceptance of mediocrity.

Re: michigan, tOSU, Bama, FSU, et al are so fun when they lose. Don’t you just love it!!!

 

[MplsGopher]

Pride. Common sense. Reality. Less inflated poll numbers. Trophy games with border battle states. Forget about the damn "national championship play off b.s. Quit trying to to feel like, "...I.m cool because my team is ranked in the top 10...top 25..."

Just go out there and play the team's best and leave it all out there on the field.

Is anyone here going to go out and brow-beat your child or grand child because he/she didn't become a state champion in an individual sport in high school? Will anyone here be ashamed that their son and daughter graduated from a local state college rather than Harvard or MIT? Does the "national ranking" of a college on an academic scale based upon how large that school's endowment fund is really matter at all? Can you be successful in life if you don't work for a company that is ranked as the number one company to work for in some stupid poll ranking?

I am taking the stand that I am proud enough of my team that is a member of the B1G conference. That means that my team will play a schedule that is damn tough every season. It means that not many teams in the country will have week in and week out solid to great football teams to play every conference game. That is good enough for me. I would think that would be awfully good for any young person talented enough to get a scholarship to a B1G school to be motivated to play their best against GREAT competition and show-case their talent. I would guess that the pay scale for head and assistant coaches would attract some of the really good coaches. I would think that there would be great interest locally and regionally and even nationally that the games would receive high viewer interest.

Most any kid who is talented, loves football and wants to play at a high level and sees the value of a B1G level education could be motivated for every conference game they play to do their best, leave it all out there on the field and have great pride to be a Minnesota Gopher Football player and be a member of the B1G conference and a student at a really good to great academic institution.

But, that's just my take on it. I'm old and biased in the fact that Gopher Football is such a huge part of my tradition.

Maybe I'm just lucky enough to not have to question whether it is worth it for me to still be a fan of my team if they lose a few games. Or have a bad season based upon my expectations.
Guess I would really hate to be a fan of Michigan or tOSU or, heaven help me if I was a die-hard USC or UCLA or Washington or Oregon fan wondering just how this B1G gig is going to go for my pride in my teams' poll rankings.

It’s not like winning the West title would get you a top 5 ranking. It was something realistic to play for. Got you in the door.

Lot of what you say is good and fine, but it’s not going to close kids coming here when they have another opportunity to go to a higher ranked Big Ten or P5 team.


I also think winning West was something nice for fans too. Even though that was not the original statement. Now there is no chance of a title in any sense, like West title would actually keep semi-casual fans interested in outcomes of games against Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska, NW.

Now, with “nothing to play for”, why shouldn’t fans “check out” other than on Iowa and Wisc games? What does it matter if they go 5-7 to 7-5 against teams like Washington, UCLA, Rutgers, Maryland?

2019 was magical. It made a lot of people care and pay attention. A season like that is worth investing your time and money. An average of 6-6, 5-7 is not, for a lot of people.