22 Gophers Win The West

Donate To GopherHole
Some guy said:
In reality, Minnesota is my pick.

All 3 of them have brutal schedule. All 3 are close and Minnesota was the best this year. They just didn’t close the deal.

If someone is going to win the division because of soft schedule…it is Purdue. Purdue is my dark horse.
Click to expand...
Minnesota has one guy coming back who gives us the edge -- Kurt Ciarocca.
 

WriterGoph said:
Toughest Games:

Wiscy - @Michigan State, @Purdue, @Ohio State, @iowa
Iowa - Michigan, @Ohio State, @Purdue, @Illinois, Wisconsin
Minnesota - Iowa, @Michigan State, @Penn State, @Wisconsin, @Illinois

As long as Purdue or Illinois don't pull surprise seasons and contend for the top of the division, I like the way the schedule breaks down for us among the three teams. MUCH rather have Penn State than Ohio State for a road game. Much rather have Michigan State than Michigan (even at home). We have played Wiscy well 3 of the past 4 seasons - I feel like the tide is actually turning a bit in this rivalry.

Like many people said, so much of 2022 is going to come down beating Iowa at the Bank and getting the momentum for the conference season off to a strong start.
Click to expand...
Great summary.

But here is where football is football and us fans that think we have it all figured out down to a science get reminded that we don't -- NW, Illinois, and Purdue could all be factors, for various reasons.

NW tends to rebound, as was said. Purdue was right there this year. And I really thing, hope I'm wrong but don't think so, that Bert will get Illinois up to contending like Purdue level. Maybe not by next year, but eventually.


Portal throws a wrench into all of it.
 

If we beat Iowa in the opener, I believe we will win the west.

Lose that game, and I don't believe we will win the west.

If we have another game against them where we play better and lose, I'm going to punch the TV.
 

MplsGopher said:
Interesting point!

Still, for me, it's the lines.

We lose a lot of talent from both lines. And the lines are what drive Minnesota, and likely always will.
Click to expand...
Agree but if Blaise joins JMS and Ruschmeyer coming back, and we get a quality DT and SDE transfer then I think I'd put us #1.

A few things have to happen and we'll have to see how the portal turns out but I think its' possible we could be preseason favorites depending how the next few weeks go.
 

FredCoxRocks said:
I wouldn't be surprised if Northwestern steps up...again. Whenever they have a bad year everyone writes them off in the preseason predictions, and then somehow they win, like, 10 games. Then the next year they suck again. Up and down, up and down...
Click to expand...

It's an even year deal fo NW, they were division champs in 2018 and 2020, so we can book them as champs for 2022!
 


die hard gopher said:
Agree but if Blaise joins JMS and Ruschmeyer coming back, and we get a quality DT and SDE transfer then I think I'd put us #1.

A few things have to happen and we'll have to see how the portal turns out but I think its' possible we could be preseason favorites depending how the next few weeks go.
Click to expand...
Pinckney, Big O, and Mafe are all being lost on the DL. In addition to OL losses.

Not saying we can't get some great guys out of the portal and/or replace them with some great guys on roster (Deven Eastern?), in time for next fall.
 

MplsGopher said:
Lost too much from the OL and DL, that haven't been proven to have been adequately replaced yet, for OP to be fair.
Click to expand...
You're telling me that on December 13th, 2021, before the bowl game and official recruiting signing day that the OP is not fair????!!!! Wow, how brave of you.
 






MplsGopher said:
Correct.

The OP could've just waited a couple weeks as well. Not my problem
Click to expand...
man MPLS, when did you become such a pessimist. Why not focus on what's returning? Aka near 100% of our offensive production (minus Kieft) at the skill positions, at least 7 offensive starters (with possibility for 8), the whole ST unit, and a ton of experience on defense.

WI dumps all their WRs, 3/5 of their OL, their FB and TE, their entire secondary, Sanborn and possibly Chenal, plus several DL.

IA loses Goodson, several OL, their impact guys in the secondary, and we'll see on their LBers.

I get you're questioning what the portal could do to alter that, but you have a bunch of veterans back on offense (with many of the OL that will be starters being upperclassmen yet again) and a bunch of pieces back on a sound defense in a year that you should've beat IA and did beat WI. The expectation should be the same regardless of the portal and I'd hope PJ is rolling into next year saying the same. We start off friendlier with NMSt and WIU to get them some seasoning as well. Hoping the pundits doubt this team again so I can get some nice odds on them to win the west
 


Face The Facts said:
Sweep Iowa and Wisconsin and you have a good chance to win the west.

They should be as likely to sweep WI and Iowa in 2022 as anytime in the last 30 years.
Click to expand...
But then what about:

- NW has won the West in 2018 and 2020, so they're "due" in 2022?
- Illinois making improvements under Bertie, as we experienced first hand
- Purdue inching their way up and always seems to have very talented individual players
- Nebraska ... who knows

- Tough games at Mich St and at Penn St


Also our home schedule is absurdly front loaded. We play the first 8 weeks of the regular season before we get to the BYE week, and 6 of the first 7 are home games!
 



upnorthkid said:
man MPLS, when did you become such a pessimist. Why not focus on what's returning? Aka near 100% of our offensive production (minus Kieft) at the skill positions, at least 7 offensive starters (with possibility for 8), the whole ST unit, and a ton of experience on defense.

WI dumps all their WRs, 3/5 of their OL, their FB and TE, their entire secondary, Sanborn and possibly Chenal, plus several DL.

IA loses Goodson, several OL, their impact guys in the secondary, and we'll see on their LBers.

I get you're questioning what the portal could do to alter that, but you have a bunch of veterans back on offense (with many of the OL that will be starters being upperclassmen yet again) and a bunch of pieces back on a sound defense in a year that you should've beat IA and did beat WI. The expectation should be the same regardless of the portal and I'd hope PJ is rolling into next year saying the same. We start off friendlier with NMSt and WIU to get them some seasoning as well. Hoping the pundits doubt this team again so I can get some nice odds on them to win the west
Click to expand...
Like I've said, what's most important and most concerning to me is the talent being lost on the lines.

If that gets addressed, then I'm right with you.
 

Fan of Ray Christensen said:
It's an even year deal fo NW, they were division champs in 2018 and 2020, so we can book them as champs for 2022!
Click to expand...
If they don’t find a QB they’ll get last place again.

they’ve been under .500 5 of the last 9 seasons. The 4 seasons they’ve had good QB play, they’ve been good.
 

Hard to say with the possibility of injuries. But, if all goes well, I like our odds.
 

That's why they play the games on the field and not paper or computers. I agree that we have no clue. We can only have expectations and hopes. Wins are hard and anything 7 and more should be good and acceptable.

I like the way we play on the road, we need to do better at home. That could also change next year. Never know.


MplsGopher said:
Great summary.

But here is where football is football and us fans that think we have it all figured out down to a science get reminded that we don't -- NW, Illinois, and Purdue could all be factors, for various reasons.

NW tends to rebound, as was said. Purdue was right there this year. And I really thing, hope I'm wrong but don't think so, that Bert will get Illinois up to contending like Purdue level. Maybe not by next year, but eventually.


Portal throws a wrench into all of it.
Click to expand...
 

MplsGopher said:
Like I've said, what's most important and most concerning to me is the talent being lost on the lines.

If that gets addressed, then I'm right with you.
Click to expand...
I look at what the OL did 2 years ago when they were younger under Ciarrocca's offense. They went 11-2. We are going to have at least 6 guys back that have experience in having some playing time. These guys are back or were on the travel squad that go playing time in Colorado, Indiana, and Northwestern.

Karter Shaw
Aireontae Ersery
JJ Guedet
Axel Ruschmeyer
Nathan Boe
John Michael Schmitz

There is an importance to blowing teams out at home and getting more kids playing time with the larger home roster.
 


MplsGopher said:
OK, so for just one thing - what is Iowa losing that you think will move them from 1st place to 3rd place, vs what we're losing?
Click to expand...
On offense they lose there only real playmaker Goodson, he declared for the draft, All everything Riley Moss on defense is gone as well. I'll admit Iowa has alot back on there defensive unit, but they lack playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. Petras is still there qb, they don't have the next Fant or Kittle at TE and there oline was average at best last year. Unless some dudes take a huge jump or they hit the portal on that side of the ball, with those crossover games I can't see Iowa being better than 5-4 in the league next year. I have more faith in Wisconsin figuring out because they seem to reload on defense and the oline every year and lately there oline recruiting has been steller and those kids will have another off season to develop, but they lose there stud TE, there two best WR and Mertz is still there qb, however we do have to go to Madison next year
 

Fleckoff said:
Next year I would go
1) Minnesota
2) Wisconsin
3) Iowa
4) Purdue
5) Illinois
6) NW
7) Nebraska
Click to expand...
I am not quite ready yet to make predictions yet on how the Gophers are going to tunnel through the Big Ten West minefield.
 


btowngopher said:
An easy schedule.
Click to expand...
I think its ok to dream—-but its more than premature to be making projections on conference favorites at this point—at least until we know what each team is bringing back —meaning 6th year seniors coming back/juniors and seniors leaving for the next level—-transfers coming in. We will know a lot more in the next month or so.
 

Rowthatboat said:
I think its ok to dream—-but its more than premature to be making projections on conference favorites at this point—at least until we know what each team is bringing back —meaning 6th year seniors coming back/juniors and seniors leaving for the next level—-transfers coming in. We will know a lot more in the next month or so.
Click to expand...
They draw Michigan and OSU, those teams are talented every year.
 


You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom