What’s the best season you’ve seen in all those years?
When much younger, I did see every home game, 1960-61-62 and those were the best Gopher teams I've ever seen: two Rose Bowls and a national championship in there, plus a B10 title ('62 should have been a second). It is slim pickings in my season ticket years, 1979 to present:
1985 - Holtz went only 7-5 but created huge excitement for the program before demoralizing it by announcing a move to Notre Dame before the season was over. Nevertheless, almost beat national champ Oklahoma, losing 7-13, with Rickey Foggie and the Gophers around the Oklahoma 10 yard line at the end of the game; beat Wisconsin, beat Clemson in bowl.
1999 - Mason went 8-3 regular season, beat #2 Penn State, beat Iowa, lost to Wisconsin in two overtimes, had the first All-America player since 1971 (and subsequently many more). It seemed he had done it in just three seasons (but then he entertained overtures from both LSU and Michigan State, which soured many fans).
2003: Mason's best season, 10-3, but lost the Michigan game in a packed nighttime Dome in the fourth quarter, after leading 28-7 (Wolves won 38-35 as their short passing game was unstoppable). Despite loss to Oregon in a bowl, it was a season of many honors for the Gophers with Laurence Maroney and Marion Barber III nationally known and Abdul Khaliq at QB leading the nation in passing efficiency. Offense scored over 500 points for the season.
2013 - Only 8-5, but Jerry Kill (from pressbox because of illness) watched the first Gopher win over Nebraska since 1960 and the Huskers were ranked #21 that week. Also beat Penn State.
2016 - Tracy Claeys, in a season besmirched by a scandal, went 9-4, and with some key defensive players missing, completely shut down the TD machine of Mike Leach at Wash. St. in the bowl game.
2019 - 11-2, best season overall since 2003. Penn State win on nat'l TV was huge. Beat Auburn in the bowl. As with Mason, it was the third season for a new coach and things were looking up!
PS: as a small child I saw the 1949 Gophers beat Iowa 55-7. We were sitting two rows above the team, and my dad pointed out who Bernie Bierman was. Leo Nomellini, two-time All-American, was pulled near the end, took his helmet off, looked up to the sky and laughed - an iconic image in my mind, like a Roman gladiator. My dad had to explain much of the game to me, but I'll never forget the impact that game had on my imagination. I was hooked.