A first look at the schedule next year

[Gopherprof]

I don't pretend to know what Syracuse will look like next year (other than replacing their qb) but they are HORRIBLE this year.

They are looking at us and thinking the exact same thing.

I think people are getting ahead of themselves. The only game I would consider a lock is UNLV (just a horrendous program) Even New Hampshire could be a challenge. They are FCS, sure, but they were 8-3 this year, and given our history I'm not going to chalk up a win against an FCS team just yet.

Syracuse we should be favored in, all things being equal. After that? I'm not sure what Western Michigan returns, but they are usually a solid MAC progam (almost beat Illinois on the road this year when Illinois was still good and they did beat Connecticut at their place). I think we'll be in better shape than Illinois, and will have a strong chance against Iowa, Northwestern, and Purdue. Maybe we could pull off an upset and finish with 7 or 8 wins. Or maybe we still continue to struggle and finish 4-8. I just think we should look deeply at ourselves before we talk about how horrible a team like Syracuse is.

 

[RodentRampage]

They are looking at us and thinking the exact same thing.

I think people are getting ahead of themselves. The only game I would consider a lock is UNLV (just a horrendous program) Even New Hampshire could be a challenge. They are FCS, sure, but they were 8-3 this year, and given our history I'm not going to chalk up a win against an FCS team just yet.

Syracuse we should be favored in, all things being equal. After that? I'm not sure what Western Michigan returns, but they are usually a solid MAC progam (almost beat Illinois on the road this year when Illinois was still good). I think we'll be in better shape than Illinois, and will have a strong chance against Iowa, Northwestern, and Purdue. Maybe we could pull off an upset and finish with 7 or 8 wins. Or maybe we still continue to struggle and finish 4-8. I just think we should look deeply at ourselves before we talk about how horrible a team like Syracuse is.

No one is assuming that we already have the games won. We already have looked deeply at ourselves, we have stared down the abyss and the abyss has stared back.

 

[Gopherprof]

You're right. I wasn't talking about this thread, just comments I've seen in other threads on this board and elsewhere. People in this thread seem to have quite reasonable-even pessimistic-expectations.

 

[Okie]

I'd say that a competitive team would look at the conference schedule and say that it is tough, but this actually works in our favor, since the teams we have basically no hope of beating next year are played away, while all of the Big Ten teams we can compete with come to TCF next year. I'd say if we can win all four of our non-conference games, we should have a pretty reasonable shot at 6-7 wins.

 

[We're Comin']

Looking back...we had a tough schedule this year. It doesn't get that much better next year, but the home schedule does!

W L
USC 10 2
Wisc 10 2
NDSU 10 1
Michigan 10 2
MSU 10 2
Nebr 9 3
Iowa 7 5
Purdue 6 6
Illinois 6 6
NW 6 6
NM St 4 8
Miami 4 8
Total 92 51

 

[GoAUpher]

Looking back...we had a tough schedule this year. It doesn't get that much better next year, but the home schedule does!

W L
USC 10 2
Wisc 10 2
NDSU 10 1
Michigan 10 2
MSU 10 2
Nebr 9 3
Iowa 7 5
Purdue 6 6
Illinois 6 6
NW 6 6
NM St 4 8
Miami 4 8
Total 92 51

You can't list NDSU up that high without a major *. They're a great FCS team, but they are an FCS team.

 

[MinnyGopherfan]

No, we didn't. We let the worst Michigan team in 72 years come into our house and beat us 29-6.

No, you are wrong. We didn't play Michigan in 2009 or 2010, after which they fired their coach. I would certainly argue we missed two of their worst years in recent memory. Sure, we lost in 2008, which is in the Dome and seems like eons ago. However, 09 and 10 were as bad as any. In 2010, they were 7-6 and 3-5 in the Big Ten. In 2009, they were 5-7, and 1-7 in the Big Ten. 09 was their worst year in the Big Ten. They won 2 games in conference play in 08.

 

[dpodoll68]

No, you are wrong. In 2010, they were 7-6 and 3-5 in the Big Ten.

No, I am not wrong. Their record was 3-9 in 2008. Factually speaking, that was their worst record in 72 years. I'm not talking about a subjective evaluation of the respective teams. I'm talking about an objective evaluation of their records. In 2008, they had their worst winning percentage since 1936. That is a fact.

I would certainly argue we missed two of their worst years in recent memory.

Agreed. But that's not what you said. By nearly any objective measure (wins, losses, points scored, point differential, etc.), 2008 was their worst season in 72 years. In 2010, they actually allowed more points, but they also scored nearly twice as many as 2008. In 2009, not only were they one game shy of a bowl berth, they actually outscored their opponents over the course of the season despite playing a much tougher schedule than in 2009. If you prefer to look at things subjectively rather than the cold, hard facts, it is easy to make the argument that they had 2 BT wins in 2008 and 1 BT win in 2009 because they played Minnesota in 2008, and did not in 2009.

However, 09 and 10 were as bad as any.

No, they weren't. Please see above. They went to a bowl game and won 7 games in 2010, while they won 3 in 2008.

 

[MinnyGopherfan]

No, I am not wrong. Their record was 3-9 in 2008. Factually speaking, that was their worst record in 72 years. I'm not talking about a subjective evaluation of the respective teams. I'm talking about an objective evaluation of their records. In 2008, they had their worst winning percentage since 1936. That is a fact.




Agreed. But that's not what you said. By nearly any objective measure (wins, losses, points scored, point differential, etc.), 2008 was their worst season in 72 years. In 2010, they actually allowed more points, but they also scored nearly twice as many as 2008. In 2009, not only were they one game shy of a bowl berth, they actually outscored their opponents over the course of the season despite playing a much tougher schedule than in 2009. If you prefer to look at things subjectively rather than the cold, hard facts, it is easy to make the argument that they had 2 BT wins in 2008 and 1 BT win in 2009 because they played Minnesota in 2008, and did not in 2009.



No, they weren't. Please see above. They went to a bowl game and won 7 games in 2010, while they won 3 in 2008.

Actually, my original post simply says we missed their down years. Not that we missed their worst season ever. I don't think you can argue we missed two of their down years compared to the history of their program. Semantics aside, subjectively or objectively, we missed playing them in two of the three seasons they were down. And now they are back up, and they are on our schedule again.

 

[Governor Sibley]

Hope we beat UNLV.

 

[dpodoll68]

Actually, my original post simply says we missed their down years. Not that we missed their worst season ever. I don't think you can argue we missed two of their down years compared to the history of their program. Semantics aside, subjectively or objectively, we missed playing them in two of the three seasons they were down. And now they are back up, and they are on our schedule again.

That's the thing though, we didn't miss them in their down years. No matter how you slice it, 2008 was unquestionably a down year for them, and we played them that year. That we didn't play them in 2009 or 2010 doesn't change that we did play them in 2008.

 

[GoAUpher]

Actually, my original post simply says we missed their down years. Not that we missed their worst season ever. I don't think you can argue we missed two of their down years compared to the history of their program. Semantics aside, subjectively or objectively, we missed playing them in two of the three seasons they were down. And now they are back up, and they are on our schedule again.

Wait...so the "worst season ever" wouldn't count as part of "their down years"? Even when it's the same coaching staff? Sorry, but it looks like you are just trying to split hairs so you can be right.

 

[Gophers09]

Maybe I shouldn't be jumping in the middle of this but both can be right. We played them during their "down years" (also their worst year) but the 2 years we missed them were also during their "down years" which it is looking like won't come around again for a while.