Adam Rittenberg says last 4 BT games is a "defining period for Jerry Kill's program"

[BleedGopher]

Adam Rittenberg says last 4 BT games is a "defining period for Jerry Kill's program"

per ESPN's Q&A:

@ESPNRittenberg, what does Minnesota need to do to keep up the optimism around the program? Is beating UW, UM or Iowa a must this year?

Adam Rittenberg: Jared, making a third consecutive bowl game (and winning one) is a good start. But I think you're onto something here with setting the minimum bar at one signature win. It's important for Minnesota to get over the hump against Michigan, which has won six straight against the Gophers despite a down period in its history. But it's even more important for the Gophers to finish the 2014 season on a stronger note than they did last fall, when they dropped their final three games (and scored a total of 27 points).

I look at Minnesota's closing stretch -- Iowa (Nov. 8), Ohio State (Nov. 15), at Nebraska (Nov. 22), at Wisconsin (Nov. 29) as a defining period for Jerry Kill's program. Can these Gophers rise up and beat the big boys, especially those in the West Division? Or is Minnesota still not quite there and belongs in the second tier? You can't go 0-4 to finish the regular season and claim progress, so at least one win in that stretch is critical. Two would show things are definitely headed in the right direction.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/105192/big-ten-monday-mailbag-47

Go Gophers!!

 

[t-docious]

... 4 wins says were there?

 

[supadupafly]

... 4 wins says were there?

Actually, 4 wins there says we're playing in one of the major protected CFP bowls (i.e. Rose, Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, Cotton, Peach) or potentially one of the CFP (College Football Playoff) games that the Rose & Sugar host this season. I'll take that. Boom!

 

[t-docious]

exactly

 

[GopherHomer]

per ESPN's Q&A:

@ESPNRittenberg, what does Minnesota need to do to keep up the optimism around the program? Is beating UW, UM or Iowa a must this year?

Adam Rittenberg: Jared, making a third consecutive bowl game (and winning one) is a good start. But I think you're onto something here with setting the minimum bar at one signature win. It's important for Minnesota to get over the hump against Michigan, which has won six straight against the Gophers despite a down period in its history. But it's even more important for the Gophers to finish the 2014 season on a stronger note than they did last fall, when they dropped their final three games (and scored a total of 27 points).

I look at Minnesota's closing stretch -- Iowa (Nov. 8), Ohio State (Nov. 15), at Nebraska (Nov. 22), at Wisconsin (Nov. 29) as a defining period for Jerry Kill's program. Can these Gophers rise up and beat the big boys, especially those in the West Division? Or is Minnesota still not quite there and belongs in the second tier? You can't go 0-4 to finish the regular season and claim progress, so at least one win in that stretch is critical. Two would show things are definitely headed in the right direction.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/105192/big-ten-monday-mailbag-47

Go Gophers!!

One win during this stretch is a must...anything more than that deserves a parade!

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

One win during this stretch is a must...anything more than that deserves a parade!

+1

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

One win during this stretch is a must...anything more than that deserves a parade!

Agree on both parts of this. 2 would be awesome, 0 would really hurt.

 

[imthewalrus]

Agree on both parts of this. 2 would be awesome, 0 would really hurt.

We will all be counting the conference wins in 2014. Beat the stinking badger...end the madness... at the end of the Conference Season on November 29th. The Gopher's Conference record will tell us all we need to know about the state of this Program. These last four games are a mighty tough way to end the conference schedule. 0-4 in that stretch would be a tough pill to swallow. There will be two border clashes during that stretch and failure to win at least one of the two border-battle games in any season would be very painful and dispiriting.

Pay very close attention to that early game in Ann Arbor. By the end of that game on September 27th, it will be evident if my Golden Gophers will contend with any of the teams they will face in the month of November. The Kill Staff needs to have the lads prepared to make a statement in the BIG HOUSE in front of the Maize & Blue faithful so that the lads wearing Maroon & Gold will KNOW they can contend with and compete with iowa, the Ohio State, Nebraska AND especially the stinking badger at Camp Randall...