An amazing collection of things I didn’t see coming

[Schnauzer]

I saw an 8-4 season coming on this past summer. Maybe even 9-3 or 10-2 if things went well.

Instead it has been the most disappointing season in years, maybe decades. “Instead” will be the word of choice through 7 sad developments to follow.,

So what were the things I didn’t see coming?

1. Kaliakmanis. I thought we were going to see a continuation of what we saw in the 2022 Wisconsin game and he’d continue to improve as a passer. Instead, I’ll call it: he is a bust.

2. Spann-Ford. I came into 2023 thinking Spann-Ford would play himself into the first round of the NFL. Instead he played himself into the short list of biggest regressions I have ever seen in a football helmet. It is a cruel joke to think he would be an anchor to a vastly improved receiver room that also featured…

3. CrAB. I assumed he’d be 100% after sitting a year. Unfortunately instead he is among the sad collection of guys that would never be the same after an ACL.

4. Fleck. I assumed we had the perfect brash young coach for the rapidly changing world of NIL and the transfer portal. Instead we have a guy that seems to be afraid of his own shadow, painfully conservative. Ironically as the losses mounted, the excuses did too and they centered on NIL - while losing a string of unthinkable games to teams that have the exact same limitations that the Gophers have.

5. Lindenberg. I figured we were going to see some NFL draft worthy linebacker play this season. Instead we saw walk ons, freshmen, and a glass jaw hamstring.

6. Rossi. Previous years led me to assume he could take 11 guys off the street and turn them into a top 20 defense. Instead, I learned the defensive depth, after a host of transfers and injuries, has left a roster worse than 11 guys off the street.

7. Running Back. After 2021 I figured lightening in the form of injury couldn’t hit the same place twice. It did. Perhaps some of that is on coaching for running a guy 40 times the minute he shows promise. But either way, we are into walk on territory here too, just like at linebacker and it shows.

What am I missing? I could have gone for 10 but this is at least 7 things I didn’t see coming that has resulted in a big turd of a season.

 

[Section209]

Sad to say it, but that’s a good summary of the disappointment this year.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Secondary could also be filed under disappointment.

 

[csom_1991]

1. Kaliakmanis. I thought we were going to see a continuation of what we saw in the 2022 Wisconsin game and he’d continue to improve as a passer. Instead, I’ll call it: he is a bust.

I think this is too early to call. I still think AK can be a mid to higher level B1G QB - the problem is that he is not being put into a position where it is possible for him to succeed and he has received zero help from the WRs and TEs, especially BSF, who should have been the veteran relief value when a play must absolutely must be made. To me, it seems like Fleck has lost the locker room and when that happens, everything looks terrible and execution and effort stop. In that situation, it is not possible to develop at QB.

 

[Tech Machine]

I saw an 8-4 season coming on this past summer. Maybe even 9-3 or 10-2 if things went well.

Instead it has been the most disappointing season in years, maybe decades. “Instead” will be the word of choice through 7 sad developments to follow.,

So what were the things I didn’t see coming?

1. Kaliakmanis. I thought we were going to see a continuation of what we saw in the 2022 Wisconsin game and he’d continue to improve as a passer. Instead, I’ll call it: he is a bust.

2. Spann-Ford. I came into 2023 thinking Spann-Ford would play himself into the first round of the NFL. Instead he played himself into the short list of biggest regressions I have ever seen in a football helmet. It is a cruel joke to think he would be an anchor to a vastly improved receiver room that also featured…

3. CrAB. I assumed he’d be 100% after sitting a year. Unfortunately instead he is among the sad collection of guys that would never be the same after an ACL.

4. Fleck. I assumed we had the perfect brash young coach for the rapidly changing world of NIL and the transfer portal. Instead we have a guy that seems to be afraid of his own shadow, painfully conservative. Ironically as the losses mounted, the excuses did too and they centered on NIL - while losing a string of unthinkable games to teams that have the exact same limitations that the Gophers have.

5. Lindenberg. I figured we were going to see some NFL draft worthy linebacker play this season. Instead we saw walk ons, freshmen, and a glass jaw hamstring.

6. Rossi. Previous years led me to assume he could take 11 guys off the street and turn them into a top 20 defense. Instead, I learned the defensive depth, after a host of transfers and injuries, has left a roster worse than 11 guys off the street.

7. Running Back. After 2021 I figured lightening in the form of injury couldn’t hit the same place twice. It did. Perhaps some of that is on coaching for running a guy 40 times the minute he shows promise. But either way, we are into walk on territory here too, just like at linebacker and it shows.

What am I missing? I could have gone for 10 but this is at least 7 things I didn’t see coming that has resulted in a big turd of a season.

Regarding No. 4
Coach Fleck seems to have lost something. His demeaner just has seemed off since the NW 4th quarter. He just does not seem like the same guy on the sidelines that he was. I didn’t care for his personality when he first started(see Brewster & Wacker) but as time went on and we were still developing DBs and some solid Linebackers. Tackling was good, blocking was good. I accepted him as a decent coach.

Still pulling for him to right the ship(boat), but something is more than a little wrong, beating Wisconsin and winning a bowl game would still be just, lipstick on a pig I fear.

 

[watertown 1987 guy n]

Too early to say what this means past this year. Fleck has had some good years here, I’m going to reserve more critical judge for another year. If Fleck n team don’t improve next year I’ll be really bummed for Gopher football

 

[SomeGopherFan]

The secondary is the one I would add as a disappointment.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I don't know if this fits under the "Fleck" category - but I would add Roster Management. Yes, things are more difficult with NIL and the Portal - but a couple of injuries at LB and the Gophers are playing a walk-on. (in part because a portal player -Selig- is apparently not trusted by the coaches to perform). Likewise with the struggles at TE, WR and RB. struggling players are left in the game because- apparently - there are no backups capable of playing - or that are trusted by the coaches to perform.

On Kaliakmanis - part of coaching is putting players in a position where they have the highest chance of success and the lowest risk of failure. I think last year the coaches may have been better at calling plays that suited AK's strengths and did not expose his weaknesses. This year, it seems as if the coaches are asking AK to do things that he just doesn't do well, and the results are showing

 

[GophersInIowa]

BSF and Walley are the two players besides AK that are the most disappointing for me.

 

[hello-world]

I saw an 8-4 season coming on this past summer. Maybe even 9-3 or 10-2 if things went well.

Really? Coming into this season, Minnesota:

• Had a first-year starting QB who was struggling with accuracy
• Lost the linchpin of its offensive line
• Lost its 'cultural leader' in Mo Ibrahim
• Lost its leading tackler on defense
• Lost its best safety
• Is playing the toughest schedule that it has played in several years

Moreover, the Vegas line was 6.5 wins (actually opened at 6)

If 8-4 was your baseline for the Gophers this year then that's kinda on you.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

AK, BSF and CAB on offense
LBs and DBs on defense

I really thought AK was going to be a top half Big Ten quarterback this year. He is not even close. blame the coaches all you want but he has had so many missed opportunities. throwing the ball into the ground or a 100 miles an hour at a guy 3 feet away from him to meet his failure to develop as a good Big Ten quarterback is the biggest issue on the team in my opinion

 

[gopherbadgerman]

Really? Coming into this season, Minnesota:

• Had a first-year starting QB who was struggling with accuracy
• Lost the linchpin of its offensive line
• Lost its 'cultural leader' in Mo Ibrahim
• Lost its leading tackler on defense
• Lost its best safety
• Is playing the toughest schedule that it has played in several years

Moreover, the Vegas line was 6.5 wins (actually opened at 6)

If 8-4 was your baseline for the Gophers this year then that's kinda on you.

I thought they’d go 7-5. I still think if they beat Wisconsin is not a lost season.

 

[EasyThere Pilgrim]

It's hard to over-achieve every year. This year Fleck has us playing to our talent level or maybe just slightly above.

 

[Panthadad2]

Regarding No. 4
Coach Fleck seems to have lost something. His demeaner just has seemed off since the NW 4th quarter. He just does not seem like the same guy on the sidelines that he was. I didn’t care for his personality when he first started(see Brewster & Wacker) but as time went on and we were still developing DBs and some solid Linebackers. Tackling was good, blocking was good. I accepted him as a decent coach.

Still pulling for him to right the ship(boat), but something is more than a little wrong, beating Wisconsin and winning a bowl game would still be just, lipstick on a pig I fear.

I think the loss of multiple good defenders in the portal causing a severe lack of depth he didn't think he'd need to worry about in season 7, multiple key injuries exposing that lack of depth, the loss of an excellent defensive assistant coach (several coaches?), combined with an offense that looks lost at times all hit home as he realized this team was skating backwards fast.

I bet he absolutely hates the easy portal and NIL because it renders obsolete his program building business model.

 

[MplsGopher]

(Following post assumes we beat Wisc next week …. I know, I know, doomposters here following a loss find that hard to fathom)

If you had said back in August that the following was true:

- 2-1 in non-conf, loss at UNC
likely response: “OK fair enough, they’re a preseason top 25, it’s on the road, could be hot in the south, first round QB, we’ll take the G5 wins”

- 1-2 vs East
likely response: “OK fair enough, we weren’t going to beat Mich or OSU, we’ll take the MSU win”

- 2-0 vs Iowa and Wisc
likely response: “HELL YEAHHHHH!!!! You did it Fleck, you crazy son of a bitch, you did it!!!!!”



………………..

- 1-3 vs Neb, NW, ILL, Pur
likely response: “WTF!?!?!?!?!!??!!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?”

 

[hello-world]

I thought they’d go 7-5. I still think if they beat Wisconsin is not a lost season.

Yeah, me too. Went back to check what I wrote before the season and also said 7-5. Also bet money on over 6.5 which kinda hurts but at least they made it interesting with that Iowa win.

 

[MplsGopher]

Could still go 7-6, or does that not count?

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

It's hard to over-achieve every year. This year Fleck has us playing to our talent level or maybe just slightly above.

Yes, we don't get the highly-rated prospects. We get good players that don't get offers from the top schools. It would be enlightening to research why we don't, but most people on this site blame coaches so they are not interested in such research.

 

[hello-world]

Could still go 7-6, or does that not count?

Bowl doesn't count when talking about O/U win total which is what I'm usually discussing.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I hate to say it but 1 lost us at least two games this year

Season would feel a lot different if not for those.

 

[MNGoph24]

Win next week we keep the Axe go to a Bowl and everybody calms down.

We are not doing that. We are too injured, Wisconsin just beat Nebraska, Wisconsin is actually bowl eligible, and is much healthier. We should just accept the fact that we will get killed next week, not make a bowl game, and might never make a bowl game ever again with this new conference. Fleck gets fired either this offseason or next, as we all are basically staring into the abyss and a black hole of never ending losing.

 

[hello-world]

We are not doing that. We are too injured, Wisconsin just beat Nebraska, Wisconsin is actually bowl eligible, and is much healthier. We should just accept the fact that we will get killed next week, not make a bowl game, and might never make a bowl game ever again with this new conference. Fleck gets fired either this offseason or next, as we all are basically staring into the abyss and a black hole of never ending losing.

The Wisconsin / Nebraska game was dead even and decided by one interception in overtime? If Minnesota can figure out a way to stop Allen then they have a pretty good chance in that game.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

It's hard to over-achieve every year. This year Fleck has us playing to our talent level or maybe just slightly above.

That’s fair. But it’s on Fleck to improve the talent level too. Year 7 you’d like to see some notable improvements.

 

[DanvilleGopher]

Really? Coming into this season, Minnesota:

• Had a first-year starting QB who was struggling with accuracy
• Lost the linchpin of its offensive line
• Lost its 'cultural leader' in Mo Ibrahim
• Lost its leading tackler on defense
• Lost its best safety
• Is playing the toughest schedule that it has played in several years

Moreover, the Vegas line was 6.5 wins (actually opened at 6)

If 8-4 was your baseline for the Gophers this year then that's kinda on you.

Don't forget:

• Significant recruiting slippage
• New OC's with zero experience at this level
• The QB room becoming extremely thin
• Fleck becoming ultra conservative
• Fleck sticking with players no matter how ugly the play is getting

 

[NotAFanOfBecky]

Yes, we don't get the highly-rated prospects. We get good players that don't get offers from the top schools. It would be enlightening to research why we don't, but most people on this site blame coaches so they are not interested in such research.

I wouldn't say we don't get highly rated prospects. We don't get enough of them. Darius Taylor had offers from Michigan and Notre Dame, Koi for this coming years class has tOSU, Michigan, USC, Florida State. Those guys definitely had offers from the big boys. Most of his other recruits have multiple P5 offers. I know Jerry Kill and his philosophy was go for the guys that blossom late, that have the height/weight/speed that are a big fish in a small pond type of thing. They were not highly rated, most didn't have P5 offers but they could play. I also think that the recruiting in the BiG has gotten better over the last 3-5 years though too. I think if we can get some more maturity in the o-line and some better play at QB/WR/DB that this team could be much improved next year. Of course the portal and if some of the top end recruits don't stick and it could all fall apart.

 

[Goldmember]

I saw an 8-4 season coming on this past summer. Maybe even 9-3 or 10-2 if things went well.

What!?! Why? How?

 

[BilldGopher]

I think we actually got a good look at what was to come with the NC game.

At the time I attributed the Gophers performance to NC just being a better team than was expected but a lot that happened in that game continued, especially later in the season.

Pretty much full agreement this year is a down and need to go up. It will be interesting to see what this year's roster, whether a "veteran or not," does with the Portal going out. Even more interesting to see who may come in.

 

[WorkingMyTailOff]

The secondary is the one I would add as a disappointment.

I wonder if the secondary poor play is somewhat scheme and probably injury related. In today's game, Walley mostly played man on the best college receiver and for the most part locked it down. He is a really good man corner. I think the zone coverage this year has been really bad and not sure why Rossi hasn't made changes.
I think fans also need to chill a bit. We should have chilled a bit with Mason too. Having a down year or two at a program like Mn is going to happen. If it continues to slide into 2 or 3 years that is a diferent story. 2020 was a down year, and then 2021 and 2022 were pretty decent I would say.

 

[Great Plains Gopher]

It really is sad that the portal is becoming as important as traditional recruiting. Go back to sitting out a year and that would remedy some of it.

 

[kg21]

Really? Coming into this season, Minnesota:

• Had a first-year starting QB who was struggling with accuracy
• Lost the linchpin of its offensive line
• Lost its 'cultural leader' in Mo Ibrahim
• Lost its leading tackler on defense
• Lost its best safety
• Is playing the toughest schedule that it has played in several years

Moreover, the Vegas line was 6.5 wins (actually opened at 6)

If 8-4 was your baseline for the Gophers this year then that's kinda on you.

The west is so pathetic I could cry. We got run by NC, Michigan and OSU.....I thought we'd at least show up. We were outscored against Michigan and OSU 87-13..........pathetic

We got run by Purdue who did nothing yesterday. They literally could not score yesterday. We didn't have a prayer of stopping them.

We blew a 21 point lead to NW

We beat a Nebraska team by the skin of our teeth. If they hadn't played that qb, we lose.

Illinois is so average and we couldn't do it.

I'm not looking at a prediction of an 8-4 record or 6-6 record, I'm looking at how we've played. Friggin Brutal is pretty much my summary.