An amazing collection of things I didn’t see coming

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Schnauzer said:
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.
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You forgot to list the offensive line. A good offensive line can help mediocre running backs. No such luck. This position has perhaps the poorest coaching.. even when comparing to the QB coach.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
You don't improve every year, there are ups and downs. Butat a certain point, you hope there is a floor to how the downs are. 7 years in, these are things I had hoped we were past:

-going into games with the big boys (Michigan and OSU) feeling like it wasn't even worth playing the game (I'd still expect us to be longshots, but at least able to give ourselves a punchers chance)

-getting blown put by fringe top 25 teams (which UNC is turning out to be)

-getting blown out by last place teams (Purdue)

-blowing 21 point leads

-losing games as double digit favorites
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If we can beat Nebraska, Iowa, & Wisconsin in our down year....I'm okay with that.

Other coaches' down years here are 0-2 win conference seasons.
 


BilldGopher said:
I'm with your main point on HC control but offer that if KC went south, west, or even stayed in the Midwest, that would more strongly support the point than what happened with him going east, which is where his family roots are from.
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Both can be true. KC took offers closer to home but he was open to offers because he wasn’t comfortable with Fleck wanting to direct offense.

Would guess Harbaugh quite happy for now to collect Big Ten coordinators pay and faithfully carry out Fleck’s high school game plan.
 

Schnauzer said:
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.
Click to expand...
We all saw #4.
He ain’t it and continues to prove time and time again that he is just plain dumb.
 


MplsGopher said:
New OC's with zero experience at this level

If you read and believe Ryan Burns, in his five takeaways he is pounding the drum that whoever we have at OC does not matter. Fleck owns and controls wayyy more than we all understand on offense.
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I have said all along the OC is a puppet. 100% PJ is the OC. Not news to me.
But to me the OC's job here is to be the whisperer. To pump up the confidence of the offensive unit to convince them they are the best! Especially, the QB!!! That ain't happening.
Then there is the subtle nuances the OC can tweak to take advantage of game situations and individual strengths in addition to avoiding weaknesses. These things don't happen.
1000% the OC matters....ours does not have the ability to offer these difference makers.
Actually, a big deal breaker in our performance.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
No offense, but I dont see how you make an argument MN blew the Purdue game. They got pounded. AK playing better would not have changed the outcome of that on IMO. Illinions and Purdue sure. Can also argue the Nebraska and Iowa blew the games to us, so it goes both ways...
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The Gophers are the better team. Purdue is horrible. They blew the chance.
 


as people assess this season - I think it's fair to point this out -

If Cooper DeJean did not wave his arms around before that punt return, the Gophers could be looking at a record of 4-7 overall/2-6 in the conference with no trophy win to highlight.

that would put the season in a very different perspective.

To be clear - the penalty was assessed correctly. but IF DeJean keeps his arms at his sides, this season looks a LOT different today.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
as people assess this season - I think it's fair to point this out -

If Cooper DeJean did not wave his arms around before that punt return, the Gophers could be looking at a record of 4-7 overall/2-6 in the conference with no trophy win to highlight.

that would put the season in a very different perspective.

To be clear - the penalty was assessed correctly. but IF DeJean keeps his arms at his sides, this season looks a LOT different today.
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More likely he would have been smoked trying to field that ball in front of three defenders within a yard of the sideline. There's a reason that the three people closest to him were standing with their dick in their hands when he decided to grab that ball and run with it. Happens to be the same reason that play was correctly called back.

Could say the same thing about BSF catching a pass that hit him in the hands to beat Northwestern. If the Gophers LB core doesn't come into this year playing with half of a leg, then Purdue and Illinois were readily winnable. If Nebraska's QB was a little more comfortable then they could have smoked the Gophers, etc. Things tend to land where they will on average. Nobody would have predicted a win over Iowa and a loss to Purdue, but here we are.

Minnesota outgained Iowa by 100 yards during that game and was clearly the better team / deserved to win. Illinois and Purdue were the better teams in their respective games.
 
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Schnauzer said:
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.
Click to expand...
I didn't figure that our kicker would be our best player.
 


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