Andy Katz reporting

[ruralgopher]

Sorry, but you miss my point entirely. Certainly power can change from program to program from year to year but, in reality, they don't. If shifts occur they will be just as likely to be away from us as towards us. Thus, why are cheering for a schedule that gives us more games against the current Big Six than any other team in the Big Ten will have? I want the minimum average of playing three out of six. That is all. Most are saying they like this four every year, minimum. IMHO, this is fully self destructive the goal of this site: to cheer the Gophers towards a January bowl game. If we were in the same division as Neb, Iowa and Wisc, with random cross over games we would have a better chance at more wins, on average.

Never going to happen? I know that. We are not being paid $23 million dollars a year by the league so that others get to lose games.

I understand what you are saying. Mathematically you are probably right. However, as a fan I don't want to see IN, Ill, OSU or PSU roll into TCF any more than neccessary. They just don't excite me. Mich, NE, WI, and IA excite me. As a fan, these are the teams I want to play. And I think we can beat them, regularly.

 

[jerdogg1]

If we were in the same division as Neb, Iowa and Wisc, with random cross over games we would have a better chance at more wins, on average.

If we were in a division with those 3 then we'd be playing each of them every year right? And even if we DID have random cross-over games (with no protected rivalries, which also isn't going to happen) with the other division, the only way that we DON'T play 4 of your alleged Big Six is if we also don't play Michigan, PSU or OSU in the same year. Additionally, if the conference goes to 9 games, which appears likely, then there is literally NO chance that you would play any less than 4 of those 6.

 

[Gopherhurrin]

If we were in a division with those 3 then we'd be playing each of them every year right? And even if we DID have random cross-over games (with no protected rivalries, which also isn't going to happen) with the other division, the only way that we DON'T play 4 of your alleged Big Six is if we also don't play Michigan, PSU or OSU in the same year. Additionally, if the conference goes to 9 games, which appears likely, then there is literally NO chance that you would play any less than 4 of those 6.

Three minimum, in lucky draw years. This way it will be four minimum, in lucky draw years. If we get four, someone gets only two.

 

[Schnauzer]

Sorry, but you miss my point entirely.

You can count me among everyone else: I too miss your point entirely.

I am thrilled at the alignment that has been getting leaked today. If it is true, and the Gophers get a crossover with Bucky... I will say "whew" and thank the stars we didn't end up in that eastern alignment with OSU and PSU that had been making the rounds in recent weeks.

Perhaps it is all rumor and the Gopher will be put into a division with Washington State, Vanderbilt, Indiana, and Hamline. It is hard to think of you finding any division alignment short of that as 'good'.

 

[RodentRampage]

This may not have been the ideal split, but it's a whole lot better than some of the divisions that have been rumored.

If we have divisions and protected games are as rumored, then 3 teams will play 4 of the top 6: MSU, MN and Purdue. 5 will play 3 of them: Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, Indiana, and Illinois. Four will play 2 of them: Nebraska, Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin.

I suppose you could make made every team have three games against the top 6 teams by having Michigan play Ohio State, Nebraska play Penn State and Iowa play Wisconsin. We'd then wind up with a protected "rivalry" game against Indiana, Purdue or Illinois.

 

[jerdogg1]

Three minimum, in lucky draw years. This way it will be four minimum, in lucky draw years. If we get four, someone gets only two.

Not when there's a 9 game schedule.

 

[13 Lined Ground Squirrel]

As an advocate of East-West who was entirely prepared for disappointment with the divisions, this is actually surprisingly acceptable. The geography, while screwed up, isn't entirely random. Minnesota actually gains two fun annual historic rivalry games with Michigan and Nebraska. I would still prefer East-West, as everybody would be happy with it except for some fork tongued TV execs, but I can live with this.

If I was a Wisconsin fan, however, I would be PISSED.

...OK, just got back from Buckyville. They ARE pissed. Rightly so, too.

 

[Gopherhurrin]

They get two difficult games many years, we will always have at least four. Yes, their two are very hard even at their level of play.

 

[Maximus]

They get two difficult games many years, we will always have at least four. Yes, their two are very hard even at their level of play.

A Nebraska team just a couple years removed from giving up 70 points

An Iowa team that lost to Western Michigan on senior day to miss a bowl game in 2007.

A Wisconsin team that needed two missed extra points by Cal Poly to finish 7-5 (3-5 in the Big Ten) in 2008.

A Michigan team that is 3-13 the last two years in the Big Ten.

Maybe the U should drop football?

 

[Gopherhurrin]

I seem to recall the last time we played Michigan they had the worse team to that point in the history of their school. We played them here. How did that turn out? Put another way, in three years, how many of those teams (or their peers) have we beaten under this coach? Indeed, I remember very well how we did against Nebraska when we dropped them. This has turned into an orgy of big talk today. Fair enough. I have made my point that we will not improve our team by losing lots of Big Ten games. As always, time will tell, but I wish we had a schedule where we were playing a balanced cross section of Big Ten teams. Fortunately, for the big talkers today, our 2011 and 2012 schedules have come out on the super soft side of what was possible.

 

[GoAUpher]

I seem to recall the last time we played Michigan they had the worse team to that point in the history of their school. We played them here. How did that turn out? Put another way, in three years, how many of those teams (or their peers) have we beaten under this coach? Indeed, I remember very well how we did against Nebraska when we dropped them. This has turned into an orgy of big talk today. Fair enough. I have made my point that we will not improve our team by losing lots of Big Ten games. As always, time will tell, but I wish we had a schedule where we were playing a balanced cross section of Big Ten teams. Fortunately, for the big talkers today, our 2011 and 2012 schedules have come out on the super soft side of what was possible.

Gopherhurrin posts are easy to replicate. Noun + Verb + BIG TEN WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stocker08]

I seem to recall the last time we played Michigan they had the worse team to that point in the history of their school. We played them here. How did that turn out? Put another way, in three years, how many of those teams (or their peers) have we beaten under this coach? Indeed, I remember very well how we did against Nebraska when we dropped them. This has turned into an orgy of big talk today. Fair enough. I have made my point that we will not improve our team by losing lots of Big Ten games. As always, time will tell, but I wish we had a schedule where we were playing a balanced cross section of Big Ten teams. Fortunately, for the big talkers today, our 2011 and 2012 schedules have come out on the super soft side of what was possible.

Stop being such a lady and deal with it. The gophers can hang with most of the teams we will play in the future. You do not know what the big ten will look like in a few years. Minnesota can and will pull back into the top half.

 

[Gopherhurrin]

As opposed to: The more tough games we schedule the sooner we will get to the Rose Bowl? How has that strategy worked out so far? The object of the game is to win Big Ten football games.

 

[Maximus]

As always, time will tell, but I wish we had a schedule where we were playing a balanced cross section of Big Ten teams.

Man that's worked out so well for us the past 40 plus years.

You're satisfied with three Big Ten wins a year...why not have those 5 Big Ten losses come against interesting teams...rather than Purdue, Indiana and Illinois?