B1G Nonconference Schedule Rankings: Gophers (5 of 12 complete)

[SelectionSunday]

The Gophers' nonconference schedule is now complete. It's a welcome sight and long overdue to see multiple BCS programs visit The Barn in the same season, but the schedule lost some steam with the late additions of Mount St. Mary's and Central Michigan. Nevertheless, this is far & away the best home schedule the Gophers have had under Tubby. Bucknell, Fairfield, Virginia Tech and USC all could present some challenges for the Maroon & Gold.

Opponents' 2010-11 RPI are noted in parentheses.

MINNESOTA GOPHERS
Nov. 11: BUCKNELL (#79)
Nov. 14: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (#238)
Nov. 17: FAIRFIELD (#97) -- Old Spice Classic preliminary
Nov. 21: MOUNT ST. MARY'S (#230)
Nov. 24: vs. DePaul (#234) -- Old Spice Classic quarterfinals
Nov. 25: vs. Indiana State (84) or Texas Tech (165) -- Old Spice Classic 2nd round
Nov. 27: vs. Dayton (70), Fairfield (97), Arizona State (161) or Wake Forest (260) -- Old Spice Classic 3rd round
Nov. 30: VIRGINIA TECH (#62) -- B1G/ACC Challenge
Dec. 3: USC (#67)
Dec. 6: APPALACHIAN STATE (#195)
Dec. 10: ST. PETER'S (#92)
Dec. 13: CENTRAL MICHIGAN (#307)
Dec. 22: NORTH DAKOTA STATE (#183)

Home/Road/Neutral Split: 10/0/3
Average RPI of All Nonconference Opponents: 162.181
Average RPI of Home Nonconference Opponents: 155
Top-100 Opponents (5): Bucknell, Fairfield, St. Peter's, USC, Virginia Tech
NCAA Qualifiers (3): Bucknell (NCAA 2nd round), St. Peter's (NCAA 2nd round), USC (First 4)
Other Postseason Qualifiers (2): Fairfield (NIT 2nd round), Virginia Tech (NIT 2nd round)
Game to Watch: vs. USC
Chalk Up the W: Mount St. Mary's
Projected Nonconference Record: 12-1

Schedule Note: The Gophers have several home games with legitimate potential to be dicey (a refreshing change in the Tubby era), but it's imperative they take care of business at Williams Arena. With no true road games and the misfortune of playing in a surprisingly weak Old Spice Classic field, it's a must that they rip through the nonconference slate. 13-0 is possible, expect 12-1, 11-2 should be the bare minimum expectation & anything 10-3 or worse should be considered a disaster.

B1G Nonconference (Overall) Schedule Rankings
1. Illinois (152.583)
2. GOPHERS (162.181)
3. Purdue (169.7)
4. Penn State (171.666)
5. Iowa (206.923)

B1G Nonconference (Home) Schedule Rankings
1. GOPHERS (155)
2. Illinois (203.75)
3. Penn State (215.375)
4. Purdue (224.587)
5. Iowa (231.7)

 

[BleedGopher]

Myron blog: Gophers put together solid 2011-12 schedule for young team

Go Gophers!!

 

[SelectionSunday]

I'm going with 12-1. Either an unexpected loss @ the Old Spice or a loss at The Barn vs. USC. The Gophers vs. USC has the potential for an ugly, defensive grinder.