Big Ten Spring Power Rankings (8. Minnesota)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Athlon:

8. Minnesota

2020 Record: 3-4 (3-4 Big Ten)

Returning Starters: Offense: 9, Defense: 7

Key Spring Question (Offense): After averaging 34.1 points a game in 2019, the scoring average for the Golden Gophers dropped to 27.3 in ’20. With quarterback Tanner Morgan, running back Mohamed Ibrahim and the offensive line returning intact, this unit hopes to get back on track in ’21. Finding a replacement for No. 1 receiver Rashod Bateman and developing more weapons on the outside would be a big help for the offense.

Key Spring Question (Defense): Good news: The bulk of the defensive depth chart from 2020 is back. The bad news: Minnesota allowed 6.9 yards per play – up from 5.1 in ’19. This spring is all about improvement.

athlonsports.com

Big Ten Football: Spring 2021 Power Rankings and Storylines to Watch

Spring practice for the 2021 college football season is just around the corner for most teams and that includes the 14 programs in the Big Ten. Northwestern,
athlonsports.com athlonsports.com

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
per Athlon:

8. Minnesota

2020 Record: 3-4 (3-4 Big Ten)

Returning Starters: Offense: 9, Defense: 7

Key Spring Question (Offense): After averaging 34.1 points a game in 2019, the scoring average for the Golden Gophers dropped to 27.3 in ’20. With quarterback Tanner Morgan, running back Mohamed Ibrahim and the offensive line returning intact, this unit hopes to get back on track in ’21. Finding a replacement for No. 1 receiver Rashod Bateman and developing more weapons on the outside would be a big help for the offense.

Key Spring Question (Defense): Good news: The bulk of the defensive depth chart from 2020 is back. The bad news: Minnesota allowed 6.9 yards per play – up from 5.1 in ’19. This spring is all about improvement.

athlonsports.com

Big Ten Football: Spring 2021 Power Rankings and Storylines to Watch

Spring practice for the 2021 college football season is just around the corner for most teams and that includes the 14 programs in the Big Ten. Northwestern,
athlonsports.com athlonsports.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
Athlon - the consistently and unwaveringly most bearish publication year after year after year about our favorite squad. Not a comment on their specific take on 2021, but I snicker annually at their Gopher dirge.
 

Their complete rankings:

1. OSU
2. Skunks
3. Iowa
4. Indiana
5. PSU
6. Michigan
7. Northwestern
8. Gophers
9. Nebraska
10. Maryland
11. Purdue
12. MSU
13. Rutgers
14. Illinois
 

Why do they have us only returning 7 starters on D?

We get everyone back except St. Juste. We get 10 starters back on O as well and only lose Bateman. I guess 9 makes sense if you count Paulson as a starter but I don’t as he only started one game this year. And Seth wasn’t a starter.

It should say we return 10 starters on both O and D.
 

die hard gopher said:
Why do they have us only returning 7 starters on D?

We get everyone back except St. Juste. We get 10 starters back on O as well and only lose Bateman. I guess 9 makes sense if you count Paulson as a starter but I don’t as he only started one game this year. And Seth wasn’t a starter.

It should say we return 10 starters on both O and D.
Click to expand...
Athlon must have gotten that information from some other publication since we all know they don't do any research when it comes to the Gophers.
 



spermophilus said:
Athlon - the consistently and unwaveringly most bearish publication year after year after year about our favorite squad. Not a comment on their specific take on 2021, but I snicker annually at their Gopher dirge.
Click to expand...
I don't know if this ranking is right or wrong.... bit Athlon's output more often than not looks like someprocedurally generated content.

Their propensity to reference old 'controversies', old players not on the team anymore makes me really wonder if they have some computer script that just data mines other sports sites and generated content that someone maybe edits a bit ...

All of it reeks like someone mining data and getting some strange anomalies from out of date data.
 


Nebraska at number 9 is the biggest joke. They lost two studs on offense Robinson and McCaffrey. Nebraska will probably be a 4 win team next year.
 



BleedGopher said:
per Athlon:

8. Minnesota

2020 Record: 3-4 (3-4 Big Ten)

Returning Starters: Offense: 9, Defense: 7

Key Spring Question (Offense): After averaging 34.1 points a game in 2019, the scoring average for the Golden Gophers dropped to 27.3 in ’20. With quarterback Tanner Morgan, running back Mohamed Ibrahim and the offensive line returning intact, this unit hopes to get back on track in ’21. Finding a replacement for No. 1 receiver Rashod Bateman and developing more weapons on the outside would be a big help for the offense.

Key Spring Question (Defense): Good news: The bulk of the defensive depth chart from 2020 is back. The bad news: Minnesota allowed 6.9 yards per play – up from 5.1 in ’19. This spring is all about improvement.

athlonsports.com

Big Ten Football: Spring 2021 Power Rankings and Storylines to Watch

Spring practice for the 2021 college football season is just around the corner for most teams and that includes the 14 programs in the Big Ten. Northwestern,
athlonsports.com athlonsports.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Joke publication and to think as a young lad I'd be scouring the local Drug Store magazine racks for a copy - the follies of youth!
 

abrams said:
Nebraska at number 9 is the biggest joke. They lost two studs on offense Robinson and McCaffrey. Nebraska will probably be a 4 win team next year.
Click to expand...
Mccaffrey was hardly a stud. Great athlete but didn't really have a position. 4-8 and ranked #9 isn't that far off anyway....
 

die hard gopher said:
Why do they have us only returning 7 starters on D?

We get everyone back except St. Juste. We get 10 starters back on O as well and only lose Bateman. I guess 9 makes sense if you count Paulson as a starter but I don’t as he only started one game this year. And Seth wasn’t a starter.

It should say we return 10 starters on both O and D.
Click to expand...

Was confused by that as well. Guessing maybe they assumed that MDT was graduating but that still doesn't account for 4 starters. Not really sure how they came up with that number. But it is Athlon so yeah the research end of things is likely to be pretty light.
 




pk2 said:
Their complete rankings:

1. OSU
2. Skunks
3. Iowa
4. Indiana
5. PSU
6. Michigan
7. Northwestern
8. Gophers
9. Nebraska
10. Maryland
11. Purdue
12. MSU
13. Rutgers
14. Illinois
Click to expand...
This is a pretty fair ranking although I’d put Iowa in front of Wisconsin. I’d put indiana after Minnesota.
I’d put Maryland 13th.
 

have a feeling Indiana cannot replicate their success again
 


Stewart Mandel has released his top 25 teams for this fall. Iowa ranked 11, Wisconsin 13. No mention of the Gophers. Interesting that Iowa State was ranked 7. I always thought the Gophers and Iowa State were very comparable.
 



Pete smith said:
Stewart Mandel has released his top 25 teams for this fall. Iowa ranked 11, Wisconsin 13. No mention of the Gophers. Interesting that Iowa State was ranked 7. I always thought the Gophers and Iowa State were very comparable.
Click to expand...
They were/are. That ranking is all about recency bias. Minnesota is one COVID-shortened season removed from finishing in the top 10. I have no idea what ISU returns next year in terms of skill, but I'll be shocked if they finish in the top 10 this season. Like Minnesota, they're a program on the rise with a good young coach who's infused talent, pulled off some upsets over "big boys", and brought excitement. I don't see either of them becoming powerhouses in the next 2 or 3 years, but either could have another big season like both have recently.
 

MGGopher said:
They were/are. That ranking is all about recency bias. Minnesota is one COVID-shortened season removed from finishing in the top 10. I have no idea what ISU returns next year in terms of skill, but I'll be shocked if they finish in the top 10 this season. Like Minnesota, they're a program on the rise with a good young coach who's infused talent, pulled off some upsets over "big boys", and brought excitement. I don't see either of them becoming powerhouses in the next 2 or 3 years, but either could have another big season like both have recently.
Click to expand...
Aren't rankings and polls like this by nature and function based on recency...?
 


Rankings spankings....

Other than OSU it is pretty even on any given Saturday.

8th isn't bad considering the ranking of our recruiting. Keep in mind the following:

Offense:

Line: All the big heavies are back. Big Dan, Dunlap, Andries, Schmidt, Schuster, all of them! We are like 8 deep and can only play 5 or 6 at a time. This is maybe the strongest offensive line we have ever had. Of course, we thought the same heading into last year.

Quarterback: As long as the above stays healthy and we don't have to break in any subs, Tanner should not be under siege like he was for the better part of last year and should be able to make the right reads and get back to where he should be. Line play is huge.

Skill positions: Mo, mo and mo Mo. I'm surprised he didn't go Pro. Maybe he has always wanted to run for 200 yds and 4 TDs against OSU? In any case, best chance for a National Player of the Year in maroon and Gold I can remember! Autman-Bell should be money, we have good tight ends and a very deep bench of talented receivers to replace Bateman. I'm confident PJ will coach up a couple of them.

Defense:

They are almost all back. Players get better with experience. Lots of stud athletes on this defense who had to learn their positions without a preseason. Now they have had a year and a spring. We have talented guys coming in to help with some 4* freshmen who may be able to help immediately.

I'm not saying these guys will be the Ravens but they won't be giving up 6.8 yds per play either.

Special Teams: This is where we need the most improvement. Face it. We lost at least 2 games because of special teams maybe 3. Missed kicks, kickoff returns, you name it. We were not that great.

I do not think PJ let's this happen again. He has signed a reliable kicker and I am sure he is going to get the special teams prepared this time around. Lots of young athletes coming in to be filling out the lanes and playing hard.

Yeah, we were 3-4 last year. But we weren't too far from being 5-2.

A handful of plays or less made the difference. These guys can make 2019 magic again in 2021!
 

Otis said:
Rankings spankings....

Other than OSU it is pretty even on any given Saturday.

8th isn't bad considering the ranking of our recruiting. Keep in mind the following:

Offense:

Line: All the big heavies are back. Big Dan, Dunlap, Andries, Schmidt, Schuster, all of them! We are like 8 deep and can only play 5 or 6 at a time. This is maybe the strongest offensive line we have ever had. Of course, we thought the same heading into last year.

Quarterback: As long as the above stays healthy and we don't have to break in any subs, Tanner should not be under siege like he was for the better part of last year and should be able to make the right reads and get back to where he should be. Line play is huge.

Skill positions: Mo, mo and mo Mo. I'm surprised he didn't go Pro. Maybe he has always wanted to run for 200 yds and 4 TDs against OSU? In any case, best chance for a National Player of the Year in maroon and Gold I can remember! Autman-Bell should be money, we have good tight ends and a very deep bench of talented receivers to replace Bateman. I'm confident PJ will coach up a couple of them.

Defense:

They are almost all back. Players get better with experience. Lots of stud athletes on this defense who had to learn their positions without a preseason. Now they have had a year and a spring. We have talented guys coming in to help with some 4* freshmen who may be able to help immediately.

I'm not saying these guys will be the Ravens but they won't be giving up 6.8 yds per play either.

Special Teams: This is where we need the most improvement. Face it. We lost at least 2 games because of special teams maybe 3. Missed kicks, kickoff returns, you name it. We were not that great.

I do not think PJ let's this happen again. He has signed a reliable kicker and I am sure he is going to get the special teams prepared this time around. Lots of young athletes coming in to be filling out the lanes and playing hard.

Yeah, we were 3-4 last year. But we weren't too far from being 5-2.

A handful of plays or less made the difference. These guys can make 2019 magic again in 2021!
Click to expand...
Love the optimism. Mase had some very good O-lines.
 

Otis said:
Rankings spankings....

Other than OSU it is pretty even on any given Saturday.

8th isn't bad considering the ranking of our recruiting. Keep in mind the following:

Offense:

Line: All the big heavies are back. Big Dan, Dunlap, Andries, Schmidt, Schuster, all of them! We are like 8 deep and can only play 5 or 6 at a time. This is maybe the strongest offensive line we have ever had. Of course, we thought the same heading into last year.

Quarterback: As long as the above stays healthy and we don't have to break in any subs, Tanner should not be under siege like he was for the better part of last year and should be able to make the right reads and get back to where he should be. Line play is huge.

Skill positions: Mo, mo and mo Mo. I'm surprised he didn't go Pro. Maybe he has always wanted to run for 200 yds and 4 TDs against OSU? In any case, best chance for a National Player of the Year in maroon and Gold I can remember! Autman-Bell should be money, we have good tight ends and a very deep bench of talented receivers to replace Bateman. I'm confident PJ will coach up a couple of them.

Defense:

They are almost all back. Players get better with experience. Lots of stud athletes on this defense who had to learn their positions without a preseason. Now they have had a year and a spring. We have talented guys coming in to help with some 4* freshmen who may be able to help immediately.

I'm not saying these guys will be the Ravens but they won't be giving up 6.8 yds per play either.

Special Teams: This is where we need the most improvement. Face it. We lost at least 2 games because of special teams maybe 3. Missed kicks, kickoff returns, you name it. We were not that great.

I do not think PJ let's this happen again. He has signed a reliable kicker and I am sure he is going to get the special teams prepared this time around. Lots of young athletes coming in to be filling out the lanes and playing hard.

Yeah, we were 3-4 last year. But we weren't too far from being 5-2.

A handful of plays or less made the difference. These guys can make 2019 magic again in 2021!
Click to expand...
Agree with most of your take. Might not be the best O-Line we have ever had here but with Dunlap and Big Dan back in the mix I have to think it is one the deepest units we have ever had. It will take quite a few injuries along the offensive line to truly derail that unit which is a great situation to be in.

Also have high hopes for the defense. They got better as the year went on and almost the full unit is back. Don't need world beaters just need a group that can make teams earn it as opposed to what was happening early in 2020 with teams getting huge plays against us.
 


MNVCGUY said:
Agree with most of your take. Might not be the best O-Line we have ever had here but with Dunlap and Big Dan back in the mix I have to think it is one the deepest units we have ever had. It will take quite a few injuries along the offensive line to truly derail that unit which is a great situation to be in.

Also have high hopes for the defense. They got better as the year went on and almost the full unit is back. Don't need world beaters just need a group that can make teams earn it as opposed to what was happening early in 2020 with teams getting huge plays against us.
Click to expand...
The defense was put in so many bad situations by the poor special teams play. If we improve the special teams and control the ball, I think the defense could be much improved.
 

Otis said:
The defense was put in so many bad situations by the poor special teams play. If we improve the special teams and control the ball, I think the defense could be much improved.
Click to expand...
Yeah, our complete dumpster fire on special teams, especially early in the year definitely didn't do the defense any favors. Hopefully Special Teams is much more special in 2021 and isn't the drag on the team that it was in 2020.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Yeah, our complete dumpster fire on special teams, especially early in the year definitely didn't do the defense any favors. Hopefully Special Teams is much more special in 2021 and isn't the drag on the team that it was in 2020.
Click to expand...
Special teams will certainly be improved with Trickett and Mobley both clearly being better than any kicker we had the last two years, Sparks being a better punter then what we’ve had the last two years and Kesich not missing any time due to covid for place kicking duties.

I don’t know about the return game or kickoff coverage if they’ll be better but the kicking and punting will absolutely be better.
 

Otis said:
The defense was put in so many bad situations by the poor special teams play. If we improve the special teams and control the ball, I think the defense could be much improved.
Click to expand...
Not sure the lackluster special teams had anything to do with the yards per rush. Gophs were #102 in rushing defense, and only three teams had worse average yards per rush.
 

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