Bill Connelly: Has Minnesota improved enough to win the Big Ten West?

[Cayman]

"Luckily, Minnesota seems to have done fine with its next hire. Following four years of Brewster, the Gophers hired Jerry Kill, and while growth has been slow, it has been steady.

The plaudits for Kill have been overstated -- Minnesota did finish 8-5 and 37th in F/+ last year, not 11-2 and 15th -- but he's still building. The next time he doesn't improve his team from one year to another will be the first time since 2011.

So how long can Kill keep the growth going? He recruits at a top-60 level and put a top-40 team on the field, but what's the ceiling? Can a decent-not-great offense survive the loss of its best running back and top receiving threat? Can an experienced defense pick up the slack?

Minnesota is being treated as a contender in the Big Ten West, and while that's because of the lack of an elite team (Wisconsin is the most highly projected but barely squeezes into the top 25), it's also because we're beginning to expect more of Minnesota. Will we be disappointed?"

http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...e-roster?_ga=1.169372198.600836805.1368115601

 

[jaymil]

Connelly does a good job. His preview is probably the one I look forward to most every year. His analysis is fair, although I think Big Ten West champs is much more likely than 6-6, I'm a biased fan

 

[Ole]

Connelly does a good job. His preview is probably the one I look forward to most every year. His analysis is fair, although I think Big Ten West champs is much more likely than 6-6, I'm a biased fan

That is a fantastic breakdown.
I think it's fair to state though that Kill's teams seem to be statistically strange. Some of this was taken into account by the breakdown of running % and defensive stats against the run, but it extends into the recruiting aspect of these formulas too.
So essentially we are to be favored in 7 games this upcoming season, only 5 appear automatic, the remaining 5 are TCU, Michigan, Nebraska, OSU, and wisky.
4 of those are at home, TCU is in the season opener which can be weird games.
Michigan come here halloween night after a bye.
Nebraska isn't going to overlook us again, but geez I still see a game predicated on who's tougher rather than who's more talented.
OSU remains the toughest team in football, on the road, oof.
wisky comes here after another bitter loss last season, I can't see how the team doesn't come into this one absolutely insane with motivation even if we sit at 5 wins.
It is going to be a seriously fun season.

 

[pregameatblarneys]

Seeing that 99th percentile performance against Iowa is a thing of beauty!