BTN: Analyzing Minnesota's 2012 Schedule

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He pretty much nailed it. Best chance for upset is Michigan and they can be (4-0) after Stracuse.
 

Win the must wins, split the toss ups, and you have a 7-5 record. I wouldn't complain.
 

I can see us being 6-0 and heading to take on the red weasels.

Sweep the NC portion of the schedule, keep Floyd where he belongs, defeat Northwestern at home, and I'm having a big party October 20th to watch the fight for The Ax.
 

If we start 6-0, I'll go apesh!t. The media would then bury Kill if we went on to lose to Wisconsin. I don't see 6-0. The slip-ups will come. 4-2, 5-1 at best. If we start 2-4, I'll be very disappointed.
 


Parski1 said:
He pretty much nailed it. Best chance for upset is Michigan and they can be (4-0) after Stracuse.
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If a win @Iowa is considered an upset, I think that one would be easier than Michigan, same with a win against Michigan State at TCF. I'd be happy if we win at least one of those, hopefully we can win one.

I really think 4 conference wins is possible this year. @Illinois, @Iowa, Purdue, and Northwestern are all perfectly winnable games, with @Iowa likely being the most difficult of those four. We gave Michigan State all they could handle last year in East Lansing. I would be quite pleased with one win out of @Nebraska, @Wisconsin, and Michigan.
 

GopherInPittsburgh said:
If we start 6-0, I'll go apesh!t. The media would then bury Kill if we went on to lose to Wisconsin. I don't see 6-0. The slip-ups will come. 4-2, 5-1 at best. If we start 2-4, I'll be very disappointed.
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I also don't see it, but you really think the media would "bury" him if we lost to WI? Sure, there would be plenty of "we told you they weren't as good as you thought" articles (which would ignore the fact that anyone with half a brain already knew that). But I don't see them burying anyone given that the bar for this team is low.
 

:)
Cayman said:
If a win @Iowa is considered an upset, I think that one would be easier than Michigan, same with a win against Michigan State at TCF. I'd be happy if we win at least one of those, hopefully we can win one.

I really think 4 conference wins is possible this year. @Illinois, @Iowa, Purdue, and Northwestern are all perfectly winnable games, with @Iowa likely being the most difficult of those four. We gave Michigan State all they could handle last year in East Lansing. I would be quite pleased with one win out of @Nebraska, @Wisconsin, and Michigan.
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I would extend his contract another 5 years.:)
 

Cayman said:
If a win @Iowa is considered an upset, I think that one would be easier than Michigan, same with a win against Michigan State at TCF. I'd be happy if we win at least one of those, hopefully we can win one.

I really think 4 conference wins is possible this year. @Illinois, @Iowa, Purdue, and Northwestern are all perfectly winnable games, with @Iowa likely being the most difficult of those four. We gave Michigan State all they could handle last year in East Lansing. I would be quite pleased with one win out of @Nebraska, @Wisconsin, and Michigan.
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After the last two years is Iowa really an upset anymore even on the road? I think not.
 



Parski1 said:
After the last two years is Iowa really an upset anymore even on the road? I think not.
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I understand what you're saying, but on the same sense I would have a tough time believing that Vegas would have the Gophers as favorites. It will probably be pretty even (Iowa by 2 or 3?), but based off the teams' records the last couple years and being an away game, it'd be very tough to have the Gophers be favored. Unless Iowa collapses in the NC, which I pray for every year!!! :)
 

I'll pause before I start attaching too many wins on a team that is still developing - to put it lightly. I plan on blogging a schedule preview so at the rate of not repeating myself, I'd be very happy if the Gophers were 4-0 entering the Big Ten season. However, going into last year I figured they would beat an FCS team and a team coming off of a two win season. I also hoped that they would be able to compete in the Big House.

I was very, very wrong.

We still don't know what this team has at running back, if Hageman is going to play like he did against Illinois, or if any of the receivers can step up. That said, it would be disappointing to see another set back like NDSU/New Mexico State/etc. in 2012.
 

Not to rain on the parade here but let's keep our expectations realistic. We lost to New Mexico State and North Dakota State last year...

I'm just hoping we are 1-0 come the morning of Aug. 31 when I'm hungover somewhere on the Vegas strip.
 

As Rup said, avoiding the serious injury bug is key. As my gramma used to say, "so tin, so tin, so tin".

My heart says 6-6, 4-0 in non-con, then beating Illinois and NW. My head says it is more probable the Gophers drop the game to the Illini on the road but finally beat NW. The Syracuse Watchglasses are a potential trap game. I fully expect them to be 3-0 heading into that game and maybe peaking ahead to their rival game in Iowa. Hope not.
 



I still have a hard time seeing the team starting 4-0 considering how young it is. My expectation is 5-7 and my hope is 6+ and a bowl game. Anything less than 5 will be a dissapointment.

I do agree that Northwestern and Purdue are going to be pivotal games. If we don't run the table in the OOC, these will both be must wins. And, I'm really tired of losing to Northwestern after being in the game every year.
 

Parski1 said:
After the last two years is Iowa really an upset anymore even on the road? I think not.
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We have won in Iowa City once in the last 22 years. Regardless of MN beating IA at home over the past two years, I would consider a win at Iowa a big upset.
 

Cayman said:
If a win @Iowa is considered an upset, I think that one would be easier than Michigan, same with a win against Michigan State at TCF. I'd be happy if we win at least one of those, hopefully we can win one.

I really think 4 conference wins is possible this year. @Illinois, @Iowa, Purdue, and Northwestern are all perfectly winnable games, with @Iowa likely being the most difficult of those four. We gave Michigan State all they could handle last year in East Lansing. I would be quite pleased with one win out of @Nebraska, @Wisconsin, and Michigan.
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Yup, this is how I see things too. I especially agree with the bold comment.
 

HouseOfHagen said:
We have won in Iowa City once in the last 22 years. Regardless of MN beating IA at home over the past two years, I would consider a win at Iowa a big upset.
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Now this guy.............MUST be panther hawk! Seriously, ban this guy now for daring to give his opinion!!
 

OutHouseGopher said:
Now this guy.............MUST be panther hawk! Seriously, ban this guy now for daring to give his opinion!!
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Yes, an opinion backed with some facts. I expect lots of folks to take issues with that.
 

HouseOfHagen said:
We have won in Iowa City once in the last 22 years. Regardless of MN beating IA at home over the past two years, I would consider a win at Iowa a big upset.
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LOL - "big upset" Stupid Iowa fans!
 


HouseOfHagen said:
We have won in Iowa City once in the last 22 years. Regardless of MN beating IA at home over the past two years, I would consider a win at Iowa a big upset.
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Yup - unfortunately a win in IA City even against a Hawks team that figures to be mediocre will definitely be an upset regardless of the last 2 years' outcomes.
 

dpodoll68 said:
You may scoff at it, but is there any doubt that we will be 2 TD underdogs, minimum?
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Yes there is doubt - try maximum 14. 10 maybe....that is not a "big upset" or even "upset" spread. You're giving a very average Iowa team w/o their best RB way too much credit.
 

Parski1 said:
Yes there is doubt - try maximum 14. 10 maybe....that is not a "big upset" or even "upset" spread. You're giving a very average Iowa team w/o their best RB way too much credit.
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Lolwut. Losing when favored by 1 is an "upset". It's also not about how good the teams actually are. It's about the perception of how good the teams are according to the public, and the lines are set according to that so that the money comes in equally on both sides. Iowa is perceived by neutral fans as a far superior program, and that has often been the case over the past ~30 years. Iowa is a much more talented team than Minnesota, even without a RB. They will be heavily favored, and deservedly so. Save this post and we'll revisit it this fall.

(P.S. Greg Garmon, the incoming true frosh, might be the best RB on the roster anyway.)
 

Btw, I just looked it up, and Iowa was favored by 16 AT Minnesota last year. Given that the home team gets three points, they would've been favored by 22 at home. But yes, I'm sure that they will only be favored by 10 this year. Good call.
 

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