BTN on Gophers BT schedule: "This slate is built for success."

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per BTN's analysis on each BT West's BT schedule:

For the first time since 1984, the Big Ten will play nine conference games. Schools will play the other six teams in their division … and three from the opposite division. And, schedule strengths can vary a great deal based on which schools a team does not have to play from the other division.

Here is a look at the teams from the East that Big West clubs will miss. They are ranked on the winning percentage of the teams they miss.

1. Minnesota: Michigan (10-3), Michigan State (12-2), Ohio State (12-1), Indiana (6-7)
Record: 40-13 (.755)
Bowls: 4

Comment: Forgive Tracy Claeys if he’s smiling about his good fortune. No Big Ten misses a group of cross-division foes with a higher winning percentage. And no Big Ten team misses four bowls teams. This slate is built for success. Will Claeys cash in taking on Rutgers, Maryland and Penn State?

http://btn.com/2016/06/01/big-ten-schedule-breakdown-who-big-ten-west-teams-miss/

Go Gophers!!
 

"This slate is built for success" may be true for teams such as OSU and MSU but I have a hard time being confident that will be the case for our Gophers. As the case last season, injuries will be a key and we all know how that went.

At this time, this is how I would rate our chances. 6 Favored, 4 Underdog and 2 Even.

09/01/16 vs. Oregon State -Favored
09/10/16 vs. Indiana State-Favored
09/24/16 vs. Colorado State-Favored
10/01/16 at Penn State-Dog
10/08/16 vs. Iowa-Dog
10/15/16 at Maryland-Favored
10/22/16 vs. Rutgers-Favored
10/29/16 at Illinois-Even
11/05/16 vs. Purdue-Favored
11/12/16 at Nebraska-Dog
11/19/16 vs. Northwestern-Even
11/26/16 at Wisconsin-Dog
 

Bayfieldgopher said:
"This slate is built for success" may be true for teams such as OSU and MSU but I have a hard time being confident that will be the case for our Gophers. As the case last season, injuries will be a key and we all know how that went.

At this time, this is how I would rate our chances. 6 Favored, 4 Underdog and 2 Even.

09/01/16 vs. Oregon State -Favored
09/10/16 vs. Indiana State-Favored
09/24/16 vs. Colorado State-Favored
10/01/16 at Penn State-Dog
10/08/16 vs. Iowa-Dog
10/15/16 at Maryland-Favored
10/22/16 vs. Rutgers-Favored
10/29/16 at Illinois-Even
11/05/16 vs. Purdue-Favored
11/12/16 at Nebraska-Dog
11/19/16 vs. Northwestern-Even
11/26/16 at Wisconsin-Dog
Click to expand...


I get what you're saying, but this is as close to "built for success" that Minnesota will ever have. Our schedule may never be easier (at least on paper) at a time when we have a three year starter at QB, among other things. That's why I think eight wins should be the minimum expectation -- and I know we've been around and around this in other threads. But this is the kind of schedule that middle- and lower-tier programs need to move their program forward.
 

Hates Monikers said:
I get what you're saying, but this is as close to "built for success" that Minnesota will ever have. Our schedule may never be easier (at least on paper) at a time when we have a three year starter at QB, among other things. That's why I think eight wins should be the minimum expectation -- and I know we've been around and around this in other threads. But this is the kind of schedule that middle- and lower-tier programs need to move their program forward.
Click to expand...

+1

After the legitimate "Murderer's Row" schedule of the last couple of years we kept hearing a lot of "Just wait until 2016. That will be the year." Now we're hearing too much "It isn't as easy as it looks!" No, it's never gonna be easy, but this sets-up as one of Mason's gimme Non-Conference and hope to avoid tOSU and/or Michigan schedules as it can possibly get.

1999 - 8-3 regular season - No Michigan no MSU
2003 - 9-3 regular season - No tOSU

This season? No Michigan, no MSU, no tOSU. Nebraska coming off a 5-7 season and Penn State 6-6

If this season doesn't end with at least 8 wins it will be a disappointing year. They'll have to hope that Nebraska and Wisconsin fans buy a whole lot of tickets for 2017.
 

Iceland12 said:
+1

After the legitimate "Murderer's Row" schedule of the last couple of years we kept hearing a lot of "Just wait until 2016. That will be the year." Now we're hearing too much "It isn't as easy as it looks!" No, it's never gonna be easy, but this sets-up as one of Mason's gimme Non-Conference and hope to avoid tOSU and/or Michigan schedules as it can possibly get.

1999 - 8-3 regular season - No Michigan no MSU
2003 - 9-3 regular season - No tOSU

This season? No Michigan, no MSU, no tOSU. Nebraska coming off a 5-7 season and Penn State 6-6

If this season doesn't end with at least 8 wins it will be a disappointing year. They'll have to hope that Nebraska and Wisconsin fans buy a whole lot of tickets for 2017.
Click to expand...

I'll throw out some excuses for ya.

Nebraska was 5 and 7 just like us, but they also have an easy schedule and more talent.

My favorite though is that we don't really know what the Claeys team is going to look like or what he can do over the long haul, let alone a new OC and etc. I like running with Claeys for now but I'm not sure that there is that much continuity or guaranteed level of play with the transition from Jerry to Claeys as folks around here seem to assume.

Personally I wouldn't call those excuses as much as unknowns.
 


A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I'll throw out some excuses for ya.

Nebraska was 5 and 7 just like us, but they also have an easy schedule and more talent.

My favorite though is that we don't really know what the Claeys team is going to look like or what he can do over the long haul, let alone a new OC and etc. I like running with Claeys for now but I'm not sure that there is that much continuity or guaranteed level of play with the transition from Jerry to Claeys as folks around here seem to assume.

Personally I wouldn't call those excuses as much as unknowns.
Click to expand...

Nebraska has Oregon and tOSU on their schedule this year, and they're on the road to Wisconsin and Iowa. That's not an easy schedule but the point was they shouldn't be all that frightening. Adding your points in, you're looking at another 5-6 win season then?
 



Iceland12 said:
Excuses or unknowns. What do you expect then?
Click to expand...

Actual odds or hopes?

I hope they win every game.

Realistic odds, I would guess their win total will be something like 6 to 8. I wouldn't be surprised by 6, not happy but not surprised. I'm not convinced above 6 is a sure deal. As Jerry once said they're not a good enough team to look past anyone. 8 would mean they actually didn't derp away a game where they start out with a good chance all season and that would be an improvement. That's half the battle.

With the big caveat that they're in the B1G West and who the hell knows how good anyone is from week to week. The whole division might just implode.
 



Iceland12 said:
+1

After the legitimate "Murderer's Row" schedule of the last couple of years we kept hearing a lot of "Just wait until 2016. That will be the year." Now we're hearing too much "It isn't as easy as it looks!" No, it's never gonna be easy, but this sets-up as one of Mason's gimme Non-Conference and hope to avoid tOSU and/or Michigan schedules as it can possibly get.

1999 - 8-3 regular season - No Michigan no MSU
2003 - 9-3 regular season - No tOSU

This season? No Michigan, no MSU, no tOSU. Nebraska coming off a 5-7 season and Penn State 6-6

If this season doesn't end with at least 8 wins it will be a disappointing year. They'll have to hope that Nebraska and Wisconsin fans buy a whole lot of tickets for 2017.
Click to expand...

Part in bold is the key, the BIG schedule will never be easy but you really can't script it much better then the one we have this season. Contrast that with Wisconsin who has a brutal conference schedule (couldn't happen to a more deserving team). The let down from last year has curbed a lot of the optimism for this year but in terms of opportunity for a big year schedule wise it doesn't get much better then what we are looking at.

Hopefully Johnson can get the offense moving in the right direction quickly and the defense stays solid. Not winning at least 8 would be very disappointing with the schedule we have.
 

Skimming through a few of the preseason mags at the newsstand yesterday, they all have the Gophers 5th in the West and winning 6 games. While I know the mags generally predict close to the previous season's standings, I can't help but think they overlooked Minnesota's schedule.

If we aren't in the thick of the division race when November rolls around, I will be terribly disappointed.
 

The previous two years when we played two games from the opposite division we got Michigan and OSU (two years in a row) while the skunks got Rutgers and Maryland two years in a row. So I will take it this year. The badger fans better not say a word after the previous two years.
 

This is on par with Iowa's schedule last year. Not saying I want us to get creamed by Stanford in the Rose Bowl, but I am hoping for 8 wins, minimum.
 



Nax5 said:
This is on par with Iowa's schedule last year. Not saying I want us to get creamed by Stanford in the Rose Bowl, but I am hoping for 8 wins, minimum.
Click to expand...

this, though gettnig creamed by anyone in the rose bowl would be fine by me at this point.
 

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