Can the Gophers find success in the new Big Ten?

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hungan1

hungan1

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Do they to tweak their schemes and figure out to get the talent they need to succeed? They are up against teams with deep NIL pockets like Nebraska.

IMHO, the current Gophers Football model works well for them in the Big Ten West. Not so much in the new conference alignment.
 


hungan1 said:
Do they to tweak their schemes and figure out to get the talent they need to succeed? They are up against teams with deep NIL pockets like Nebraska.

IMHO, the current Gophers Football model works well for them in the Big Ten West. Not so much in the new conference alignment.
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Who the hell knows now.
 

hungan1 said:
Do they to tweak their schemes and figure out to get the talent they need to succeed? They are up against teams with deep NIL pockets like Nebraska.

IMHO, the current Gophers Football model works well for them in the Big Ten West. Not so much in the new conference alignment.
Click to expand...
All depends on what you define as success. If success is winning the Big Ten the chances of the U doing that in the new divisionless format is next to zero. If success is being competitive and winning 8-9-10 games each year, then yeah the U can achieve that level of success even in the new look conference setup.
 

Not sure changing things is how you become more successful. May be how you become less successful. See Iowa vs Wisconsin
 



SHGopher said:
QB is by far the most important position in football. Even in the Big Ten. If they can pass, they are in the mix. They have Taylor.

And stomped if they have another passing game like this season.
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I agree with you...but as bad as our offense was, if our defense was good we win 10 games.
So, outscoring people isn't fool proof...look at Northwestern and Illinois as a couple clear examples.
 

SHGopher said:
QB is by far the most important position in football. Even in the Big Ten. If they can pass, they are in the mix. They have Taylor.

And stomped if they have another passing game like this season.
Click to expand...

Well said. 2019 stands out because we were hurting teams with big plays in the passing game. The successful programs in college football can hurt you down the field (which is why I think Michigan gets exposed by Alabama, they don't really have any deep threats)
 

SHGopher said:
QB is by far the most important position in football. Even in the Big Ten. If they can pass, they are in the mix. They have Taylor.

And stomped if they have another passing game like this season.
Click to expand...
Ball control offense with a good qb who can nickel and dime it to keep defenses honest. It's worked in our most successful years under Fleck, and it worked in our most successful years under Mason. You can have a rockstar defense with three star dudes if your offense keeps them off the field and fresh. If we have a years like 2019 where we have a couple game changers at wide out, sling it, but keep the focus on running the ball.

Consistency in scheme breeds competence. This would be the absolute worst time to functionally alter what's been our bread and butter with the conference change. If Brosmer is a 60% qb, 8+ wins is not out of the question. Limit turnovers, keep drives alive. Boring but effective.
 



TheNorthernAmir said:
Well said. 2019 stands out because we were hurting teams with big plays in the passing game. The successful programs in college football can hurt you down the field (which is why I think Michigan gets exposed by Alabama, they don't really have any deep threats)
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Maybe but I do not remember Alabama having a starting quarterback as bad as the guy they have now.
 

If you have a winning record in the new big ten that's a great season. Next year we play iowa, michigan, SC, UCLA to open Big play and close w Penn state and Wisconsin. Nothing easy on that schedule.
 

The prez sez said:
If you have a winning record in the new big ten that's a great season. Next year we play iowa, michigan, SC, UCLA to open Big play and close w Penn state and Wisconsin. Nothing easy on that schedule.
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When you combine total coaching salaries and NIL, these are programs that probably average outspending the Gophers 3-4x in football.

Opposite of a level playing field.

Biggest reason why college football sucks .... if your team is a team like the Gophers.
 

60's Guy said:
I agree with you...but as bad as our offense was, if our defense was good we win 10 games.
So, outscoring people isn't fool proof...look at Northwestern and Illinois as a couple clear examples.
Click to expand...

That is also true.

During Bowling Green game, they were stacking the box. Would be nice to have the passing game to make them honest and make them pay.

Too many bad passes last season.

I am also a string believer in the concept of explosives. A team needs to make plays that move the chains. And then the team needs some explosives mixed in. Randy Moss is the standard for that in the air. Get a couple big plays in the air and one on the ground. ST is nice too.

And the ability t
mngg11 said:
Ball control offense with a good qb who can nickel and dime it to keep defenses honest. It's worked in our most successful years under Fleck, and it worked in our most successful years under Mason. You can have a rockstar defense with three star dudes if your offense keeps them off the field and fresh. If we have a years like 2019 where we have a couple game changers at wide out, sling it, but keep the focus on running the ball.

Consistency in scheme breeds competence. This would be the absolute worst time to functionally alter what's been our bread and butter with the conference change. If Brosmer is a 60% qb, 8+ wins is not out of the question. Limit turnovers, keep drives alive. Boring but effective.
Click to expand...

Thus. Also, some explosives mixed in.
 



Yes, the Gophs can have success in the new BG10. That doesn't mean they'll be knocking off the likes of Ohio State or Michigan in the standings anytime soon if those programs keep the pipeline going, but the Gophs can have at least 2019 success again with a little luck. They absolutely do need a decent passing attack to complement the running game and defense to get back to that level.

My prediction is that none of the new PAC teams sniff the top of the standings after slogging it out in the BG10 schedule. The best PAC program might be the fourth best program in the new BG10.
 

I think going forward making the playoffs will be easier than winning the Big Ten. So that is the ultimate goal.

As stated, QB is always the key. Gotta have a good team around him but if you can find a really good QB, especially an athletic one, you can be very successful.

People don't remember that Lamar Jackson wasn't a top recruit out of HS. He was a 3 star, rated around the 400th best player that year. You get a guy that turns into that type of player, you can absolutely win big.
 

To answer your question - NO. I will not be getting season tickets this year, we won’t be competitive. 3 wins tops. Sorry but the “new” B1G is not a friend to the Gophers nor any of the old B1G West alignment.
 

Jack jones said:
To answer your question - NO. I will not be getting season tickets this year, we won’t be competitive. 3 wins tops. Sorry but the “new” B1G is not a friend to the Gophers nor any of the old B1G West alignment.
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I am glad you’ll be gone. You seem like a miserable person to be around
 

Unfortunately, for it to be a possibility, it almost needs to be a perfect storm. That really isn't any different than previous years, but in previous years we had the illusion of competing for the championship by playing in the West.

For it to be a possibility, the schedule will have to fall in our favor, a couple of the more premier programs are going to have to be down and knock each other off. We'd have to have a really good team (7-2 in Big 10) and we'd need a lot of things to fall our way.
 


They need a 2019 Offense to complement a good running game. The hope is the Defense post-Rossi holds steady.

They are lacking that explosive passing threat.

Let us sprinkle some fairy dust to get lucky in recruiting. ;)
 

2024 Recruit Big-Ten Football Team Rankings, Last updated on 12/27/23 at 9:30 AM CST​

The Gophers are 12th out of 18 in recruiting for 2024.

247sports.com

2024 Recruit Big-Ten Football Team Rankings

In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating.
247sports.com 247sports.com
 

Jack jones said:
To answer your question - NO. I will not be getting season tickets this year, we won’t be competitive. 3 wins tops. Sorry but the “new” B1G is not a friend to the Gophers nor any of the old B1G West alignment.
Click to expand...
Hate seeing you so down on things. You are typically so optimistic and positive around here. :)
 

hungan1 said:

2024 Recruit Big-Ten Football Team Rankings, Last updated on 12/27/23 at 9:30 AM CST​

The Gophers are 12th out of 18 in recruiting for 2024.

247sports.com

2024 Recruit Big-Ten Football Team Rankings

In order to create the most comprehensive Team Recruiting Ranking without any notion of bias, 247Sports Team Recruiting Ranking is solely based on the 247Sports Composite Rating.
247sports.com 247sports.com
Click to expand...
Team recruiting rankings are garbage. Our class is comparable to the non helmet schools in the conference on paper.
 

I think the bigger question is, can the West coast teams like UCLA, who was 4-5 in conference play, find success in The Big. How will their high scoring no defense games translate to the new league? It’ll be an interesting year!
 

I think it mostly depends on players and talent. Especially at the QB position. If Max is really good I think the Gophers can be a good team next year. If he does not adjust well to a higher level then we’re in trouble. Also the secondary and linebackers need to improve. I don’t know if it will happen but I hope it does.
 

I think they'll be much the same. In contention for a high end bowl game every 3-4 years, solid most years and occasionally have a rough one around 4-8. We won't be contending for B18 titles but we weren't exactly contending for B10 titles either, though this will now greatly limit the chances unless we get a weird schedule year. Of the teams added, USC continues to be bipolar and not play defense (and has won 9 games 4 times in the last 10 years, same as MN) in spite of having a great QB. UCLA has won 9 games 2 twice in the last 10 years and has been mediocre since forever. Oregon should be great every year. Washington I think should be decent, but they were also a dead zone for 15 years prior Petersen turning it around. So really, we added 2-3 teams above and 1 team equivalent.

Think we'll learn a hell of a lot more next year once we start seeing how these west coast teams actually adjust to the Big Ten. It's a lot different having to get smacked in the mouth week after week or going into MN, WI, Iowa and throwing the ball in November (there's a reason Utah has won 9 games 6 times in the last decade, and it isn't just beating the lower tier teams)
 

TheNorthernAmir said:
Well said. 2019 stands out because we were hurting teams with big plays in the passing game. The successful programs in college football can hurt you down the field (which is why I think Michigan gets exposed by Alabama, they don't really have any deep threats)
Click to expand...
Agree. It's better for a team's running game if it has viable downfield passing threats. Keeps the safeties from cheating down into the box. Means more chances for explosive running plays once a RB gets to the second level. There is a big upside, and simply no downside whatsoever, to having and utilizing smartly a competent passing game that complements a very competent (or dominant) running game. In athletic competition, you always perform better if you can use both arms rather than having one tied behind your back.

In the new B1G, which will have more teams that can score in bunches quickly, the Gophers can win 5-6 games a year (including non-conf wins) by running the ball most of the time (often into +1 boxes). But in that scenario we'd better have 4-5 RBs ready to play, because of over-work and stress injuries. If we remain an extemely run-heavy team, and can also find a way to field an Iowa-level, ball-hawking defense (one of the top in the nation), maybe we get to 7-8 wins. And a lot of those wins will be fun and rewarding ... old style, grind it out, slugfest football. But that's the effective ceiling, I believe, if the Goph's choose to, or are forced to, run a throwback 1950s-60s style offense. We just won't be able to compete against the high-octane offenses that, quite rationally, exploit the plentiful rule advantages favoring the passing game. (And we will continue PJ's seven-year streak of being unable to win once we are down by more than 10 points at any time in the game.)

But, if the Gophers can continue to play tough defense ... and can combine their solid, dependable running game with a decent, complementary passing game ... one that produces yardage, contributes TDs, and "stresses" defense (forcing them to cover the whole field) ... then I think the Gophers can bust through the 7-8 win plateau in any given season, even in the new B1G.

I'm good with all that. Go Gophers.
 
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Gopher Ally said:
I think the bigger question is, can the West coast teams like UCLA, who was 4-5 in conference play, find success in The Big. How will their high scoring no defense games translate to the new league? It’ll be an interesting year!
Click to expand...
It is going to be very interesting to see how the West coast teams deal with the elements and also teams that bother to play defense.

Big contrast in overall style of play between the two conferences.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
Agree. It's better for a team's running game if it has viable downfield passing threats. Keeps the safeties from cheating down into the box. Means more chances for explosive running plays once a RB gets to the second level. There is a big upside, and simply no downside whatsoever, to having and utilizing smartly a competent passing game that complements a very competent (or dominant) running game. In athletic competition, you always perform better if you can use both arms rather than having one tied behind your back.

In the new B1G, which will have more teams that can score in bunches quickly, the Gophers can win 5-6 games a year (including non-conf wins) by running the ball most of the time (often into +1 boxes). But in that scenario we'd better have 4-5 RBs ready to play, because of over-work and stress injuries. If we remain an extemely run-heavy team, and can also find a way to field an Iowa-level, ball-hawking defense (one of the top in the nation), maybe we get to 7-8 wins. And a lot of those wins will be fun and rewarding ... old style, grind it out, slugfest football. But that's the effective ceiling, I believe, if the Goph's choose to, or are forced to, run a throwback 1950s-60s style offense. We just won't be able to compete against the high-octane offenses that, quite rationally, exploit the plentiful rule advantages favoring the passing game. (And we will continue PJ's seven-year streak of being unable to win once we are down by more than 10 points at any time in the game.)

But, if the Gophers can continue to play tough defense ... and can combine their solid, dependable running game with a decent, complementary passing game ... one that produces yardage, contributes TDs, and "stresses" defense (forcing them to cover the whole field ... then I think the Gophers can bust through the 7-8 win plateau in any given season, even in the new B1G.

I'm good with all that. Go Gophers.
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We will enjoy the occasional upsets of ranked opponents.
 

it all depends on what constitutes "success?"

with the new schedule - no more B1G West - my best guess is that there will be more volatility.

in a year with a more favorable (or less difficult) schedule, then a 9-win season is certainly possible.
in a year with a less favorable schedule, the Gophers might have to scramble for 6 or 7 wins.

Note - this assumes 3 very winnable non-conference games. the B1G will be challenging enough. no sense playing stronger P5 opponents in non-conf action.

but winning a B1G title or making the 12-team playoff will be the longest of long shots. for the playoff, that would likely require the Gophers to finish 3rd in the overall conference standings with a 10-2 record at least in order to be ranked in the top 11 nationally. (assuming G5 team is ranked lower than #12).
 

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