CBS: 2023 Big Ten win totals, odds, picks (Minnesota: 6-6 Overall)

The opening game against NE may tell more about NE and its new coach than it does about MN who has an established coach and program.
MI and OSU will be tough, IA's OC is coaching for his job, and WI has a new coach and new system, success there will depend on the OL being able to sustain the more rapid pace of play.
It is going to be an entertaining year in the West.
 

OK I'm smoking it, figuratively, but I'm making the case for a 10-0 start, meaning we win at NC, Get breather wins against NW and Louisiana ( could be a tough game but should win to get off to 5-0 start, then take down Michigan (which is coming of roadie at Nebraska). Then we have a bye week to reset and refocus, and then take down Iowa MSU, ILL, and Purdue before losing at Ohio State. Then we close w W vs Wisconsin. 11-1 is my call. Just have to beat Nebraska....
 

There are two likely loses on the schedule to Michigan and Ohio State and two pretty sure wins in Eastern Michigan and Louisiana-Lafayette.

The other 8 games could go either way at this point and we are unlikely to really know what to expect until we see the teams in action this fall.

I like our chances to come out on top in the majority of those games but will come down to how the new faces perform and if we are able to avoid critical injuries along the way.
 

It isn’t about how tough the schedule is. It’s about how tough the Gophers are. I believe this will be the best Gopher Football since the 60s.
It's both. It always is.
 

I’ll take the over on this one. Like our chances with Iowa, Illinois, and UNC.
 


I think 8-4 is completely realistic. I'm not sure why everyone is so convinced that Wisc is going to beat us. They have completely new coaches and schemes on both sides of the ball and that offense doesn't have the personnel to run system they way they want to in year one. The few transfers they brought in didn't totally upgrade that side of the ball.

I also wanted to throw something out there on NC, as I think they are completely gettable. If you hadn't seen it you wouldn't realize how completely putrid their defense was last year (see stats below). They were dead last by a mile and look at the number of touchdowns given up (57). Even if they improved by 17 touchdowns this year to only 40. That would have still ranked them 10th in the ACC last year. As a reference, we gave up a total of 18 TDs last year. If our Co-OC's can evolve our passing game I think we have a good chance at a win.

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I didn't make reservations to travel to Chapel Hill to see a loss.
 

I have been in NC over 40 years and get force fed Tar Heel sports. If we get beat by NC that is a very bad omen for this season. But we will soundly beat them
 

There are two likely loses on the schedule to Michigan and Ohio State and two pretty sure wins in Eastern Michigan and Louisiana-Lafayette.

The other 8 games could go either way at this point and we are unlikely to really know what to expect until we see the teams in action this fall.

I like our chances to come out on top in the majority of those games but will come down to how the new faces perform and if we are able to avoid critical injuries along the way.
Louisiana is head and shoulders better than northwestern last year.
If you consider northwestern a toss up, you’d have to consider Louisiana one as well.
Eastern Michigan won 9 games last year.


The easiest game on the schedule is northwestern, and it’s not particularly close
 



Louisiana is head and shoulders better than northwestern last year.
If you consider northwestern a toss up, you’d have to consider Louisiana one as well.
Eastern Michigan won 9 games last year.


The easiest game on the schedule is northwestern, and it’s not particularly close
I don’t disagree, was just going for a very general take. I think the likely win column is much longer than the likely loss one.
 

“Major upset”? We could very well be favored with Wisconsin and Illinois at home. Hardly a major upset regardless if we win. At UNC and Iowa will be tonight but again, the only “major” upset possibilities on our schedule are Michigan and Ohio State.
 

“Major upset”? We could very well be favored with Wisconsin and Illinois at home. Hardly a major upset regardless if we win. At UNC and Iowa will be tonight but again, the only “major” upset possibilities on our schedule are Michigan and Ohio State.
SWEET!!!!! We get football tonight!!! JK.
 

OK I'm smoking it, figuratively, but I'm making the case for a 10-0 start, meaning we win at NC, Get breather wins against NW and Louisiana ( could be a tough game but should win to get off to 5-0 start, then take down Michigan (which is coming of roadie at Nebraska). Then we have a bye week to reset and refocus, and then take down Iowa MSU, ILL, and Purdue before losing at Ohio State. Then we close w W vs Wisconsin. 11-1 is my call. Just have to beat Nebraska....
That game vs Mich will be 2019 all over again if we both come in undefeated. The Bank will be electric. So wanted that one for HC, but the beancounters probably figure that game is a lock sellout, so make the L-L game HC.
 









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