CBS: Big Ten football grades - midseason report (Minnesota: D-)




A D- -- Well at least it wasn't an F!! It reminds me of a history class I had at the U of M and big offensive lineman Norries Wilson got his paper back. He says incredulously --- "Mother F--- I passed"
Haha....
 



A D- -- Well at least it wasn't an F!! It reminds me of a history class I had at the U of M and big offensive lineman Norries Wilson got his paper back. He says incredulously --- "Mother F--- I passed"
Haha....
I met him at the Spring game in the Dome, they let the fans on the field and I ended up chatting with him. I had never seen a human being in person that large and as a 10 grade LB, realized I never should on a football field, if I valued my health.

Is he still the HC at Columbia?
 

Fair analysis. "Half Empty vs. Half Full" arguement. Is anybody saying anything if AK is looking promising in the way he is playing? They would have said "young team trying to build each game". Right now the flaws are exposed because this team finds ways to lose or be non-competitive.
 

a lot of this is about perception. going into the season, the perception of Northwestern was a program in turmoil. went 1-11 last year. hazing scandal. coach fired/quit.

on paper, that is a game the Gophers should have won handily. and they lost. not only did they lose, they lost by blowing a big lead in the 4th quarter. that is the kind of loss that sticks to a team.
the Gophers could go 5-1 the rest of the way, finish 8-4 - and I guarantee that some members of the media would still be saying "yeah, but they lost to Northwestern."

if the Gophers want to be perceived as a better program, they cannot lose games like that.
 

I still think the misconception is our defense. We win TOP to keep our defense from being victimized and everyone goes over board on how good our defense is. Even though we won TOP against Mich. our defense was obviously second rate for the few minutes they played. PJ mantra - win TOP and you win the game. Obviously not this game or most games against superior talent.
 



a lot of this is about perception. going into the season, the perception of Northwestern was a program in turmoil. went 1-11 last year. hazing scandal. coach fired/quit.

on paper, that is a game the Gophers should have won handily. and they lost. not only did they lose, they lost by blowing a big lead in the 4th quarter. that is the kind of loss that sticks to a team.
the Gophers could go 5-1 the rest of the way, finish 8-4 - and I guarantee that some members of the media would still be saying "yeah, but they lost to Northwestern."

if the Gophers want to be perceived as a better program, they cannot lose games like that.
Absolutely! And good teams do not lose those types of games.
 

Possible wins: Mich. St., Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin. Sure loss: Ohio State.
Probable wins: Mich. St., Illinois, Wisconsin. 6-6, minor bowl.
? Wisconsin would be a two-score favorite if Minnesota played them this weekend.

Michigan State and Purdue are PICKEMS. Illinois would be a ~3 point dog.

Gophers are sitting at a 1-20 chance of losing out against this schedule. Most likely not going to be bowl eligible w/o an academic progress assist.
 
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That's why this is just a mid-season grade, they didn't get a D- in October for the whole season. A strong argument can be made that that one game does define the first half of the season.

But let's go on a big run, win the rivalry games, and finish with 8 wins and this grade will be much better for the full season.

Go Gophers!!
If the squad studies hard, really hits the books and burns the midnight oil; then maybe this grade can be salvaged by season’s end to a respectable C+. Ski-U-Mah!
 





Bottom line for me:

Minnesota's defense inexplicably fell down.
Minnesota does not have a QB (yet).

All the other explanations are secondary to that.
 

and had we beat Northwestern by a couple scores, it's probably a B or B- with losses to #2 and #12. Again we so far have a season marred by a single game.
Marred by one game but blemished by another. NC was winnable with good QB play and defensive coaches awake and on the job.
 

and had we beat Northwestern by a couple scores, it's probably a B or B- with losses to #2 and #12. Once Again we so far have a season marred by a single game.
FIFY
 


You have wisconsin as a probable win, and Purdue as a possible win? Huh? Using Sagarin we'd right now be a 9 or 10 point home underdog to Becky and a 2 or 3 point underdog at Purdue.
A lot depends on whether Taylor can play at all, or is hobbled. And what about Autman-Bell? Athan is another question mark. After watching this weekend's games, I'd dial it down - our pass defense is one of the worst in the B10, so is our passing, so without Taylor we will struggle to run the ball. Illinois looks better, but not Wisconsin. I don't see a win in Iowa City, unless Athan does a 180, Badgers on the road might have it together by that time - so making six wins may be a problem.
 

CBS is right: the Northwestern loss really, really hurt us. You don't lose a game in which you have a 31-10 lead in the fourth quarter. If that had been a win, the Gophers would be 4-2, tied for second in the West, and just two wins from a bowl.
 

CBS is right: the Northwestern loss really, really hurt us. You don't lose a game in which you have a 31-10 lead in the fourth quarter. If that had been a win, the Gophers would be 4-2, tied for second in the West, and just two wins from a bowl.
It’s amazing what one reversal of loss to win could do. 4-2 lost to 2 really good teams, etc.

Instead I’m pessimistic that they can turn it around and put it together. They have done it before, especially Rossi. Let’s beat the Squaks!
 

Good! The board is over-all really down on the Gopher football season it would appear. There will be at least 3 nice wins on the schedule and they are all of the Big Ten variety. Gonna make a bowl. A few nice surprises, to be sure!

It’s entirely too early to give in to doom & gloom.

Beat the stinking Hawkeye, Gopher!
 
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and had we beat Northwestern by a couple scores, it's probably a B or B- with losses to #2 and #12. Again we so far have a season marred by a single game.
And… the Mpls Miracle against Nebraska saves them from getting a F… goes both ways…
 

I met him at the Spring game in the Dome, they let the fans on the field and I ended up chatting with him. I had never seen a human being in person that large and as a 10 grade LB, realized I never should on a football field, if I valued my health.

Is he still the HC at Columbia?
Actually, he is back at the U of M as the Director of Player Development since 2017. Yeah -- he is REALLY a big guy and I wish him the best!!
 

this season can still be a success if we can finally get over the hump and beat both Iowa and Wisconsin.
I'd add Illinois and Bielema to the list of humps we have to surmount also, because until we show we can finally beat the fat man, he's just another one of our daddies.
 




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