BleedGopher
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 62,374
- Reaction score
- 19,167
- Points
- 113
per CBS:
Finding a dark horse in the Big Ten is hard.
On one side of the conference, there's a division (the East) with three programs that consider themselves national title contenders. Then there's the West Division, which is the one that's largely considered to be more flexible, but the history of the division suggests otherwise.
The Big Ten has had the divisional format for six seasons. Wisconsin has won its division (initially the Leaders) in four of those six years, and twice in the three years it's been in the West. So, while the perception may not agree, the truth is that Wisconsin has been somewhat dominant within its division.
Even so, the West is still the most vulnerable. So you will not be surprised to learn that the three dark horse candidates in the Big Ten all call the West their home.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a wild card. I can see this team playing well enough to be a real threat in the West, and I can also see it struggling to even reach a bowl game. It's just hard to predict when a team is undergoing a coaching transition, and for some reason, I have an even more difficult time reading it when P.J. Fleck is involved.
One thing the Gophers have going their way this season is their schedule. The draw from the East features a road trip to Ann Arbor, but home games against Michigan State and Maryland are far more palatable. Minnesota will also play host to both Nebraska and Wisconsin, which will help a bit.
Another factor working in Goldy's favor is that it has four returning starters on its offensive line, as well as running back Rodney Smith.
Of course, none of this is to say that there aren't concerns.The biggest, for me, is a defense that only has four returning starters, with only two in the front seven.
Fleck showed us at Western Michigan that he can turn things around quickly, but he still managed to win only one game with the Broncos in his first season. At Minnesota, he's inheriting a far better squad than the one he took over in Kalamazoo, but the competition is a lot stiffer as well. It'll be interesting to see how things unfold for the Gophers this season.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...es-iowa-minnesota-could-surprise-this-season/
Go Gophers!!
Finding a dark horse in the Big Ten is hard.
On one side of the conference, there's a division (the East) with three programs that consider themselves national title contenders. Then there's the West Division, which is the one that's largely considered to be more flexible, but the history of the division suggests otherwise.
The Big Ten has had the divisional format for six seasons. Wisconsin has won its division (initially the Leaders) in four of those six years, and twice in the three years it's been in the West. So, while the perception may not agree, the truth is that Wisconsin has been somewhat dominant within its division.
Even so, the West is still the most vulnerable. So you will not be surprised to learn that the three dark horse candidates in the Big Ten all call the West their home.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a wild card. I can see this team playing well enough to be a real threat in the West, and I can also see it struggling to even reach a bowl game. It's just hard to predict when a team is undergoing a coaching transition, and for some reason, I have an even more difficult time reading it when P.J. Fleck is involved.
One thing the Gophers have going their way this season is their schedule. The draw from the East features a road trip to Ann Arbor, but home games against Michigan State and Maryland are far more palatable. Minnesota will also play host to both Nebraska and Wisconsin, which will help a bit.
Another factor working in Goldy's favor is that it has four returning starters on its offensive line, as well as running back Rodney Smith.
Of course, none of this is to say that there aren't concerns.The biggest, for me, is a defense that only has four returning starters, with only two in the front seven.
Fleck showed us at Western Michigan that he can turn things around quickly, but he still managed to win only one game with the Broncos in his first season. At Minnesota, he's inheriting a far better squad than the one he took over in Kalamazoo, but the competition is a lot stiffer as well. It'll be interesting to see how things unfold for the Gophers this season.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...es-iowa-minnesota-could-surprise-this-season/
Go Gophers!!