BleedGopher
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per Chip:
If progress is measured in steps, the next one for Fleck's program is clear: Win the Big Ten West Division. Long-term sustainability is the ultimate objective but learning to take advantage of opportunities is an important trait for any program trying to break through.
That's what this is all about, seizing an opportunity. The West Division offers the usual suspects in Wisconsin and Iowa as strong contenders. The Badgers open as favorites in preseason publications and media polls, but the West certainly doesn't look like the East, with the appearance that it's one team (Ohio State) and then everybody else playing for second.
The roadblocks for the Gophers remain the same: Fleck is 1-7 against the two border rivals. Those two games likely will determine where the Gophers finish in the division once again. No magic formula here.
Opening the season against Ohio State provides the ultimate barometer to show where a team stands, but for the Gophers, the conversation should focus on more than one game. Where will they stand in November?
Preseason predictions are fun chatter but mostly useless. Goodness knows, Gophers fans have heard grandiose expectations before seasons that led to a big pile of squat. Let's keep the discussion simple and to the point.
The Gophers have a uniquely veteran roster that will look drastically different a year from now. What will they make of this opportunity?
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
If progress is measured in steps, the next one for Fleck's program is clear: Win the Big Ten West Division. Long-term sustainability is the ultimate objective but learning to take advantage of opportunities is an important trait for any program trying to break through.
That's what this is all about, seizing an opportunity. The West Division offers the usual suspects in Wisconsin and Iowa as strong contenders. The Badgers open as favorites in preseason publications and media polls, but the West certainly doesn't look like the East, with the appearance that it's one team (Ohio State) and then everybody else playing for second.
The roadblocks for the Gophers remain the same: Fleck is 1-7 against the two border rivals. Those two games likely will determine where the Gophers finish in the division once again. No magic formula here.
Opening the season against Ohio State provides the ultimate barometer to show where a team stands, but for the Gophers, the conversation should focus on more than one game. Where will they stand in November?
Preseason predictions are fun chatter but mostly useless. Goodness knows, Gophers fans have heard grandiose expectations before seasons that led to a big pile of squat. Let's keep the discussion simple and to the point.
The Gophers have a uniquely veteran roster that will look drastically different a year from now. What will they make of this opportunity?
OMG (Old Men Gophers): Minnesota needs to take advantage of experience, win the West this fall
Yes, Ohio State in the opener is a big one. But let's focus on the big picture: P.J. Fleck's program has a unique opportunity to take the next step.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
