BleedGopher
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per Chip:
So here it is, a stretch that will define their season and possibly dictate the program’s direction henceforth.
Fair or not, their soft schedule has created a counterbalance to their record, a “yeah but …” attachment when evaluating the team. Squeezing by Rutgers on a last-second field goal at home counts as any other win but does not remove skepticism. That probably frustrates the Gophers internally but optics fuel perception.
Attendance at TCF Bank Stadium has been poor all season, not just for non-conference games. The stadium looked half empty by the conclusion of the Purdue victory, a game that was close in the fourth quarter, played under ideal weather with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff and improved the Gophers record to 7-2.
The Gophers have won seven games behind a robust rushing attack featuring Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks and a defense that ranks among the best in college football at creating turnovers.
But strength of schedule is impossible to ignore. Their first nine opponents have a combined record of 36-46. Only one – Penn State – has won more than five games.
Their final three opponents combined are 18-9.
The Gophers can’t control the quality of their Big Ten schedule. They can only maximize what’s been put before them.
They’re in position to contend for the division title, three games that will define their season. They can remove any doubt about how they should be viewed.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-football-team-remains-a-mystery/400849351/
Go Gophers!!
So here it is, a stretch that will define their season and possibly dictate the program’s direction henceforth.
Fair or not, their soft schedule has created a counterbalance to their record, a “yeah but …” attachment when evaluating the team. Squeezing by Rutgers on a last-second field goal at home counts as any other win but does not remove skepticism. That probably frustrates the Gophers internally but optics fuel perception.
Attendance at TCF Bank Stadium has been poor all season, not just for non-conference games. The stadium looked half empty by the conclusion of the Purdue victory, a game that was close in the fourth quarter, played under ideal weather with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff and improved the Gophers record to 7-2.
The Gophers have won seven games behind a robust rushing attack featuring Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks and a defense that ranks among the best in college football at creating turnovers.
But strength of schedule is impossible to ignore. Their first nine opponents have a combined record of 36-46. Only one – Penn State – has won more than five games.
Their final three opponents combined are 18-9.
The Gophers can’t control the quality of their Big Ten schedule. They can only maximize what’s been put before them.
They’re in position to contend for the division title, three games that will define their season. They can remove any doubt about how they should be viewed.
http://www.startribune.com/gophers-football-team-remains-a-mystery/400849351/
Go Gophers!!
