Chip Scoggins: If Gophers football cannot contend this year, it's failure

[BleedGopher]

per Chip:

This much is certain: The Gophers have no excuse for not contending in the West.

None.

Privately, folks inside the football department have circled this season for several years as their opportunity to emerge as a serious contender.

The Big Ten’s schedule rotation presented the Gophers a far more manageable 12-game path. They have a third-year starting quarterback in Mitch Leidner. And this season marks Year 6 of the Jerry Kill/Claeys regime, so recruiting, system familiarity and talent depth should not be viewed as roadblocks.

Giddy expectation followed by mediocre-to-poor results has long been the soundtrack of Gophers football. Same thing every fall, a narrative that has grown tiresome, if not entirely predictable.

But here’s the thing: Not often does a Big Ten team have a quarterback who has played in 35 games (29 starts) paired with a schedule that does not include Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State and a defense that has proved to be more than competent.

The Gophers better make hay under that scenario.

Because if not now, then when?

http://www.startribune.com/if-the-g...not-contend-this-year-it-s-failure/389009591/

Go Gophers!!

 

[mplsbadger]

Agree Chip. Go Gophers!

 

[Jack jones]

We don't need Pat R anymore, we have the Chipper to knock down the Gophers. Hey Chip relax and go fishing this fall. You will be happier.

 

[beavergopher]

Tell us what we already know.

 

[Stan]

With our schedule and experience, I have to agree with Chipper.

 

[Unregistered User]

per Chip:

This much is certain: The Gophers have no excuse for not contending in the West.

None.

Privately, folks inside the football department have circled this season for several years as their opportunity to emerge as a serious contender.

The Big Ten’s schedule rotation presented the Gophers a far more manageable 12-game path. They have a third-year starting quarterback in Mitch Leidner. And this season marks Year 6 of the Jerry Kill/Claeys regime, so recruiting, system familiarity and talent depth should not be viewed as roadblocks.

Giddy expectation followed by mediocre-to-poor results has long been the soundtrack of Gophers football. Same thing every fall, a narrative that has grown tiresome, if not entirely predictable.

But here’s the thing: Not often does a Big Ten team have a quarterback who has played in 35 games (29 starts) paired with a schedule that does not include Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State and a defense that has proved to be more than competent.

The Gophers better make hay under that scenario.

Because if not now, then when?

http://www.startribune.com/if-the-g...not-contend-this-year-it-s-failure/389009591/

Go Gophers!!

Damn iPad is horrible for trying to quote stuff here, so I'll try to slug it out.

No excuse for not contending in the west?
Agreed.

Privately, "folks" have circled this season?
Nope. I've seen a lot of talk from 3 or 4 years ago talking about how this is a favorable year.

Kill?/Claeys era?
Please stop that. Kill is no longer the coach. Loved him, but this is Coach Claeys team.

Giddy expectation?
When has that truly happened?

...followed by mediocre-to-poor results...?
If anything, the January 1 bowl game was unexpected and we backed into a bowl game last year despite an unreal amount of injuries. Hardly the "Same thing every fall"

The Gophers better make hay under that scenario?
Agreed.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

" Jerry Kill/Claeys regime"

**** that ****. It's Claeys team now. Dude already dumped the OC and got some new guys.

I'm not sure Chip's perspective on failure is on the ball here considering gopher football history. They set some low bars some years..... and this article almost reads like a setup to poop on the team later no matter what the outcome.

Seems kinda unfair to call out the Gophers for "Giddy expectation followed by mediocre-to-poor results" and then harp on Wisconsin's tough schedule, but not note that they got the Ohio St and Michigan crossovers previously when Wisc didn't.

He's right about one thing:

"It’s wrong to suggest any Power Five team has an “easy” schedule — especially one that hasn’t proven anything"

 

[Buck_Buchanan]

Not to take anything away from this season or this topic but.......
2019 schedule is looking very good as well and that should be "circled".
I base that assessment on the same type of factors that are mentioned above.

 

[Buck_Buchanan]

Article on this year:
http://campusinsiders.com/news/dark-horse-college-football-playoff-contenders-07-06-2016

 

[GO4INLALALAND]

I believe Claeys is the coach. The man clearly saw the problems of the offense and made appropriate changes. His defenses clearly show he knows football. This man is not beholden to anyone. Kill did not have that killer instinct when it came to firing people. Claeys does. He will win many games at Minnesota.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SelectionSunday]

Spot on, Chip. Pivotal year for trajectory of this program.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

He nailed it. We need a big year.

 

[Frank Grimey Grimes]

I can't remember the last time I had very high expectations for the gophs but if they don't win 8 games, the season is a major letdown. I would say they have 7 "easy" games. If Clayes is the guy, I expect that 8th win to come from a challenging opponent (Wisco, Iowa, Penn, Nebraska,Northwestern)

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[bemidjigopher]

Damn iPad is horrible for trying to quote stuff here, so I'll try to slug it out.

No excuse for not contending in the west?
Agreed.

Privately, "folks" have circled this season?
Nope. I've seen a lot of talk from 3 or 4 years ago talking about how this is a favorable year.

Kill?/Claeys era?
Please stop that. Kill is no longer the coach. Loved him, but this is Coach Claeys team.

Giddy expectation?
When has that truly happened?

...followed by mediocre-to-poor results...?
If anything, the January 1 bowl game was unexpected and we backed into a bowl game last year despite an unreal amount of injuries. Hardly the "Same thing every fall"

The Gophers better make hay under that scenario?
Agreed.

I think the bolded part was more of a reference to some of mason's teams in the mid 2000's where we would start hot and fizzle in November and end up in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. same could apply to Brew's 2008 team, except I don't think anyone expected to be in a position to fizzle down the stretch that year. First year in the bank I think there were some expectations, maybe not Rose Bowl, but a winning conference record

 

[PMWinSTP]

Agree. He wrote what everyone is thinking but maybe not saying. It is there for the taking. Pivotal year.

 

[GopherHomer]

I can't get past the typo in the headline - but we should have a good year. I expect a similar year to 2013 and 2014...anything above and beyond that is gravy. My plan going into every year is to be emotionally prepared for 5 wins and hope for 8. We are who we thought we were...RIP Denny

 

[Otis]

Anything less than 7 wins is a MAJOR disappointment!
Anything over 9 is fantastic!

 

[corcoran1]

Just let him go cheer for the Cheatin Vols.

 

[GopherPD]

Chip Scoggins knows and appreciates college football. He was the Gopher beat writer for a number of years going back to the Mason era. He may have been stating the obvious a little bit, but this is a valid analysis. Can't really argue with anything he wrote.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Chip Scoggins knows and appreciates college football. He was the Gopher beat writer for a number of years going back to the Mason era. He may have been stating the obvious a little bit, but this is a valid analysis. Can't really argue with anything he wrote.

Yes, But. On the surface, Scoggins is stating the obvious. Things are aligned for the Gophers to potentially have a very good year.

But, I can't escape the feeling that Scoggins is also positioning himself for a big "I told you so!" If the Gophers have a good season, he can come back and say he predicted it. If the Gophers, for whatever reason, do not have a good year, Scoggins can come back and dump on the program, by claiming they didn't live up to expectations. (without mentioning that he was the one who tried to influence those expectations).

There are so many variables that can impact the course of a season. one or two key injuries can change the entire season. an untimely turnover - a bad penalty at the wrong time - a lucky bounce for the opponents. There are no guarantees. Don't get me wrong - I think the Gophs have a chance to be a really fun team this year - but I don't believe in making predictions. whatever happens is whatever happens.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

Yes, But. On the surface, Scoggins is stating the obvious. Things are aligned for the Gophers to potentially have a very good year.

But, I can't escape the feeling that Scoggins is also positioning himself for a big "I told you so!" If the Gophers have a good season, he can come back and say he predicted it. If the Gophers, for whatever reason, do not have a good year, Scoggins can come back and dump on the program, by claiming they didn't live up to expectations. (without mentioning that he was the one who tried to influence those expectations).

There are so many variables that can impact the course of a season. one or two key injuries can change the entire season. an untimely turnover - a bad penalty at the wrong time - a lucky bounce for the opponents. There are no guarantees. Don't get me wrong - I think the Gophs have a chance to be a really fun team this year - but I don't believe in making predictions. whatever happens is whatever happens.

I think he's fairly spot on, but don't disagree with your assessment that it's to set up a "I told you so!" moment. The interesting conundrum might come if say the Gophers drop the 3-5 games most folks expect and someone else in the West has a great year and runs the table (like Iowa nearly did last year), what will people say? Will pundits be disappointed the Gophers didn't "contend" because they were 3-4 games behind the West winner? Will they reflect on how few 7+ win seasons the Gophers have had? I certainly hope that doesn't happen, and hopefully they will go into the last week with a shot (even if it requires other teams losing) at a B1G West title.

To all who are trying to separate the Kill and Claeys era, I will respectfully disagree. The vast majority of coaches have remained unchanged. The recruiters have mostly remained unchanged. The support staff has remained mostly unchanged. I don't think you can really separate them yet. Yes, Claeys made the bold move of canning Limey and Zebrowski, but compared to a typical new coach that's a drop in the bucket.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Chip just backed up everything I've been saying on this board since the end of last season. Means they have to win at least 9 games. Going 8-4 (5-4) is not a contender.

 

[dpodoll68]

Chip just backed up everything I've been saying on this board since the end of last season. Means they have to win at least 9 games. Going 8-4 (5-4) is not a contender.

Depends on what record the division winner has. If the Gophers go into Madison with both teams at 5-3 tied atop the West and Minnesota loses, they absolutely contended.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

Depends on what record the division winner has. If the Gophers go into Madison with both teams at 5-3 tied atop the West and Minnesota loses, they absolutely contended.

Sure. But since the B1G went to divisions, the Legends/West has never had a champion with more than 1 conference loss.

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

Sure. But since the B1G went to divisions, the Legends/West has never had a champion with more than 1 conference loss.

That was with an 8 game conference schedule. There will absolutely be years with 2-3 loss teams winning the West under the new 9 game format.

 

[GopherWeatherGuy]

That was with an 8 game conference schedule. There will absolutely be years with 2-3 loss teams winning the West under the new 9 game format.

Every champion has had 0-1 losses, and they are adding 1 game. Therefore, it's likely most champions will have somewhere between 0-2 losses. Anything could happen, but I think a champion with 3 losses is a long shot.

 

[bemidjigopher]

Every champion has had 0-1 losses, and they are adding 1 game. Therefore, it's likely most champions will have somewhere between 0-2 losses. Anything could happen, but I think a champion with 3 losses is a long shot.

IDK the Big 12 North use to send some sorry ass teams to the conference title game. I seem to recall a 6-5 KState squad upsetting Oklahoma one year. 6-3 may be a stretch, due to the odds of one team having a much easier crossover schedule, but I could see a scenario where three or four teams beat each other up and there's a 7-2 tie

 

[Zeppelin Gopher]

IDK the Big 12 North use to send some sorry ass teams to the conference title game. I seem to recall a 6-5 KState squad upsetting Oklahoma one year. 6-3 may be a stretch, due to the odds of one team having a much easier crossover schedule, but I could see a scenario where three or four teams beat each other up and there's a 7-2 tie

Yep, the Big XII North sent multiple 5-3 teams to the conference title game.

 

[1983]

I caution everyone who thinks the "favorable" schedule equates to a favorable outcome. Lets play one game at a time and get the win that could launch this team to rare heights...winning the first BIG game in Happy Valley. We win that one and I believe we will be playing for Indy against Northwestern not Wisconsin.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I caution everyone who thinks the "favorable" schedule equates to a favorable outcome. Lets play one game at a time and get the win that could launch this team to rare heights...winning the first BIG game in Happy Valley. We win that one and I believe we will be playing for Indy against Northwestern not Wisconsin.

Agreed. Lots of chicken counting.