Ski-U-Ham
Who hates Iowa?
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Teams most likely to rebound from a 2023 stumble
Minnesota Golden Gophers
2022: 9-4 record, eighth in SP+ (+19.3 adjusted PPG)
2023: 6-7, 63rd (+0.4)
2024 projection (as of May): 5.6 average wins, 45th in SP+ (+4.8)
SP+ loved Minnesota's 2022 squad; the Gophers finished fourth in defensive SP+ for the second straight season, and they were held back only by quarterback injury and a brief offensive funk that October. They seemed close to something excellent in 2023, but the defense fell from great to good (31st in defensive SP+ last year), the offense plummeted from average (52nd) to awful (103rd), and the win total got cut by one-third.
Last year's defense, pretty reliant on freshmen and sophomores, should improve by a decent amount, but a major rebound for the Gophers will depend on the remodeled offense. Coach P.J. Fleck retained co-coordinators Greg Harbaugh Jr. and Matt Simon but brought in two new quarterbacks, four new running backs and a couple of new receivers. With newcomers such as QB Max Brosmer (New Hampshire) and holdovers like go-to receiver Daniel Jackson and running back Darius Taylor, the floor should be higher this year. But a schedule featuring six projected top-30 opponents means that the win total might not rebound significantly even if the team improves as expected.
RTBSUMGG!
Minnesota Golden Gophers
2022: 9-4 record, eighth in SP+ (+19.3 adjusted PPG)
2023: 6-7, 63rd (+0.4)
2024 projection (as of May): 5.6 average wins, 45th in SP+ (+4.8)
SP+ loved Minnesota's 2022 squad; the Gophers finished fourth in defensive SP+ for the second straight season, and they were held back only by quarterback injury and a brief offensive funk that October. They seemed close to something excellent in 2023, but the defense fell from great to good (31st in defensive SP+ last year), the offense plummeted from average (52nd) to awful (103rd), and the win total got cut by one-third.
Last year's defense, pretty reliant on freshmen and sophomores, should improve by a decent amount, but a major rebound for the Gophers will depend on the remodeled offense. Coach P.J. Fleck retained co-coordinators Greg Harbaugh Jr. and Matt Simon but brought in two new quarterbacks, four new running backs and a couple of new receivers. With newcomers such as QB Max Brosmer (New Hampshire) and holdovers like go-to receiver Daniel Jackson and running back Darius Taylor, the floor should be higher this year. But a schedule featuring six projected top-30 opponents means that the win total might not rebound significantly even if the team improves as expected.
Which teams sustain their 2023 gains? Who takes the next step? We have 13 candidates
Can Colorado break through and make a bowl? Is Tennessee ready for a bounce-back? We look and the teams primed for bigger things in 2024.
www.espn.com
RTBSUMGG!
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