CSN Chicago on Gophers: "a winless Big Ten campaign would not be out of the question"

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CSN Chicago on Gophers: "a winless Big Ten campaign would not be out of the question"

per their preview on the Gophers:

Back in the fold

One position Kill seemed especially excited about was running back, where Donnell Kirkwood returns for his junior season. Last year, he ran for 926 yards and six touchdowns.

“I think if you go back through the history of not only where I've coached before but even with the Minnesota Gophers is that we've always had great running backs,” Kill said. “And Donnell has certainly emerged with Roderick Williams and big strong physical backs, and that's kind of who we are. And that's who we want to be.

“So he's done a great job not only on the field but he's done a great job with leadership with our younger players and has been a part of a group of kids that have really changed the culture and the character in our program. So I'm very pleased with his efforts and I expect a great year out of Donnell.”

Season outlook

Minnesota’s two conference wins last season came against struggling Big Ten programs in Purdue and Illinois. Neither team is on the Gophers’ schedule this season, and a regression in conference wins is certainly a possibility. In fact, even with Kill’s program showing signs of improvement, a winless Big Ten campaign would not be out of the question.

http://www.csnchicago.com/ncaa/big-ten-football-preview-minnesota-golden-gophers

Go Gophers!!
 

Blah Blah. Another glowing forecast for our Gophers. Just pin it up in the locker room next to the dozen or more other O'fer articles.
 



I'm sorry but these writers can spin it however they want a win less campaign does not equal progress, i would be very concerned heading into 2014 and 2015 with that schedule if we go win less in the big ten this year. At some point you have to start winning, i think last year's team learned some tough lessons against Iowa, Northwestern and TTech, it's time to start turning games like those into wins.
 


There's no way the Gopher won't win at least 1 big ten game. We'd have to get the worst coaching/injury bug ever.
 

On paper, this makes some sense - but only on paper. It will be fascinating to see if this coaching staff can win games they shouldn't. Hasn't happened yet, but if it does, Gophers might go 3-5 in B10.
 

Hoping for 3 B10 wins.

Wondering how we will score and keep people from scoring.
 

GopherSteak said:
There's no way the Gopher won't win at least 1 big ten game. We'd have to get the worst coaching/injury bug ever.
Click to expand...

+1. No way that happens. I think a ceiling of 5-3 is reasonable (with everything possible going right), with 2-4 B1G Ten wins being more realistic. But, no way do we go winless in B1G Ten play.
 



Looking at the schedule it is obvious that there are no gimmes. I think that there is a good chance that we will not be favored in any game, especially if the lines were set today. (I know that the line is set to try and split the the betters evenly, but still). So, I can see why writers would say that a winless B1G season is not out of the question. But what they say does not matter, the games will be played on the field and I think that we will win 2 and maybe 3 conference games. Go Gophers!

28/13 vs. Iowa (Homecoming)
10/05/13 at Michigan
10/19/13 at Northwestern
10/26/13 vs. Nebraska
11/02/13 at Indiana
11/09/13 vs. Penn State
11/23/13 vs. Wisconsin
11/30/13 at Michigan State
 

If Nelson goes down, it wouldn't be unthinkable. Our lack of QB experience should cause everyone to pause.
 

I could easlly see this team going 3-5 in the B1G - but I suspect 2-6 is more likely. Sorry - I've been a Gopher fan too long - I look at the schedule and wonder what will go wrong, instead of wondering what will go right.

having said that, I think it is VERY important for the team to play well in the non-conf games. They need to win the non-conf games, and win by sizable margins, in order to build up confidence and create some positive buzz for the program. I'm not a fan of teams running up the score, but if the Gophs have a chance to really bury one of the non-conf teams, I say go for it.

For this program to really take a step forward, they have to own the 4th quarter. When I see them pull away from teams in the 4th quarter, I will start to feel better about their chances.
 

Anything less than 5-0 after the first 5 games would be a disappointment for me. If we start 5-0, I would think we could win 1 or 2 more to settle on 6 or 7 wins which would be a solid season IMO, assuming we play more close games than we did last year.
 



Coaching Staff has yet to prove any consistency regardless of how we feel about our gophs.
 

I think the Gophers will win 5-8 games this season. They should win 3 non conference games and SJSU will be winnable. The only two games in the Big Ten I would be shocked if the Gophers would win is Nebraska and Michigan. The other six games are winnable. The Gophers won't win them all but if they stay healthy and get expected improvement 7 regular season wins are very possible.
 

wait!what? said:
Coaching Staff has yet to prove any consistency regardless of how we feel about our gophs.
Click to expand...

To young pups, consistency is a history of 2 years. To us old bucks, consistency is history of 50 or more years. When you pups are my age (68), then you can talk consistency.
 


John Galt said:
That's really going out on a limb...
Click to expand...

John, notice that Wolf started his post with the words I think.... That in and of itself is dangerous territory.

I think the Gophers will win 0-8 B1G games this year. Now that is a pretty sturdy limb, right?
 

Dr.Don said:
To young pups, consistency is a history of 2 years. To us old bucks, consistency is history of 50 or more years. When you pups are my age (68), then you can talk consistency.
Click to expand...

I'm an older Buck than you are Doc, and I can remember the great teams of 1960-62. I think this year we'll be as good as the best Cal Stoll team. I can see us beating Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern and Wisconsin. When you look at highlights of other BIG teams, you see them mandhandling the Gophers. I don't see that happening this year. (The Weisman TD last year where he threw a defender aside near the goal line ala All Day.) We will finally be strong enough to contend with MSU, Nebraska and Mich. Not saying we'll beat them, but we won't be pushed around like what Michigan did to us two years ago.

Can't wait for Friday night. Going to see Edwards, Wolitarsky and the new Gophs.
 

Halsey Hall said:
I'm an older Buck than you are Doc, and I can remember the great teams of 1960-62. I think this year we'll be as good as the best Cal Stoll team. I can see us beating Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern and Wisconsin. When you look at highlights of other BIG teams, you see them mandhandling the Gophers. I don't see that happening this year. (The Weisman TD last year where he threw a defender aside near the goal line ala All Day.) We will finally be strong enough to contend with MSU, Nebraska and Mich. Not saying we'll beat them, but we won't be pushed around like what Michigan did to us two years ago.

Can't wait for Friday night. Going to see Edwards, Wolitarsky and the new Gophs.
Click to expand...

My son oftentimes asks me about those teams, and when I tell him the names of players I watched at old Memorial Stadium, he just shakes his head in envy. Let's go way back, experience what the pups of today have never experienced, and sing the old song....Thanks for the Memories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKgUq5dziEk
 

Dr.Don said:
To young pups, consistency is a history of 2 years. To us old bucks, consistency is history of 50 or more years. When you pups are my age (68), then you can talk consistency.
Click to expand...

Dr.Don - You have been very consistent about saying that over and over again. I, on the other hand believe that Ralph Waldo Emerson was correct when he said "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

Also Mark Twain said "I am persuaded that the world has been tricked into adopting
some false and most pernicious notions about consistency -
and to such a degree that the average man has
turned the rights and wrongs of things entirely around
and is proud to be "consistent," unchanging, immovable, fossilized,
where it should be his humiliation."

Even better is the following quote from Alex Ferguson "If we can play like that every week we'll get some level of consistency."

Also Bernard Berenson stated that "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago."

And lastly Oscar Wilde said it best with "Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative."

So you can see that your consistency can be a mixed bag but you are consistent. -- Your consistent admirer -- Killjoy
 

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