Does it matter that much that it was USD?

[RunGopherRun]

First let me admit I'm an eternal optimist. I've been there through the toughest losses in the past and will be there for the tough ones in the future (every team has them, although we should think about sharing). Here's my question...What will it take throughout the rest of the season for Brew to be here next year? At the beginning of the season I think most people would have said 5 or 6 wins and a vastly improved product regardless of record. Should these thoughts change because of this massive hiccup?

OR...

Think about it this way. We played terribly, especially on defense. If we had a terrible game later on in the season, say the Illinois game, and they blow us out by 40, is that worse than losing to USD by 3 with an unseasoned D?

If we ended the season with the same record and flip flop the USD crapper and the mythical Illinois crapper, would that make a difference?

This all assuming the rest of the season isn't what we saw on Saturday, in which case Brew is done no matter what.

 

[GopherFB]

First let me admit I'm an eternal optimist. I've been there through the toughest losses in the past and will be there for the tough ones in the future (every team has them, although we should think about sharing). Here's my question...What will it take throughout the rest of the season for Brew to be here next year? At the beginning of the season I think most people would have said 5 or 6 wins and a vastly improved product regardless of record. Should these thoughts change because of this massive hiccup?

OR...

Think about it this way. We played terribly, especially on defense. If we had a terrible game later on in the season, say the Illinois game, and they blow us out by 40, is that worse than losing to USD by 3 with an unseasoned D?

If we ended the season with the same record and flip flop the USD crapper and the mythical Illinois crapper, would that make a difference?

This all assuming the rest of the season isn't what we saw on Saturday, in which case Brew is done no matter what.

Yes, is worse. Why?

Because when you go out to recruit it's pretty hard to answer for losses to NDSU and SD, 55-0 to Iowa and a close one with SDSU.

You at least need some signature wins to help recruiting efforts of a down program. Which wins are Brewster's signature wins?

You lose to Illinois by 40 recruits might think Illinois is a better program. You lose to SD top recruits will wonder if there's anything to come here for besides the stadium and the promise of playing time.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

That's a fair question, but I do think it makes a difference.

You have to play an entirely different kind of bad to give up 41 points to South Dakota. If the Gophers had given up 41 points to Illinois or Indiana, I'd have shook my head and said "they played terrible on defense". This was a team that lost 66-7 to UNI last year. Northern freakin' Iowa. What happened on Saturday was the worst Division 1 defensive performance that i've ever seen.

The fact that they are capable of losing in that manner to USD is more problematic than getting beat 55-0 to Iowa. It shows that there is a complete breakdown somewhere.

Like I said, if we had been beaten by UNI or NDSU or James Madison in something like 24-21, that would have been an issue. What happened on saturday is on a completely different level.

 

[Go Gophers Rah]

I think its a good question too.

If, in December, we look back and see 6 wins that would mean we'd have had to beat at least 3 BT teams & USC or 4 BT teams w/ a USC loss. If that were to happen there is NO WAY they'd fire Brewster regardless of the SDSU crap-fest due to all of the returning upperclassmen and some optimism for 2011.

If, in December, there are 5 wins (lets say MTSU, N ILL, Purdue, Northwestern & Illinois), then I think the loss to SDSU will have a disproportionate weight in determining the future of Brewster.

At 4-8, I would sure think that the decision would be swift.

 

[GopherFB]

I think its a good question too.

If, in December, we look back and see 6 wins that would mean we'd have had to beat at least 3 BT teams & USC or 4 BT teams w/ a USC loss. If that were to happen there is NO WAY they'd fire Brewster regardless of the SDSU crap-fest due to all of the returning upperclassmen and some optimism for 2011.

If, in December, there are 5 wins (lets say MTSU, N ILL, Purdue, Northwestern & Illinois), then I think the loss to SDSU will have a disproportionate weight in determining the future of Brewster.

At 4-8, I would sure think that the decision would be swift.

I would agree, if they walk away with a win over USC and 4 BT wins it makes the loss to SD a lot less painful and would probably save Brewster's job.

4-5 wins, I think there's a good chance he gets fired.

 

[chi-town gopher]

I would agree, if they walk away with a win over USC and 4 BT wins it makes the loss to SD a lot less painful and would probably save Brewster's job.

4-5 wins, I think there's a good chance he gets fired.

I think he is going to go 7-5 and have 2 good wins to stay. By good win, I mean a victory that would be better than he has had up to this point in his career as head coach. If he beats Wisconsin and Wisconsin finishes 4-8, then beating Wisconsin won't be considered a good win. For the record I don't think Wisconsin will go close to 4-8.

It looked like his win at Illinois in 2008 was going to be a good win, but then Illinois had a terrible finish to their season and nobody cared that they were ranked when they played the Gophers. He has to beat two of the following: Wisconsin, Penn State, Iowa, USC, or OSU and those teams have to finish with at least 9 wins or a top 25 ranking in order to be taken seriously. I've been a big supporter of Brewster up to this point, but I can't fathom keeping him after all of the terrible losses during his tenure and only one good win in 4 years. Any impartial person would look at his record and say one victory is much more of an outlier than any of his bad losses.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Chi-Town...I agree 100%, and I have also been a Brewster Supporter.

 

[EG#9]

I look at it this way: When Brewster was hired, would ANYONE have objected to a standard that he would have to win 8 regular season games by year 4 (not in year 4, but one of his first 4 years)? I don't think so.

 

[RunGopherRun]

Yes, is worse. Why?

Because when you go out to recruit it's pretty hard to answer for losses to NDSU and SD, 55-0 to Iowa and a close one with SDSU.

You at least need some signature wins to help recruiting efforts of a down program. Which wins are Brewster's signature wins?

You lose to Illinois by 40 recruits might think Illinois is a better program. You lose to SD top recruits will wonder if there's anything to come here for besides the stadium and the promise of playing time.

I'll buy the negative recruiting spin. It really looks bad losing to the FCS schools.

What if our defense played ok; ok enough for us to pull out a W. Would there be the backlash? I really think the focus of the loss shouldn't be on actually losing, but more just playing horrendous defense.

This is where my optimist comes out...

Goofy things happen in sports. Things don't always turn out the way they should (I don't even need to give examples). Before we all start having a hernia over this awful performance, I think we need to see a greater body of work this year before we call for Brew's head. If things continue the way they are now, he should be gone. One piss poor performance does not make a season or accurately depict what a team could do. If we play equally as badly as we did Saturday, the SC game could spell the end of my optimism.

 

[Mick Turition]

ChiTown summed it up well. I also was a Brewster supporter and thought he would make it to 2011 fairly easily....until Saturday. And yes, losing to USD is far worse than getting crushed by a Big10 team. USD moved up to the AA level just to keep up with SDSU and NDSU, there was no real push otherwise, basically they were forced into the move. Only the loss to Pacific comes close to this loss and they quit playing football entirely not long after that game.