ESPN Big Ten bowl projections: Week 5 (At large bowl: Minnesota)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per ESPN:

Minnesota remains in the projections, but just barely. Although the Gophers need only two more wins to become eligible, they play a brutal schedule the rest of the way and didn't look ready for Big Ten action on Saturday against Iowa. It may take a signature win for Jerry Kill's crew to go bowling once again.

Rose Bowl presented by VIZIO, Jan. 1: Ohio State
Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1: Michigan
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1: Wisconsin
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, Jan. 1: Nebraska
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Dec. 28: Northwestern
Texas Bowl, Dec. 27: Michigan State
Heart of Dallas Bowl, Jan. 1: Iowa
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Dec. 26: Illinois
At-large bowl: Minnesota

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/85175/big-ten-bowl-projections-week-5-3

Go Gophers!!
 

A nothing bowl game against likely some MAC/WAC/CUSA team would be a major disappointment to say the least.
 


I'd take any bowl..it's still a bowl game and can help recruiting and the team.
 



Even a lousy bowl game would be good. It means that they'll have to win at least 2 of the next 7 games. Hope it means that Kill is more interested in winning some games this year and less worried about hurting a kid's feelings.
 

If we don't make it to a bowl game I think Kill's seat should be getting a little warm. At some point we have to at least become a team that is a threat to go .500 in conference. We aren't even close to that sort of team yet. Which is frustrating, especially since Kill doesn't have a signature win yet either.
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
A nothing bowl game against likely some MAC/WAC/CUSA team would be a major disappointment to say the least.
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Only to people with unrealistic expectations coming in to this season.

I gotta say, that's a pretty optimistic view of our chances by ESPN. I for one would be pretty happy if they're right.
 

From all the hysteria on this board it is hard to believe that ESPN would even remotely think that the Gophers have a chance at a bowl. Clearly the experts here are 100% certain we will not win another game all year and have 0 chance of going to a bowl game.

And even if the stars align and PSU misses the bus to the stadium and IN has some sort of campus incident and forfeits the game, we would only be going to some lousy, good for nothing pizza bowl.

How could getting an extra month of practice, rewarding our players, students & fans with one more game and being on national tv possibly be looked at as a positive. Stupid normal people don't know nothing.

[read sarcasm]
 



RedPoo said:
Only to people with unrealistic expectations coming in to this season.

I gotta say, that's a pretty optimistic view of our chances by ESPN. I for one would be pretty happy if they're right.
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I believe we have a better team than last year and going from a quality BCS conference opponent last year like Texas Tech to say W Kentucky or Ohio U, for example, in a game played in Boise or Detroit is borderline disgraceful. I'm not saying this team should be going to a coveted Jan 1 bowl, but perhaps the Texas Bowl in Houston or the BWW Bowl in Tempe is in line with expectations. a lesser bowl is a step back IMO. Recruiting wise, I may be wrong but I don't see potential targets tuning in to the Idaho Potato Bowl or the New Mexico Bowl (Though all bets are off if the game is broadcast in Aggievision) on their Christmas break. I know I'm not that interested in either of those games.
 

The Iowa game was a huge let down. I have can honetly say I have never been this frustrated with the Gopher Football program. I am not sure I see a team that is all that better from a year ago. Maybe to many of us are putting to much on game #1 of th season but I still do not believe Iowa is that good of a football team and we got man handled. The offense could not move the ball at all unless we completed a pass. The defense played ok in general and its nice to have a punter who isnt shanking 20 yards every other kick but this team needs a major influx of talent. As far as last year we are not playing that schedule which included two pretty bad football teams. I think the Gophers may have played the worst Big Ten team on their schedule already and we couldnt do a thing. Not making a bowl game this year should put Jerry Kill on notice going into next year. I didn't expect a huge improvement but I thought 7 wins was possible because I dont feel the Big Ten is that great of a conference right now. I don't think dropping below 6 wins no matter the schedule is showing enough improvement when the conference is in the shape it is.

I have no problem with going to a lower ranked bowl to get our 7th win we still get the practice a bowl game provides and maybe some confidence going into next season. Not making a bowl game raises huge red flags for me.
 

Iceland12 said:
Even a lousy bowl game would be good. It means that they'll have to win at least 2 of the next 7 games. Hope it means that Kill is more interested in winning some games this year and less worried about hurting a kid's feelings.
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Which kid's feelings are you talking about iceland12? I think the Coach did what the coach thought he was going to do and it had NOTHING to do with either of the two kid's feelings. I'd say the coach knows a LOT more about that situation than you do iceland12. I like both those kids and root for which ever is playing while they are playing and even after the game is over. How much are you being paid to make the tough calls iceland12? Or, are you just another one of these darn dime a dozen armchair dudes/dudettes who throws eggs after the fact?

Coach Kill: "...never let the cheap-shotters get you down..." YOU make the calls Coach, and THAT is why we pay you the BIG money...
 

WolfontheProwl said:
The Iowa game was a huge let down. I have can honetly say I have never been this frustrated with the Gopher Football program.
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I see you've been a member here a long time so you've been following the Gophers at least 5 years. Either this is just over the top hyperbole, or you became a MUCH bigger Gopher fan very recently. We've had more frustrating losses in the last 2-3 years for sure.
 



fryguy22 said:
I see you've been a member here a long time so you've been following the Gophers at least 5 years. Either this is just over the top hyperbole, or you became a MUCH bigger Gopher fan very recently. We've had more frustrating losses in the last 2-3 years for sure.
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This. Yes it was crappy loss, but it was nowhere near the pantheon of painful Gopher defeats.
 

WolfontheProwl said:
I have can honetly say I have never been this frustrated with the Gopher Football program.
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Going from 7-1 and 17th in the country in 2008 to four straight losses (3 at home) capped by a 55-0 loss to Iowa was less frustrating?

Following a 10-9 win over NDSu in 2006 with a 44-0 pounding at Ohio State to drop to 3-6 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten in year 10 of the coach's tenure was less frustrating?

Good lord...upset 1 of the next 3 and the team is exactly where the majority saw them. How many saw Kill and his 1-6 Gophers beating 5-2 Iowa in 2011?????? Minnesota was only outscored 181 to 55 in the four games leading up to it.
 

They still think we're going bowling? I'd have thought only the homers here were that delusional.
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
I believe we have a better team than last year....
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I believe that too, and I believed it coming into the year as well. But I, along with many other fans and probably most professional sports pundits (especially the ones who were actually paying attention) expected a better team with the same or worse record. It looks like that could be what we get. Sometimes the schedule works your way, sometimes it doesn't. Those are the breaks.
 

Maximus said:
Going from 7-1 and 17th in the country in 2008 to four straight losses (3 at home) capped by a 55-0 loss to Iowa was less frustrating?

Following a 10-9 win over NDSu in 2006 with a 44-0 pounding at Ohio State to drop to 3-6 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten in year 10 of the coach's tenure was less frustrating?

Good lord...upset 1 of the next 3 and the team is exactly where the majority saw them. How many saw Kill and his 1-6 Gophers beating 5-2 Iowa in 2011?????? Minnesota was only outscored 181 to 55 in the four games leading up to it.
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It this is as frustrated as he's been as a Gopher fan, he wasn't a Gopher fan before last season (probably the Purdue game?) so he probably has no memory of 2011.
 

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