ESPN: Undercover Contender
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Gopher07
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I kinda see both sides.
Right now, given that we haven't played enough games, and have yet to play anyone that could be categorized as a) a bonafide playoff contender or b) a dumpster fire, we're trying to make inferences on the performance of the team. One of the inferences we can make based on our current knowledge is that, though we lost by 23 points, TCU appears to be a vastly superior team. So the loss doesn't sting as bad right now.
As we play more games, whether or not TCU is awesome will mean less and less - simply because we'll have more results on which to judge the Gophers. If we go 9-3, we'll know we are a pretty darn good football team, regardless of the result at TCU. And if we go 6-6, we'll know we're really not that good.
Right now, given that we haven't played enough games, and have yet to play anyone that could be categorized as a) a bonafide playoff contender or b) a dumpster fire, we're trying to make inferences on the performance of the team. One of the inferences we can make based on our current knowledge is that, though we lost by 23 points, TCU appears to be a vastly superior team. So the loss doesn't sting as bad right now.
As we play more games, whether or not TCU is awesome will mean less and less - simply because we'll have more results on which to judge the Gophers. If we go 9-3, we'll know we are a pretty darn good football team, regardless of the result at TCU. And if we go 6-6, we'll know we're really not that good.
That's not the point. We're not talking about what we as Gopher fans think of the team. We're talking about perception and how people nationally will look at that TCU loss. That's why we're saying that loss 'looks better' or 'doesn't look so bad now' after they knocked off Oklahoma.
Gopher07
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That's fair, and certainly valid right now, I agree. It doesn't look as bad given the quality of TCU after the Oklahoma win. What I do think is that by the end of the season - even if TCU ends up 11-1 - it might not matter, since everyone will have a lot more performances on which to judge the team.
matt
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I think they do understand and are just being stubborn and hard headed. They think people are saying our loss to TCU is becoming impressive now, but no one is saying that. A 23 point loss in a game with 5 turnovers is still disappointing, but like you said TCU winning absolutely helps our strength of schedule which matters significantly now in this day and age with the college football playoff.
+1 Well stated and an excellent analysis of this run away discussion.
Everyone has his/her own opinion, regardless of how jaded and misinformed/uninformed it is.
It's like they are saying, "I have a right to my opinion and you are welcome to it."
Schnauzer
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I have daydreamed the situation described by ESPN. To their credit, they openly say how unlikely it would be. It requires a historic 12-1 season including either two victories over Ohio State, or undefeated in B1G season and a championship win over MSU. I very much doubt anyone in this discussion would declare this to be likely. It is fun to daydream though and a 12-1 Gopher squad could end up in the playoff. I have never understood why so many "fans" hang out here to spew negativity regardless of what is actually going on with the team. The good news is you can't stop me from daydreaming. The thing is, things rarely happen if they haven't been visualized first. Some of you have been so conditioned to be negative on the Gophers, you can't stop yourselves from continuing to short sell the program.
This!
For those of us who were there on that Friday night a long time ago at the Metrodome vs. Michigan, that was the last time that the atmosphere was that "this might be the year"! And for 3 quarters it was. Then we had our hearts pulled from us.
But now, if we can get past NW and get the following 2 games, we can start to get that feeling again. And then, if we can find a way to get past Iowa, we'll be able to experience something that we haven't had the chance to see in 13 years when Ohio State comes to town. For you young ones that haven't seen what it's like, you'll never forget it.
dpodoll68
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Team A is 0-2 in the Big Ten after suffering blowout home losses to Illinois and Purdue. Team B is 0-2 in the Big Ten after losing on the road in overtime to MSU and OSU. "It doesn't matter," says noted college football expert scools12. "Both teams are 0-2, and win-loss records are all that matter. Clearly, these two teams are equal."
GophersInIowa
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If you're going to dream, might as well dream big!
Com_Cool
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Brian Pederson at the Bleacher Report predicts Minnesota to win the West through a 5 team tie breaker:
Teams and fans in the Big Ten West will need to get very familiar with the conference's divisional tiebreaker rules, because five schools are going to tie for first in the division. All with 5-3 records.
And when it's all said and done, Minnesota will emerge from the mass of tiebreakers to play in the conference title game in Indianapolis.
Link
Teams and fans in the Big Ten West will need to get very familiar with the conference's divisional tiebreaker rules, because five schools are going to tie for first in the division. All with 5-3 records.
And when it's all said and done, Minnesota will emerge from the mass of tiebreakers to play in the conference title game in Indianapolis.
Link
holereader
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can we just get to 5-1 please
dbaldrich1
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If someone chooses to look at the game vs TCU in isolation, then yes, we lost that game by 23 points and couldn't seem to execute anything on offense (Mitch looked bad, dropped passes, 5 TO's). It was a really bad single game - we get it. Nothing that happens in this season can negate how poorly we played in that game.
However, one game in isolation is not an indicator of the overall quality of the teams involved. In order to properly measure the relative quality of a win/loss, you have to look at the overall seasons of the two teams involved (including the relative strength of the opponents of each team). When viewed through that lens, TCU being a top 10 team changes how the loss can/should be perceived. It doesn't make the Gophers a better team - the quality of the team will be determined by how well we play in our remaining games. But, if we do end up with only 1 loss going into the bye in November with TCU staying in the top 10, then the loss to TCU looks like an outlier. Even very good teams have bad games in a given season, especially in college football.
Here's to the Gophers taking care of business today vs. Northwestern! I'll also be rooting for TCU (#9) to beat Baylor (#5) - which would support the perception that TCU is just a really good football team.