Expectations rest of season

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btowngopher

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I had higher expectations to start the year, but seeing the performances so far I’ll be happy if this team makes it to a bowl game. It will be tough as we just don’t seem to have far superior talent compared to anyone else left on our schedule. Especially if Lindenberg can’t suit up or Taylor is gimpy. Must wins vs Louisiana, MSU, and Purdue. That leaves a win vs Illinois, Wisconsin, or Iowa to clinch and make the fan base happy to beat a rival or Bielema. Or an epic upset of OSU or Michigan. I think it’d be a season we can stomach if we can recover from the NW loss and make a bowl.
 

25-year season ticket holder (and infrequent poster) here with my two cents:

With the exceptions of the 15 +/- teams that are perennial top-25, every team has a bad year here and there. I have been satisfied with PJ and his teams since his arrival. On a Big Ten W/L perspective, his .500 record is the best for any Gophers coach since Murray Warmath. So I'll give him a down year.

At his point, I would be happy to get to (and win) a bowl game. So that would be 4 more wins (like btowngopher said: Louisiana, Purdue, MSU and one of Illinois, Wisconsin or Iowa).

I would be very happy to beat Iowa and/or Wisconsin.

I would be thrilled with a big upset over a ranked team (regular season or bowl).

Next year, though, this team better get its s**t together and have a solid coaching staff who knows how to get the very most out of the talent they have.
 

btowngopher said:
I had higher expectations to start the year, but seeing the performances so far I’ll be happy if this team makes it to a bowl game. It will be tough as we just don’t seem to have far superior talent compared to anyone else left on our schedule. Especially if Lindenberg can’t suit up or Taylor is gimpy. Must wins vs Louisiana, MSU, and Purdue. That leaves a win vs Illinois, Wisconsin, or Iowa to clinch and make the fan base happy to beat a rival or Bielema. Or an epic upset of OSU or Michigan. I think it’d be a season we can stomach if we can recover from the NW loss and make a bowl.
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btown: Your attitude is commendable and I appreciate it. As with all opinions, there is clearly a certain probability that mine is wrong: my feeling about our defense is that Baranowski has been more than adequate in replacing Lindenberg. Sure, Lindenburg has been missed, but I don't think that situation has been the cause of any of our losses. Go Gophers!
 

Coaching staff has tried to warn us all week about how good Louisana is. They’ve played inferior teams but they do have talent themselves, and will be looking at this game as their Super Bowl.

I don’t think anyone should be shocked if it’s a close game that ends up not going our way. Hopefully it does go our way.


Would love to go 8-4 with competitive losses to Mich and OSU. But I don’t think most people see it going that way.
 
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I don't have any expectations. they were crushed by the non competitive performance at NCar and utter collapse against Brainiacs. so I will check in from time to time, but II'm not burning any more emotional energy. Hope they finish w a winning record. Go U Phars.
 





I really don't know. Here is an encouraging story.

Last season in women's hockey, Wisconsin was a shambles in January, losing multiple games and looking in free fall. They came on strong late. They didn't win the conference or the conference tournament, but they upset Minnesota in OT to advance to the NCAA championship game they won. So shambles stumbles sometimes correct.

I'll guess the finish would be:

Wisconsin
Iowa
Minnesota

But no way to know.
 

Realistically Lose to Michigan Ohio st Wisconsin and Iowa
Win the rest and even that is a reach.
Making a bowl game should be the goal. Every season going forward will be tough
 




When the season started, I thought we would be seven and five. I thought we would beat northwestern now I think the gophers will finish Six and Six and play in a minor bowl game hopefully winning to go seven and six.
 

Right now a W against the chili peppers looks good enough to me.

Will take on the rest of the season on Sunday morning.
 

I generally am Good at letting go of a loss, and moving on after a few days. But admittedly I’m struggling. I just cannot un-see that last game! 😱
 

GoodasGold said:
I generally am Good at letting go of a loss, and moving on after a few days. But admittedly I’m struggling. I just cannot un-see that last game! 😱
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Yea, the way the ending unfolded. It reminded me of Wayne's World.

No way.

Way.

No way!

Way.
 

Our best player 45 has not seen the field. 6 has been fine, but 45 might play in the NFL for 10 years. I hope when 45 comes back he and 6 play together. I guess once I see Lindenberg out there I’ll feel better, and then the offense will take us where it will take us.
 

going into the season, I thought the worst-case scenario was 6-6 and the best case was 9-3.

Of course, that assumed a win over Northwestern.

Now, considering the issues on defense, I think the absolute best case is 8-4. that would require beating WI and IA. (assuming losses to OSU and Mich)

realistically, I think 7-5 is more likely. But if the Gophs lose to both WI and IA, then they have to run the table against Louisiana, MSU, Illinois and Purdue to get to 6-6 and a Bowl game.

and if the defense doesn't play a lot better, it is entirely possible that the Gophs finish 5-7 and don't go bowling. a lot of my optimism going into the season was based on Rossi and the defense. after the last two game, I am a lot less optimistic.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
going into the season, I thought the worst-case scenario was 6-6 and the best case was 9-3.

Of course, that assumed a win over Northwestern.

Now, considering the issues on defense, I think the absolute best case is 8-4. that would require beating WI and IA. (assuming losses to OSU and Mich)

realistically, I think 7-5 is more likely. But if the Gophs lose to both WI and IA, then they have to run the table against Louisiana, MSU, Illinois and Purdue to get to 6-6 and a Bowl game.

and if the defense doesn't play a lot better, it is entirely possible that the Gophs finish 5-7 and don't go bowling. a lot of my optimism going into the season was based on Rossi and the defense. after the last two game, I am a lot less optimistic.
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Fleck is likely gone after this or next season. Too many other jobs that he can leave for
 

btowngopher said:
I had higher expectations to start the year, but seeing the performances so far I’ll be happy if this team makes it to a bowl game. It will be tough as we just don’t seem to have far superior talent compared to anyone else left on our schedule. Especially if Lindenberg can’t suit up or Taylor is gimpy. Must wins vs Louisiana, MSU, and Purdue. That leaves a win vs Illinois, Wisconsin, or Iowa to clinch and make the fan base happy to beat a rival or Bielema. Or an epic upset of OSU or Michigan. I think it’d be a season we can stomach if we can recover from the NW loss and make a bowl.
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I'm thinking along the same lines - 6 wins for a bowl, but 7 would be a triumph. Taylor being hurt would change things for the worst, depending on how many games he misses.
 

I just expect them to be very connected and look forward to all the growth attained by all the failure.
 

National Championship or Bust. (That, or learn some important "Life Lessons!" along the way)
 


bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Why diminish expectations? We lost one we expected to win. No rule says we can't make up for it by stealing one we expected to lose.
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Yeah. I thought 6-3 would be a really good season.
Didn’t expect the third to be northwestern. But honestly if 6-3 and win the division was the goal it is better to lose to northwestern than it is to lose to anyone else in the west.


All that being said, the biggest issue is that we appear to not be very good.
Hopefully we can recover and go 5-4 or 6-3
 



WHB Brewer said:
BEAT IOWA!
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Since that would happen before November...it would be even more significant to pull that one off.

Even more it's been 24 years since we won in I-O-W-A City. Maybe this team's destiny is to break that curse? That's actually a pleasant thought...I could let a lot of bad slide with Floyd at home from his IC hell.
 

BilldGopher said:
Since that would happen before November...it would be even more significant to pull that one off.

Even more it's been 24 years since we won in I-O-W-A City. Maybe this team's destiny is to break that curse? That's actually a pleasant thought...I could let a lot of bad slide with Floyd at home from his IC hell.
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And that was because of Sean Hoffman's long finger nail deflecting a sure TD pass.
 


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