Fleck: "I think we can be a really good football team next year."

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bonin21 said:
What do you expect him to say
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2019 PROOF

For anyone who has ever handicapped the ponies, they're a concept know as you put a line through a bad race for a horse - if you don't play I ain't gonna 'plain it to you. 2020 is a season you draw a line through it and ends up being a "free season' for reps/improvement as it doesn't count again eligibility, right?

Outside of Bateman if anyone leaves, then oh well - we'll replace them. Mo needs one more stellar year and he'll climb the draft board, Big Dan if you leave, then we'll replace you. If PJ is your coach, at a certain point, you're married to him - trust him and enjoy the positive notes of a season. Good Lord!
 
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GopherFanatic19 said:
If Big D tries NFL I think that would be insane as he hasn’t played in a year! I think it would be even crazier if an NFL team even drafted him
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He would get drafted 100% even if late because he is a monster that shows a ton of upside.
 


I'm hoping for a good spring and good fall camp helps.

Defense really stepped up as the year went on. I'm really hopeful they learned a lot.
 

The o-line could potentially lose Schlueter, Olson, Dunlap, Faalele, Andries and Schmitz. Schlueter and Olson have already been here 5 years, are they going to come back for a 6th? They are both solid, but could test the NFL waters or move on. Faalele, Dunlap and Andries have now all been here 3-4 years. It's not inconceivable that two of them would test the NFL - I think Faalele and Dunlap would get drafted based on potential alone. And Schmitz is a junior and was name HM all B1G.

I doubt all 6 leave, but it won't be surprising if only 2-3 of them are back.
 



John Galt said:
The o-line could potentially lose Schlueter, Olson, Dunlap, Faalele, Andries and Schmitz. Schlueter and Olson have already been here 5 years, are they going to come back for a 6th? They are both solid, but could test the NFL waters or move on. Faalele, Dunlap and Andries have now all been here 3-4 years. It's not inconceivable that two of them would test the NFL - I think Faalele and Dunlap would get drafted based on potential alone. And Schmitz is a junior and was name HM all B1G.

I doubt all 6 leave, but it won't be surprising if only 2-3 of them are back.
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They are all coming back......
 

amk8930 said:
Jerry Kill wasn’t coming off a 11-2 season, a bowl win, and giving us expectations of at minimal a .500 season.
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So it’d feel better if we were 6-6 last year?
Got it

If we played last years Non conference schedule we are 6-4 right now. Feel better?
 
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Fleck is obviously going for the "I won the press conference" angle with that comment.

In reality? I'll take the wait-and-see approach...
 



MRJ said:
Fleck is obviously going for the "I won the press conference" angle with that comment.

In reality? I'll take the wait-and-see approach...
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With so many unknowns this is probably true. I read too much into last year and him saying we would be good this year only to have us fall flat on our face.

We don’t know who’s transferring, who’s going to come back, will the recruits be any good or want to come here after seeing the team this year, etc.
 

bonin21 said:
What do you expect him to say
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This is pretty different than what he usually says.

If the question is serious, I would have expected him to say "we'll return a lot of guys but we'll still be extremely young. We'll get better everyday". I'm actually pretty surprised PJ made a statement like that, pleasantly surprised.
 








amk8930 said:
Aka we are heading for the ground/floor/rock bottom is what you are saying?
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I'm saying going 4-4 in the Big 10 rebuilding a program after Brewster is different than going 4-4 in the Big 10 next year.
 


Am I the only one that remembers how awful the defense was early in the season? There were some really bright signs of life in the last 2 games. I wouldn’t say “the young guys will be better with an off-season” I’d say they are already head and shoulders above where they were 6-8 weeks ago. I’m optimistic..but I guess I always am!
 

Joe Hardy said:
I think he’s right!
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I think u r right too Joe. Gophs and others get a mulligan. They will write this as the Year of the COVID. Strange events with no earthly explanation. Kids in quarantine, cancellations because teams didn’t have enough to suit up, empty stadiums, Indiana and NW at one time in the Top 10? Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh My! No other conclusions for me to draw. Bury the sucker. Move on. Go Gophers!
 

Defense was surprisingly worse to start the year. Lot of turnover in personnel.
Defense should be much better next year. Maybe not great, but less big plays.

Offense will have more reps with all the young WR's.
CAB back.
Get of OC who likes to throw to the TE's against IA and WI.

We win 9-10 games and play for Big Ten Title.
 


John Galt said:
The o-line could potentially lose Schlueter, Olson, Dunlap, Faalele, Andries and Schmitz. Schlueter and Olson have already been here 5 years, are they going to come back for a 6th? They are both solid, but could test the NFL waters or move on. Faalele, Dunlap and Andries have now all been here 3-4 years. It's not inconceivable that two of them would test the NFL - I think Faalele and Dunlap would get drafted based on potential alone. And Schmitz is a junior and was name HM all B1G.

I doubt all 6 leave, but it won't be surprising if only 2-3 of them are back.
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That would make for a grim outlook if only 2 or 3 are back. I see why we needed more OL in the recruiting class if PJ loses anybody.
 

I complained hard about the OC early. I do think he is responsible for Tanner going backwards. But, PJ has his thumb print on the offense up to his elbow. Could not have been any fun for Sanford. Not sure why Simon who knows PJ’s mindset was not given the job.
Be surprised if Sanford willingly returns.
 

I think they'll improve quite a bit if Braelen Oliver can come back healthy and ready. If MSM can be just average, I'll take it, but if someone beats him out, that means they're above average and that is even better obviously (unless he and Oliver play the same LB position, then it's a moot point-I don't follow it that closely). A lot of unknowns in the secondary though. Maybe out of this world, maybe average. The receivers hopefully improve with an actual off season. If Mo comes back, great, but I think the young guys started to flash a little.
There seemed to be improvement as the year went on which makes a good off season training somewhat exciting. Whereas it seemed other teams except Iowa stayed the same throughout the year or got worse.
 

amk8930 said:
Same, but the way the Gophers played this year I just don’t have confidence that 7-5 is possible.
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Well. Assuming they go 2-1 non conference we are 5-5 right now with games against Michigan state and northwestern left.
 



60's Guy said:
I complained hard about the OC early. I do think he is responsible for Tanner going backwards. But, PJ has his thumb print on the offense up to his elbow. Could not have been any fun for Sanford. Not sure why Simon who knows PJ’s mindset was not given the job.
Be surprised if Sanford willingly returns.
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This is an odd post for a lot of reasons. Sanford is new and never got time to fully implement his offense. Tanner isn’t really going “backwards,” it’s more that he doesn’t have Bateman and TJ to throw to this year. They made an average QB look really good last year. And that’s not even a knock on Tanner, as he is better than what we have had for a while, but not as good as what we now expect. This job was a step up for Stanford and I would be shocked if he chose to move on.
 


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