Iceland12
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Tracy Claeys’ wish for Minnesota football has come true.
At Big Ten media days in July, I grabbed the first-year Gophers coach — and first-time head coach at age 47 — in the hallway. I wanted his gut feeling on what UM football could be as he took over for his longtime friend and mentor Jerry Kill, who retired about this time last season for health reasons.
Remember, Minnesota and Indiana are tied for the longest drought among Big Ten schools without a conference championship at 49 years.
As a fellow small-town boy who grew up about 100 miles from Claeys’ hometown of Clay Center, Kansas (pop. 4,300), I figured a direct question would yield a straight answer. Here’s his reply:
“We’re at the point where at the end of November, those last two or three games, we’ll be in the talk to get to Indy and play for the Big Ten championship,” Claeys said. “Hell, nobody wins it every year.
“We need to jump in and get there and take advantage of that opportunity.”
Well, guess where Minnesota is entering the second week of November?
The Gophers (7-2, 4-2) are one of three Big Ten schools in control of their own destiny. Victories Saturday at Nebraska, Nov. 19 against Northwestern and Nov. 26 at Wisconsin would send them to Indianapolis on Dec. 3 for the league title game as the West Division champion.
Minnesota won’t come to Lincoln with a Top 25 ranking despite four straight victories.
Critics have sniffed at the Gophers’ schedule. They have two wins over teams that currently have winning records (Maryland and Colorado State, both 5-4). The FCS opponent they beat, Indiana State, has a losing record (4-6).
Minnesota needed a field goal in the final seconds to nip Rutgers, and trailed Purdue at home at halftime Saturday before rallying for a 44-31 victory. You could argue that the Gophers’ “best” showing was in a loss, 29-26 in overtime at Penn State.
But if you’re looking for an apology for being 7-2, especially after the meat-grinder schedule UM played the past two years, forget it...
If any Nebraska players are feeling sorry for themselves after getting drilled 62-3 at Ohio State, they’d better get over it quickly.
Minnesota thrives on demolition derby-style football, and will annoy opponents like a hunk of gum on their shoe.
http://www.omaha.com/huskers/footba...cle_b1ad26de-a4b4-11e6-aa27-ef8a18671aa7.html
At Big Ten media days in July, I grabbed the first-year Gophers coach — and first-time head coach at age 47 — in the hallway. I wanted his gut feeling on what UM football could be as he took over for his longtime friend and mentor Jerry Kill, who retired about this time last season for health reasons.
Remember, Minnesota and Indiana are tied for the longest drought among Big Ten schools without a conference championship at 49 years.
As a fellow small-town boy who grew up about 100 miles from Claeys’ hometown of Clay Center, Kansas (pop. 4,300), I figured a direct question would yield a straight answer. Here’s his reply:
“We’re at the point where at the end of November, those last two or three games, we’ll be in the talk to get to Indy and play for the Big Ten championship,” Claeys said. “Hell, nobody wins it every year.
“We need to jump in and get there and take advantage of that opportunity.”
Well, guess where Minnesota is entering the second week of November?
The Gophers (7-2, 4-2) are one of three Big Ten schools in control of their own destiny. Victories Saturday at Nebraska, Nov. 19 against Northwestern and Nov. 26 at Wisconsin would send them to Indianapolis on Dec. 3 for the league title game as the West Division champion.
Minnesota won’t come to Lincoln with a Top 25 ranking despite four straight victories.
Critics have sniffed at the Gophers’ schedule. They have two wins over teams that currently have winning records (Maryland and Colorado State, both 5-4). The FCS opponent they beat, Indiana State, has a losing record (4-6).
Minnesota needed a field goal in the final seconds to nip Rutgers, and trailed Purdue at home at halftime Saturday before rallying for a 44-31 victory. You could argue that the Gophers’ “best” showing was in a loss, 29-26 in overtime at Penn State.
But if you’re looking for an apology for being 7-2, especially after the meat-grinder schedule UM played the past two years, forget it...
If any Nebraska players are feeling sorry for themselves after getting drilled 62-3 at Ohio State, they’d better get over it quickly.
Minnesota thrives on demolition derby-style football, and will annoy opponents like a hunk of gum on their shoe.
http://www.omaha.com/huskers/footba...cle_b1ad26de-a4b4-11e6-aa27-ef8a18671aa7.html
