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Gophers finish regular season 7-5, 5-4 in Big Ten, win over wisconsin - what grade would you give the regular season?
Yup fair officiating and a good kicker we’d be 9-3C. This team is better than 7-5. Some like to knock the talent and recruiting, but this team has some playmakers on both sides of the ball.
I hate to quote my own post but just to build on this stat.....This is my 42nd year as a fan. My baptism into Gophers football was being a young lad and following the team during the brutal 1983 season.
I believe this is the 10th time in my fandom that we've been above .500 in Big Ten conference play. I'll take it. Let's build on it.
Rutgers loss was no where near as bad a loss as Bowling Green though. We were only favored by like 6.5 I think.Was between a C and B, so I rounded up to a B given the good feeling coming out of today's win.
So easily could have been 8-4, if we just make the kick vs UNC. In a perfect world, you don't play that game the first week of the season. Brosmer wasn't up to speed yet.
Also ideally you don't play Iowa in week 4.
Michigan and Penn State probably weren't going to be wins.
Rutgers is the Bowling Green equivalent for this year. Really no excuses for that one.
But damn, I'll take a win in Madison, 4 out of last 7, Axe home, ends a 22 year winning season streak, and maybe just maybe keeps them out of a bowl game.
For sureLow B, high C so went with B. Left some meat on the bone with close loses in winnable games and had the clunker against Rutgers. Still managed to finish over .500 in conference and will be going bowling.
Closer to a truly special season than a disastrous one.
I went with a B too. I always struggle with how to grade a season with a Medicare win total but lots of meat left on the bone. Coaching staff deserves credit for having us in all those games, especially Penn State, but also deserves blame for not closing more of those opportunities due to self-inflicted wounds (can't stop thinking about PSU burning us on the poorly disguised fake punt).For sure
I wish they had finsihed
Literally left 10-2 on table not even including Penn state
2 turnovers in own red zone vs michigan
Fumble vs Rutgers
Missed field goal Vs North Carolina
YupI went with a B too. I always struggle with how to grade a season with a Medicare win total but lots of meat left on the bone. Coaching staff deserves credit for having us in all those games, especially Penn State, but also deserves blame for not closing more of those opportunities due to self-inflicted wounds (can't stop thinking about PSU burning us on the poorly disguised fake punt).
But it only happened this year because the west is so weak. Oh wait...I hate to quote my own post but just to build on this stat.....
10th time in last 42 years above .500 in Big Ten....but Fleck has done it now 3 of last 4 and 4 of last 6. That means prior to 2019 it was 6 times in 36 years.
Fleck deserves credit for changing our slot in the pecking order. We aren't elite but we are no longer relegated to the bottom tier.
Yes, this years schedule was easier to go 10-2 againstif we were grading on the 4.0 scale, I would give this season a 2.7 - better than a C, but a little short of the B in my eyes.
the losses to North Carolina and Rutgers really stand out. win those games, finish 9-3, and it's a 3.5 season.
I had doubts going into the season, but this team turned out to have more talent than I thought. Brosmer, Taylor, Jackson, Spencer, Perich, etc. In my book, this group was more talented than 7-5.
but the two losses I cited, and the uneven play, held them down from reaching their potential. They beat themselves just as much as other teams beat them.
I will add that the Gophers did not play 3 of the top 4 teams in the B1G. of course, they did not play 2 of the 3 worst teams either (Purdue & NWestern).
next year the Gophs play Oregon and Ohio State, but the rest of the schedule is more favorable.
If we gave up two more score todays we are 4-4!3-4 in 1 score games this year, you have to figure out a way to win those close games.