Gutless Playcalling



Some guy

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Development yes, made Fleck overconfident. I think he believed he would ride the wave to s bigger and better job by throwing it in nuetral.
You think the best season post 1970 was bad for the program. Got it.
And you think the team is losing now because they beat Purdue in 2019? Got it
 


Some guy

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He's lost the team.
Disagree
If he had lost the team the defense wouldn’t have played better against Ohio state than they did against Purdue

If they look like Purdue against Wisconsin I will re-examine the question.
 








forever a gopher

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My question is, what changed? PJ has always been conservative, but this thing is spiraling into ridiculous territory. What changed to make him go from conservative to “terrified of his own shadow”?

And does anybody have any faith that it’ll not just keep getting worse? He spent a fair amount of time in the offseason playing up AK8 and saying how they were going to be more balanced. I was skeptical, but hopeful. They’re currently sitting at 62/38 run/pass, and that’s with your top 3 RBs being injured a good chunk of the season and playing from behind quite a bit.
 

Gopherchase

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You’re right. He wanted to score 13 in the first half

He could pick his number and he said.
First half? 13
They could’ve scored 60 in the second half and Henderson and Harrison wouldn’t have even broken a sweat. I love the Gophers band, so I shouldn’t even say this, but I’m pretty sure in high school you played in the band.
 

Some guy

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My question is, what changed?
In my opinion. What changed is his team isn’t as good.
PJ has always been conservative, but this thing is spiraling into ridiculous territory. What changed to make him go from conservative to “terrified of his own shadow”?

And does anybody have any faith that it’ll not just keep getting worse? He spent a fair amount of time in the offseason playing up AK8 and saying how they were going to be more balanced. I was skeptical, but hopeful. They’re currently sitting at 62/38 run/pass, and that’s with your top 3 RBs being injured a good chunk of the season and playing from behind quite a bit.
Running the ball =\= conservative IMO

He is definitely conservative. But it has more to do with decision making and broad strategy than run pass ratios
 




Some guy

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They could’ve scored 60 in the second half and Henderson and Harrison wouldn’t have even broken a sweat. I love the Gophers band, so I shouldn’t even say this, but I’m pretty sure in high school you played in the band.
I was a choir kid myself. Not a band kid.
You’re right, Ohio state called off the dogs.
You’re wrong if you don’t think the defense played better than last week. Maybe you didn’t watch the Purdue game
 

MNVCGUY

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My question is, what changed? PJ has always been conservative, but this thing is spiraling into ridiculous territory. What changed to make him go from conservative to “terrified of his own shadow”?

And does anybody have any faith that it’ll not just keep getting worse? He spent a fair amount of time in the offseason playing up AK8 and saying how they were going to be more balanced. I was skeptical, but hopeful. They’re currently sitting at 62/38 run/pass, and that’s with your top 3 RBs being injured a good chunk of the season and playing from behind quite a bit.
This season has become a bit of a lost cause but I still believe in Fleck and have faith in him getting things back on track. 9 win seasons might be the high end of what is doable in the new Big Ten but I think that is a realistic goal each year for Fleck and the program.
 

Some guy

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This season has become a bit of a lost cause but I still believe in Fleck and have faith in him getting things back on track. 9 win seasons might be the high end of what is doable in the new Big Ten but I think that is a realistic goal each year for Fleck and the program.
I’m not sure 9’wins is the ceiling.

Let’s look at next years schedule.

Losses in people’s minds:
Michigan
USC (7-5)
Penn state (9-2)

Every other team on the schedule if the team doesn’t win it will be the end of the world.

So like, yeah 9-3 is the “ceiling”
Unless you beat penn state like 2019
Or unless you beat a 7-5 USC team

I can’t predict much more than 6 next year without seeing the roster.
The bigger issue for this program’s ceiling isn’t the schedule. The bigger issue is the roster.
 


Some guy

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Makes sense. Once you raise the bar to an 11-2 season, expectations stay at that level. Two NFL wide receivers in an offense that covered any other blemishes may have set up the beginning of the end for PJ.
It’s pretty m ironic argument that’s being made

“11-2 was bad for the gophers because Pj got overconfident”
-guy who thinks the gophers should go 11-2
 


Ewert86PC

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It’s pretty m ironic argument that’s being made

“11-2 was bad for the gophers because Pj got overconfident”
-guy who thinks the gophers should go 11-2
Sounds like the definition of Raised Expectations.
 


Stuff

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Makes sense. Once you raise the bar to an 11-2 season, expectations stay at that level. Two NFL wide receivers in an offense that covered any other blemishes may have set up the beginning of the end for PJ.
Two NFL wide receivers, the largest offensive line in the history of college football;), Mo, Brooks, and Rodney Smith at RB. Was a fun year to watch.
 

Gopherchase

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There certainly are raised expectations. But that’s not what the topic at hand was.
Do you think the 2019 season was bad for the program?
No, it wasn’t bad for the program. PJ had Rossi and the Rutgers current DC as our DB coach and KC and a bunch of NFL players and Morgan playing his ass off. Other than Rossi he has none of that now and no decent replacements. PJ is the same pretty much. I’m just pretty sure he has now a staff full of people that won’t push back on him and keep him from doing really dumb shit in game prep and game day coaching.
 

Stuff

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Maybe this should be it's own thread, but I didn't think I'd see another Gopher offense as bad as 2017, but here we are.

View attachment 28361
Sanford got fired for scoring 27.3 ppg in an all conference year and 25.5 ppg in 2021.

Harbaugh/Simon in 2023 - 20.7 ppg

Let that sink in.
 
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Some guy

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No, it wasn’t bad for the program. PJ had Rossi and the Rutgers current DC as our DB coach and KC and a bunch of NFL players and Morgan playing his ass off. Other than Rossi he has none of that now and no decent replacements. PJ is the same pretty much. I’m just pretty sure he has now a staff full of people that won’t push back on him and keep him from doing really dumb shit in game prep and game day coaching.
This is a rational take

we will see. You may be right. I am waiting until the end of next year to pass judgement. You may be right. I may be late.
 

Gilthorp57

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That would be a big surprise. He is in total denial that he is the problem. I think he just deflects the heat as fans who don’t understand Tressell ball played without Tressell talent.
Same thing happened to Darrell Hazzel at Purdue. Tried to bring Tressel Ball and an arrogant know it all attitude to West Lafayette without the talent he left at Ohio State. Purdue did not tolerate it very long
 

Some guy

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Sandford got fired for scoring 27.3 ppg in an all conference year and 25.5 ppg in 2021.

2023 - 20.7 ppg

Let that sink in.
Yeah. Bigger issues are talent on the field in my opinion.
Team not deep enough to sustain through injuries on either side of the ball.
Team not good enough at top of the roster to compete with the big two
 

MplsGopher

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Really don’t get people freaking out about this game.

Fleck very clearly, very obviously had a plan going into it: get in, get out as quick as possible with as few injuries as possible.

End of story.

We were never going to win this game, no matter what.

Why give OSU offense more possessions? Why let them score more points?

I’m actually perfectly fine with it today.


Freaking out about Purdue was/is completely justified.



Move on. Beat Wisc. Pig & Axe in the same year. Win the bowl game.
 

Some guy

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Same thing happened to Darrell Hazzel at Purdue. Tried to bring Tressel Ball and an arrogant to West Lafayette without the talent he left at Ohio State. Purdue did not tolerate it very long
I think fleck is better than hazel
 

Panthadad2

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Sandford got fired for scoring 27.3 ppg in an all conference year and 25.5 ppg in 2021.

Harbaugh/Simon in 2023 - 20.7 ppg

Let that sink in.

Yeah, I noticed that when I pulled it together. Sanford's results were actually pretty respectable in comparison. 2019 sticks out like a sore thumb.

I've said it before, for me, 2021 was a year that should have been as good or better than 2019 if not for the skill positions looking like a M.A.S.H. unit.
 
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