Hot Take - Our offense will be better next year with whoever the QB will be

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Dano564

Dano564

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Tanner has been a very good QB for us, but in the little bit I watched, it seemed like there was a wide open receiver or two that he just wasn't looking at. BSF was one on a third down play, and Morgan through it short and we punted.

Am I wrong for thinking this?
 

Tanner could still be the QB next year?

I think he will be better when he has his full set of receivers back. He seemed adrift after Dylan went out and with CAB missing his 2nd game. Jackson seems a little over-exposed as a WR1 at this time, but plays well as a #3 option.

Hoping to see him with our top 3 WRs against Colorado.
 


Considering there will be a massive turnover on the OL, this is likely quite a bit beyond a "hot take". Lots of new faces on the OL next year more than likely, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Offense take at least a minor step back?
 

fmlizard said:
Tanner could still be the QB next year?

I think he will be better when he has his full set of receivers back. He seemed adrift after Dylan went out and with CAB missing his 2nd game. Jackson seems a little over-exposed as a WR1 at this time, but plays well as a #3 option.

Hoping to see him with our top 3 WRs against Colorado.
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I don't know why I feel this way, but I think this is the last year for Tanner here.
I don't know if he opts for the Big Ten, or graduate transfers, or something else.

But ZA was on his heels and some think he was maybe better, and he hasn't gotten a sniff. AK is the hot freshman. You got Kramer and Jacob Clark who are going to be third year guys whether you call them redshirt freshman, sophomores, or juniors, they will both be 21 or so and anxious to play.
Then you also have the hot recruit from SD coming in as a freshman next year.

If you recruited 3-4 other guys on your roster, and none of them are good enough to challenge Tanner by next year, and Tanner isn't an NFL level QB, what does that say?
 


Ogee Oglethorpe said:
Considering there will be a massive turnover on the OL, this is likely quite a bit beyond a "hot take". Lots of new faces on the OL next year more than likely, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Offense take at least a minor step back?
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I think something most of the guys have the option to come back another year yet. Schlueter is done, and Faalele is probably NFL.

But John Michael Schmitz, Andries, Dunlap (Faalele in theory) all have eligibility left. But some of them might test NFL waters as well.
 

The offense will be better when Fleck pulls his head out of his ass and gives the OC job to the guy who actually earned it.
 


RememberMurray said:
Are you new to being a football fan? C'mon, man!

The backup QB is always better than the starter. Always.
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I don't think they are better right now, but one of the 5 by next year should be if Tanner isn't an NFL level QB yet.

Otherwise what's going on with your recruiting since you landed Tanner to go to Western Michigan and got him to switch?
 





depends on how you define better. Tanner statistically has been the best QB we've seen, but for being in the same system this long, he still seems to go to his first read (and watches his receiver the entire way)

He has gotten bailed out by having very talented receivers who save him in many moments, but also has seen his share of drops.

We have the best receiver corps I would say in the history of the gophers (depth wise), at least since rankings came out. Tanner was at his ceiling in 2019 which is great, but we also have probably the best gopher QB room in the last 20-30 years.

We have way too much talent around Tanner this year for him to not be at least as good as 2019, a big part of that falls on his OC, but Tanner also needs to go thru his progressions at this point in his tenure, that's on Tanner.

BSF saw i think 1 throw his way today, we're not going to usurp WI and IA if we can't light a fire under the defenses a** and by having our OC and Tanner perform like they have since Sanford came on board.
 

Tanner was a good QB in 2019. I wouldn't say he's been good since then. Next year is an interesting question as there is a strong argument that we are worse everywhere. What about this staff's tenure gives you confidence that the next QB will perform better? The same could be said for the offensive line where we could possibly lose all 5 starters...none of the guys that have been on the roster have been able to break through in to this group which hasn't exactly been dominant. Then at the skill positions, we didn't trust anyone behind Mo and now we apparently don't drust anyone behind Tre. At WR we lose CAB, what have we seen from the young guys at the position to give us hope here? Guys like Nam (now a TE) and Mann were highly rated (or fairly highly rated) recruits that can't break in to a depth chart that would have included Clay Geary if he didn't get hurt (we're using Brock Annexstad at PR...he jumped a lot of recruited scholarship guys for that role). At TE, our best blocker in Kieft will be gone.

We need more of the recruits (who almost all had good offers) to actually develop and play like above average B1G players before I can have any confidence that next years replacement (at any position) will result in more success.
 



Again, I'm not saying he's bad.

I think he's highly efficient and sound and probably one the best QB we've had in a long time.

I think however, that one of these next four is going to be a pretty good option. Once Fleck decides the next QB is ready, just by the thought of you keep recruiting better, one of the next 3-4 guys should be pretty darn good, and we'll still have good receiver options, and the next QB might be a more fluid runner / elusive in pocket than Tanner is.

I think PJ likes a QB who can run some (and that's why Kramer evidently was the #2 last year). If we have a run / pass option at QB, than that could really be something with the WR's we have.
 

Face The Facts said:
Tanner has been a very good QB for us, but in the little bit I watched, it seemed like there was a wide open receiver or two that he just wasn't looking at. BSF was one on a third down play, and Morgan through it short and we punted.

Am I wrong for thinking this?
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I think you’re wrong. I don’t understand the Morgan criticism on this board. He started 5/6 with 2 TD’s.

I don’t think it’s Morgan. I think it’s the fact we have a new OC, and I’m also hoping it’s because Fleck was pretty vanilla today. I’ve said all along I want to see this OC improve because I think it’s been a downgrade from Ciarocca. Hopefully time will make things better, but so far his play calling isn’t there yet. He hasn’t called a game as well as Ciarocca yet, and today he was absolutely terrible at times.

I think a change at QB would make us worse. Morgan is a winner, the best winner at QB I can remember for the Gophers.
 

Some Day...Maybe said:
I think you’re wrong. I don’t understand the Morgan criticism on this board. He started 5/6 with 2 TD’s.

I don’t think it’s Morgan. I think it’s the fact we have a new OC, and I’m also hoping it’s because Fleck was pretty vanilla today. I’ve said all along I want to see this OC improve because I think it’s been a downgrade from Ciarocca. Hopefully time will make things better, but so far his play calling isn’t there yet. He hasn’t called a game as well as Ciarocca yet, and today he was absolutely terrible at times.

I think a change at QB would make us worse. Morgan is a winner, the best winner at QB I can remember for the Gophers.
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I'm not saying they should make a change this year.
 

Look at how awful Washington's offense is down their top 3 WRs. They lost to FCS Montana and scored 7 points! And their QB is a 4* major national recruit in his 2nd year starting.

Tanner was down his top 2 WRs in the 2nd half today, and is also missing the Big Ten's best RB. I'm looking forward to him trending up in the games ahead as the WR room gets healthier and Potts gets more established.
 


Face The Facts said:
Tanner has been a very good QB for us, but in the little bit I watched, it seemed like there was a wide open receiver or two that he just wasn't looking at. BSF was one on a third down play, and Morgan through it short and we punted.

Am I wrong for thinking this?
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Yes.
 

I think it is pretty obvious he has regressed from his Sophomore season, still the best QB i have seen at the U though. Who would have thought losing two early round WRs to the NFL would hinder his performance (Sarcasm)
 

Look, Tanner has led an offense that scored 61 points in its first two games--without its top WR in either game, and without its All American RB in the second game (and part of the first). The loss of two such top skill players would be devastating to many teams. But our offense kept producing.

Viewed from 10,000 feet, without the granular analysis of each particular play, the offense’s production was actually quite good, given the extenuating circumstances. Frankly, we should win a boatload of games if the offense averages 31 points per game for the rest of the season. The Gophers’ real problem isn’t our offense or Tanner Morgan; it is our porous, often confused defense. We pick on Tanner and the offense because we believe that, despite good performances to start the season, they have the chops to be better still. We don’t lay a bad game at the feet of our defense because, honestly, we’re not sure whether it can reasonably be expected to improve (without some personnel changes).
 


fmlizard said:
Tanner was down his top 2 WRs in the 2nd half today, and is also missing the Big Ten's best RB. I'm looking forward to him trending up in the games ahead as the WR room gets healthier and Potts gets more established.
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In a nutshell, this is the heart of the Tanner "bashing." With great receiver-play, he can be successful. He does not have the ability to make mediocre or even poor receivers look good, however. When CAB and Wright get healthy, along with Jackson getting more confidence, I think the passing game will come along. If it doesn't, though... Sanford, who I think is not super-confident in Morgan, needs to have the stones to go to PJ with a change. If they want to be a running team, they need to get a running QB in there. They do have more mobile QB's available.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
Look, Tanner has led an offense that scored 61 points in its first two games--without its top WR in either game, and without its All American RB in the second game (and part of the first). The loss of two such top skill players would be devastating to many teams. But our offense kept producing.

Viewed from 10,000 feet, without the granular analysis of each particular play, the offense’s production was actually quite good, given the extenuating circumstances. Frankly, we should win a boatload of games if the offense averages 31 points per game for the rest of the season. The Gophers’ real problem isn’t our offense or Tanner Morgan; it is our porous, often confused defense. We pick on Tanner and the offense because we believe that, despite good performances to start the season, they have the chops to be better still. We don’t lay a bad game at the feet of our defense because, honestly, we’re not sure whether it can reasonably be expected to improve (without some personnel changes).
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Agree. And the only reason it didn't look worse vs. Ohio State is that the offense was able to sustain some clock chewing drives, esp in the first half.
 

laazrakit said:
In a nutshell, this is the heart of the Tanner "bashing." With great receiver-play, he can be successful. He does not have the ability to make mediocre or even poor receivers look good, however. When CAB and Wright get healthy, along with Jackson getting more confidence, I think the passing game will come along. If it doesn't, though... Sanford, who I think is not super-confident in Morgan, needs to have the stones to go to PJ with a change. If they want to be a running team, they need to get a running QB in there. They do have more mobile QB's available.
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Who is a good example of a college QB that made poor to mediocre wrs look good? Do you think we have the caliber of backup right now that is equal to whatever example you come up with?
 

The only problem with the offense is that it has to be so good to overcome the deficiencies of the defense. It's arguable that the gophers have the best offense in the West.
 

btowngopher said:
The only problem with the offense is that it has to be so good to overcome the deficiencies of the defense. It's arguable that the gophers have the best offense in the West.
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Well, I will say one thing about the defense. I think it's better now than it was after the first two games last season. By the time we played the last two games (against Nebraska and Wisconsin), that defense actually was pretty fair. If that defense improved, I still believe this one can.
 

cjbfbp said:
Well, I will say one thing about the defense. I think it's better now than it was after the first two games last season. By the time we played the last two games (against Nebraska and Wisconsin), that defense actually was pretty fair. If that defense improved, I still believe this one can.
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I hope you are right. A lot can go well for the Gophers if in 2021 our defense can come just reasonably ably close to ranking where our offense does relative to other teams.
 

goldengophers said:
The OC is the issue.
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After two games, per Connelly SP+, the Gophers’ offense ranks no. 23 in the nation (without CAB and missing Mo for game two!); and the Gophers’ defense ranks no. 83 in the nation with no injuries to top personnel. I do think that our OC could push us even higher than 23 (in fact, I think he will), but you are ignoring the painfully obvious if you believe that our conservative OC rather than our challenged defense is the problem so far.

If our defense shapes up, we will win a lot of games. A lot. Might even have a chance against Wisconsin and Iowa. If, however, our defense stays at the lower end of all college teams, our offense will have to be one of the very best in the nation for us to win a lot of games. It’s that simple.
 

btowngopher said:
The only problem with the offense is that it has to be so good to overcome the deficiencies of the defense. It's arguable that the gophers have the best offense in the West.
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Agree. I also believe that our offense can get even better this year. But it wouldn’t have to if our defense could put a couple of good, effective complete games together.
 

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