Hypothetical - question on successful season

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restovich

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IF......

1) we beat Iowa (yea!)

2) then lose to Wiscy and then lose whatever Bowl game we are in, to finish 8-5.

Is that representing a successful season?

I would vote yes. Because of 1)
 




I think it is pretty clear we lost a lot more on the offensive side of the ball last year than we thought earlier in the season, then CRAB got hurt.

I go to games for entertainment. I don't really understand what underpins people's idea of "should" or anything like that. As best can tell folks feel we "should" always get better, but that sort of clashes with ... any experience I've ever had with sports ever ...

It has been an entertianning season for me so that's great. Beat Iowa, I'll say very entertainning.
 


Seeing how weak wi and iowa were this year, we had it all in front of us for the taking. Watching the Illini rise and being unprepared (IMO) for Purdue has put a damper on the season for me. I need wins against iowa and wisconsin. It is nice to expect at least 8 wins now.
 


A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I think it is pretty clear we lost a lot more on the offensive side of the ball last year than we thought earlier in the season, then CRAB got hurt.

I go to games for entertainment. I don't really understand what underpins people's idea of "should" or anything like that. As best can tell folks feel we "should" always get better, but that sort of clashes with ... any experience I've ever had with sports ever ...

It has been an entertianning season for me so that's great. Beat Iowa, I'll say very entertainning.
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I like your take but be honest, not beating both rivals this year would be huge failure.
 

gopherjay said:
I like your take but be honest, not beating both rivals this year would be huge failure.
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I have no idea what people's measuring sticks to come up with these kinds of statements...

I think Michigan hasn't beaten both their main rivals in the same year in somewhere around 20 years.
 



A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I have no idea what people's measuring sticks to come up with these kinds of statements...

I think Michigan hasn't beaten both their main rivals in the same year in somewhere around 20 years.
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If you can't beat them when they are down, when can you? My measuring stick is to beat your rivals and the rest will come.
 

I don't think it's a Yes or No question.

8-5 is a winning season. for some, that would be "successful."

But, under this scenario, Gophers would have lost 2 of the 3 Trophy games. (Yes, the Victory Bell sucks, but it's still an "official" trophy, while the Chair is unofficial.)

and the Gophers would have seen schools like Illinois and Purdue move in front of them in the Divisional pecking order.

I guess my ultimate response would be - a broken leg is better than a broken neck, but it's still not a cause for celebration.
 

gopherjay said:
If you can't beat them when they are down, when can you? My measuring stick is to beat your rivals and the rest will come.
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When can we?

The other times we've beaten Wisconsin?

Iowa's offense is down but their Defense is crazy good, already won them games this year.

And down is relative to your own team too.
 

Season has been a mild bummer so far. But not over yet!

Clear that the portal has made pre-season predictions harder than before.
 



restovich said:
IF......

1) we beat Iowa (yea!)

2) then lose to Wiscy and then lose whatever Bowl game we are in, to finish 8-5.

Is that representing a successful season?

I would vote yes. Because of 1)
Click to expand...
No. Minimum in my eyes is 9 wins with a bowl win to be successful vs expectations.
 

restovich said:
IF......

1) we beat Iowa (yea!)

2) then lose to Wiscy and then lose whatever Bowl game we are in, to finish 8-5.

Is that representing a successful season?

I would vote yes. Because of 1)
Click to expand...
That is a tough one. Would probably hinge on how we lost to Wisconsin and who we played in the bowl game.

8-5 would be a bummer from the standpoint that the West was there for the taking. But it wouldn't be a total disaster either.
 


Some interesting perspectives. Anything short of the west was going to be a let down. A winning record and taking our rivalry games would still be a successful season but a letdown without the west. I certainly don't have a perspective that we will be perennially in the mix - but this year had the makings to be something special based on the scheduling and the returning experience at some key places.

But don't let any of that mean I haven't had fun - I've enjoyed every game. Purdue was the only game that really sucked.
I legit had my most fun at the NW game...that was a legendary game for me - perfect tailgate, saw old friends, found my way into the cambria section for second half, and a dynamite bowl of pho after the game.
 

I would say its a disappointment.

With all the returning seniors its safe to say PJ and the teams intentions were to purely win the west, and into the first four games it looked like it could be a lock. CrAB going down, although unpreventable, was a disappointment.

If this was a normal B1G west season I'd say a 8-5 record beating Iowa and Mich State would be a solid place to be at. But with how the season started, dropping to Purdue and Illinois was beyond disappointing.

But its also important to look at how 8-5 with a win to Iowa would be looked down upon now. I think its a good place to be at where winning the west this late into the season is still a topic to discuss.
 

Back into the West title - successful. Otherwise, not successful. Gophers should aim to win the division each year. That is success. Short of that is maybe entertaining, but did not make the goal.
 

8-5 would be disappointing, but not cataclysmic. Would be nice to get the Floyd monkey off our back.
 

I am happy that with PJ (andKill/Claeys) we have reached the stage at which 8 wins is disappointing. That is progress. If I recall, we haven’t beaten WI and IA in the same season anytime in the 21st Century. So, beating them both would be a VERY successful season from my standpoint. If we beat only one, it has to be IA this year. Got to end a bad string. And I’d be fine with that season, but look back wistfully at a missed chance against Purdue.
 
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BilldGopher said:
Disappointing but successful, yes.
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Yeah I said at the beginning anything less than west is disappointing but anything 8 or more (regular season) is a success.

8 or more has us with a winning big ten season in 3 of 4 seasons
Last happened 65-69

8 or more has us winning big ten seasons 3 non Covid seasons in a row.
Last happened 60-62
 

restovich said:
IF......

1) we beat Iowa (yea!)

2) then lose to Wiscy and then lose whatever Bowl game we are in, to finish 8-5.

Is that representing a successful season?

I would vote yes. Because of 1)
Click to expand...
Can't be mad at eight wins, but I think for this group, that was expected to win the West it would be a disappointment. Next year when we have an away game at UNC and crossover games with both Michigan and Ohio State eight wins would be a good year. We haven't beat both Iowa and Wisconsin since the days of Darrell Thompson, might as well do it with the guy whose going to break all of his records.
 

I would be disappointed with 8-5. Heck, Fleck apologized for only winning 9 games last year. My expectations are higher with this team.
 

Some guy said:
Yeah I said at the beginning anything less than west is disappointing but anything 8 or more (regular season) is a success.

8 or more has us with a winning big ten season in 3 of 4 seasons
Last happened 65-69

8 or more has us winning big ten seasons 3 non Covid seasons in a row.
Last happened 60-62
Click to expand...
Agree. Eight wins in the regular season should be the floor expectation in most years, and depending on who those wins/losses are against determines whether I have some disappointment.
 




restovich said:
IF......

1) we beat Iowa (yea!)

2) then lose to Wiscy and then lose whatever Bowl game we are in, to finish 8-5.

Is that representing a successful season?

I would vote yes. Because of 1)
Click to expand...
I take a wider view of the season. I don't really have any additional enthusiasm for so-called rivalry games. Whoever lines up facing my team at the kickoff is my rival. I'd like the Gophers to beat Iowa and Wisconsin just like I'd like them to beat Rutgers and Northwestern. I enjoy good execution on the field. As to rating a successful season, the Gophers have already done that this year. More wins are a bonus to me.
 

I'd be disappointed by an 8-5 record but I'd be pretty happy with consecutive 9-4 seasons. I'd be thrilled with 10-3. Record matters more to me than winning the western division and a bowl victory means a lot because that's the final memory of the season.
 

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