I'm curious what Ray Hitchcock means...

[Big Ten Mind]

A couple weeks ago in the postgame call-in show (believe after the Iowa game) Ray Hitchcock suggested Coach Kill and his staff will bring this program to "national prominence". I'm wondering what his definition of that is? In my mind it's winning the Legends and making a Cap One bowl or better (BCS bowl). Then follow it up with at least one more hi-end season within a couple years of that. However, given the make-up of the conference (OSU and MI re-emerging) and having to play MI, MSU, NE, WI, and IA every year, I don't see that happening in the next 3-4 years.

Kill is bringing in good athletes however the caliber and depth isn't close to OSU and Michigans. Bottom line: As bad as the B10 is this year, it still has quality programs that commit large resources to the goal of winning football. Hopefully there will be a year where the Gophs are really good and the powers are down (this year for example) and they jump up and snatch the Legends.

TWT (time will tell)

 

[50PoundHead]

The B1G has had a lot of teams make national noise over the years. Michigan and Ohio State have been the dominant teams over the past 30-40 years, but Wisconsin and Iowa have carved out a strong tradition over the past 20 years and Michigan State and Northwestern seem to nose into the big time once or twice a decade. Newcomers Penn State and Nebraska also have nationally-renowned programs. I think what Hitchcock is driving at is that he believes Kill will make the Gophers a New Year's Day bowl team.

 

[Go Gophers Rah]

Basically, every team except Minnesota and Indiana have accomplished what we need to. Under Joe Tiller, Purdue went to the Rose Bowl, Cap One Bowl and two Outback Bowls. In this decade, Illinois has gone to the Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl.

What we aspire to in the near term (a higher tier bowl than Mason ever got us to) should not be as impossible as it seems. Why is is so hard for us?!?!?!

 

[BleedGopher]

I think what Hitchcock is driving at is that he believes Kill will make the Gophers a New Year's Day bowl team.

The traditional New Year's Day bowl game has lost an incredible amount of cache in recent years and more so in the Big Ten with our new bowl affiliations. ESPN has us in a NY Day bowl game in the "Heart of Dallas Bowl" as of today:

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/61881/big-ten-bowl-projections-week-8-3

IMO, that it is not returning us to national prominence.

Go Gophers!!

 

[50PoundHead]

The traditional New Year's Day bowl game has lost an incredible amount of cache in recent years and more so in the Big Ten with our new bowl affiliations. ESPN has us in a NY Day bowl game in the "Heart of Dallas Bowl" as of today:

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/61881/big-ten-bowl-projections-week-8-3


Go Gophers!!

Let me clarify then. A "real" NYD (or day after NYD or two days after NYD) bowl game.