Is 6-4 good? In 2025, success needs more context than just win total; "There’s a lot of really good football teams in the country that are 6-4"

[BleedGopher]

Per Greder:

“There’s a lot of really good football teams in the country that are 6-4, including us,” Fleck said Monday. “It’s really, really hard to win in 2025. … With 18 teams and 16 teams (in the SEC), we’re all beating up on each other, the records might not look like the records of the old.

Gophers football: Is 6-4 good? In 2025, success needs more context than just win total

With two games remaining, Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) sits in a five-way tie for sixth place in the 18-team conference.

www.twincities.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[gopherbadgerman]

There are a lot of good 6-4 football teams in college football, he is right.

 

[IrishGoph55]

finish 8-4 I'd consider this season a success

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

This team could easily be a 3 win team.

They're doing well for what could have been a "rebuilding" year.

 

[Nax5]

Context? We got completely demolished in most our losses. And some of the wins have been...scary. I'm not sure I'd say we are a really good team.

 

[STPGopher]

finish 8-4 I'd consider this season a success

I think most of us forget that before the season started many of us were like the ceiling is most likely 8-4. Now that we have a fair chance of getting there, many of us are disappointed. Funny how expectations change as the season progresses.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I think most of us forget that before the season started many of us were like the ceiling is most likely 8-4. Now that we have a fair chance of getting there, many of us are disappointed. Funny how expectations change as the season progresses.

I think that happens a lot with the Gophers, and really a lot of college football fan bases.

Almost every team in college football (except a handful of the very best) is going to drop a game or two that they "should" have won. Yet when it happens fans just can't get over it and it colors a lot.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I think most of us forget that before the season started many of us were like the ceiling is most likely 8-4. Now that we have a fair chance of getting there, many of us are disappointed. Funny how expectations change as the season progresses.

It is an odd thing in sports where fans seem to work really hard to find reasons not to enjoy their team's season.

 

[STPGopher]

I think that happens a lot with the Gophers, and really a lot of college football fan bases.

Almost every team in college football (except a handful of the very best) is going to drop a game or two that they "should" have won. Yet when it happens fans just can't get over it and it colors a lot.

Well said.

 

[STPGopher]

It is an odd thing in sports where fans seem to work really hard to find reasons not to enjoy their team's season.

I often resemble that. Maybe it's just the Minnesota way?

 

[MaxyJR1]

I think most of us forget that before the season started many of us were like the ceiling is most likely 8-4. Now that we have a fair chance of getting there, many of us are disappointed. Funny how expectations change as the season progresses.

I think people are projecting 6-6 or 7-5. I think if we get to 8-4 people will be satisfied.

 

[The Deliberate Stranger]

I think people are projecting 6-6 or 7-5. I think if we get to 8-4 people will be satisfied.

I for one thought 8-4. Losses to OSU Iowa and Oregon and figured we would drop one more. Cal turned into one more, Iowa was truly disappointing in the way we lost it. Figured it be 7-10 point loss but not 40-3. 8-4 still in play, 6-3 in the big ten giving fleck a career conference winning record is still in play as well. This week will be a fight, the axe is always a fight regardless of record, it's in front of them to finish strong and have a good year with momentum going into the bowl and next year

 

[STPGopher]

I think people are projecting 6-6 or 7-5. I think if we get to 8-4 people will be satisfied.

Yes I get it, but sometimes it feels like it is a being described as a horrible season. We're fans, many of us buy tickets and even travel to cheer the team on. the comments are more of a reflection than anything. Have friends that are PSU fans. Comparatively our team did pretty well.

 

[MNVCGUY]

I think people are projecting 6-6 or 7-5. I think if we get to 8-4 people will be satisfied.

Satisfied......not so sure I would go quite that far.....some will never be satisfied here

 

[Random Guy 12]

Per Greder:

“There’s a lot of really good football teams in the country that are 6-4, including us,” Fleck said Monday. “It’s really, really hard to win in 2025. … With 18 teams and 16 teams (in the SEC), we’re all beating up on each other, the records might not look like the records of the old.

Gophers football: Is 6-4 good? In 2025, success needs more context than just win total

With two games remaining, Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) sits in a five-way tie for sixth place in the 18-team conference.

www.twincities.com

Go Gophers!!

context always matters. I think we're a good to decent team at 6-4 and hopefully 8-4 and will feel not bad about the season. The Iowa team at 6-4 is probably a great team for their record but will feel pretty disappointed at their outcome no matter what.

 

[Gopherchase]

Per Greder:

“There’s a lot of really good football teams in the country that are 6-4, including us,” Fleck said Monday. “It’s really, really hard to win in 2025. … With 18 teams and 16 teams (in the SEC), we’re all beating up on each other, the records might not look like the records of the old.

Gophers football: Is 6-4 good? In 2025, success needs more context than just win total

With two games remaining, Minnesota (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) sits in a five-way tie for sixth place in the 18-team conference.

www.twincities.com

Go Gophers!!

PJ puss. He’s put out maybe 85 minutes of watchable football so far this year.

 

[Gopherchase]

It is an odd thing in sports where fans seem to work really hard to find reasons not to enjoy their team's season.

I don’t think that’s true at all with the Gophers we know we are gonna lose our fair share the games just need to be watchable. That’s why I think people lose their shit… Me for sure.

 

[Big Dawg]

I think that happens a lot with the Gophers, and really a lot of college football fan bases.

Almost every team in college football (except a handful of the very best) is going to drop a game or two that they "should" have won. Yet when it happens fans just can't get over it and it colors a lot.

I agree with this statement. One add in is that in some seasons some teams do actually win all the games they are supposed to win. In what season (2019??) did the Gophers win all the games they were expected to win? I doubt we’ll ever go undefeated but I will like to go 9-3 in a season where we should go 9-3. Not the oh no we choked against Bowling Green or whatever. This season had 3 most likely losses on the schedule. OH st, OR and Iowa. We will be 6-6, 7-5 or 8-4 when the regular season is over. Below expectations for this Gopher fan.

 

[Gophergrandpa]

6-4 is a good record given the schedule we played. I myself am OK with the record to date and hope that we finish 8-4. My feelings go more to how we were absolutely pulverized, like a JV squad, by Ohio State, Oregon and Iowa, and how several toss-up games required a near miracle at the end to secure a win. We seem to be very lucky to have attained 6-4 snd are only a few plays away from 3-7. Iowa is also 6-4 but is only a few plays away from 9-1. Sometimes the same record can feel very different.

 

[MGGopher]

I think people are projecting 6-6 or 7-5. I think if we get to 8-4 people will be satisfied.

I don’t think that will be the case if MN barely eeks out wins these next two weeks. Say they play ugly, trail at half in both, get outgained by NW (I can’t imagine it against Wisc, sorry), win one in OT and another late like they did against Purdue. Maybe Wisconsin or NW shoot themselves in the foot, turn it over late, etc. I think you’d have a LOT of people here complaining it’s the worst 8-4 team in history, the record doesn’t tell the full story, they benefited from a soft schedule, etc.

 

[corcorangopher]

Finish 9-4 and that is pretty close to the MN ceiling of late. Give that a golf clap and maybe feel there is guarded excitement for 2026. Anything less is meh to meh minus and be real careful not to buy into the hype going into 2026 until a meaningful victory is won.

 

[Tech Machine]

The fact that 3 of the losses were close to (or were) historically bad in the last 10 years. To go along with the upset loss to Cal, and scrambling close victories kind of leave a bad taste overall, at least for me. Blocking and tackling is football and both have been deficient this season.