Is this already a succesful season?

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Too early for me. From this point on, I'm looking for 8-4 as success. 7-5 is just OK to me, anything worse would be disappointing, IMHO.
 

No it is not. We have far too much left on the schedule to call this season a success at this stage. Getting Floyd will be a major hurdle, but it matters a lot less if you crap the bed against foes not named Ohio State on the back half.

That said, regardless of where we end up in the standings, there will be individual successes and failures.

We are still positioned to do something meaningful in November, but I'll be honest - AK and the offense just hasn't shown me enough to make me think we can consistently win games we should win. If we take another step forward in the next two weeks, I'll slowly have some faith in the offense.
 

MNfootballfan said:
The win over Iowa was a positive, and I know the ultimate goal is to win the game, but I don't feel great about it. I am not even talking about the return. Just feels like we beat a really bad team that we probably should have crushed. I know they have a good defense but that may be the worst offense I have ever seen in D1 college football.

Through 10/23, I would say this season has been a major buzz kill with one bright spot. Everything our offense does looks really hard. Our defense is playing great some games and average at best in others. Special Teams is still a non-factor, outside of our kicker.
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I am glad we won, but that victory didn't feel like something I can be proud of to the same degree I was with the Axe the last few years. Regardless of whether the officials got the call right (they did), the hoopla on the kick return does taint what was already a grimy victory in a way that takes just a little sheen off of it for me. Namely because Iowa fans aren't going to give us our due. Beat them again next year boys!

Whole heartedly agree that everything our offense does looks so friggen hard.
 

Is 4-3 after these 7 games not exactly where a majority of the fan base expected to be? 1-2 against top 25. 1 bad loss.

Right on the path to another 8-4 season
 

Need 3-4 more wins to meet my expectations. I thought we were better, but I still think we are good enough.
 



Some guy said:
It is pretty crazy in a season coming off losing a 5 year starter at QB and one of the all time leading rushers plus a lot of the front end of the defense that if the gophers beat Michigan state on Saturday they will enter November controlling their own destiny for a big ten title when at least a strong contingent wanted the coach fired a couple weeks ago.


And they currently control their own destiny for the conference
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I'm not sure it was/is a strong contingent calling for Fleck to be fired. It was/is a weak whiny contingent but strong isn't a word I would associate with them :)

It is frustrating to see the team take a little bit of a step back this year but there has been a lot of massive over reactions on this board as well. Unfortunately the football board has become a lot like the basketball board and that is really disappointing.
 

Mr. 131 said:
I am glad we won, but that victory didn't feel like something I can be proud of to the same degree I was with the Axe the last few years. Regardless of whether the officials got the call right (they did), the hoopla on the kick return does taint what was already a grimy victory in a way that takes just a little sheen off of it for me. Namely because Iowa fans aren't going to give us our due. Beat them again next year boys!

Whole heartedly agree that everything our offense does looks so friggen hard.
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You aren't the first person I have seen say something like this and I gotta say I just don't get it. Are style points really that important to some of you that you can't truly enjoy a win if it isn't convincing enough?

Team went down to Iowa and came back with Floyd.....how it happened really doesn't matter, what matters is they got it done.....I don't give a crap if we had to slog it out in an ugly game for the win, we got the Win. After years of frustration, including a couple of times where we lost games we could have/should have won, beating Iowa feels amazing, style points be damned.
 

MNfootballfan said:
The win over Iowa was a positive, and I know the ultimate goal is to win the game, but I don't feel great about it. I am not even talking about the return. Just feels like we beat a really bad team that we probably should have crushed. I know they have a good defense but that may be the worst offense I have ever seen in D1 college football.

Through 10/23, I would say this season has been a major buzz kill with one bright spot. Everything our offense does looks really hard. Our defense is playing great some games and average at best in others. Special Teams is still a non-factor, outside of our kicker.
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NO is the answer

We just beat an Iowa team while getting 3 tunovers to none and we held them to 8 yards in the second half.

How in the hell are we hanging by a thread to beat them in the last minute? It's because this team is a disappointment.
 



can't give a final grade until the season is over.

Gophs are 4-3/2-2. so they could finish anywhere from 9-3/7-2 to 4-8/2-7.

if we agree that OSU is most likely going to be a loss, then the season comes down to the other remaining 4 games. all 4 of those games are potentially winnable - but if I'm being honest, the Gophers could potentially lose any of those games.

It all comes down to the offense and special teams. if they play well, or at least better than average, the Gophers can finish 8-4/6-3. If the offense and special teams don't play well..........you know what that means.

I just don't think you can count on the defense to bail out the Gophers every game - or count on the other team's offense to stink up the joint. the offense needs to produce touchdowns. the special teams cannot poop the bed. that will decide whether the season is successful.
 

kg21 said:
NO is the answer

We just beat an Iowa team while getting 3 tunovers to none and we held them to 8 yards in the second half.

How in the hell are we hanging by a thread to beat them in the last minute? It's because this team is a disappointment.
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lol.....essentially the same Iowa team we beat took out Wisconsin in Camp Randall the week before by holding them to 6 points.....I swear it is like some of you have never seen Iowa play....the game we played against Iowa is what they do to teams.....week after week after week. Unlike most teams however we were able to get it done in the end.
 


MNVCGUY said:
lol.....essentially the same Iowa team we beat took out Wisconsin in Camp Randall the week before by holding them to 6 points.....I swear it is like some of you have never seen Iowa play....the game we played against Iowa is what they do to teams.....week after week after week. Unlike most teams however we were able to get it done in the end.
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This wisconsin team is bad. I can't believe the luck they had to beat Illinois.
 



MNVCGUY said:
lol.....essentially the same Iowa team we beat took out Wisconsin in Camp Randall the week before by holding them to 6 points.....I swear it is like some of you have never seen Iowa play....the game we played against Iowa is what they do to teams.....week after week after week. Unlike most teams however we were able to get it done in the end.
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A guy waved his hands too much, or this board is nuclear. Think about that.
 

8-4 regular season will be a success. I will always think it should have been 9-3, but having only 1 loss that didn't come to ranked opponents, 2 of which are in CFP contention and the other being a favorite to win the ACC, is successful.

If we drop any more down the stretch in addition to OSU, it starts to change. If we end 6-6 or lower, the season is a definite disappointment.
 

Mr. 131 said:
I am glad we won, but that victory didn't feel like something I can be proud of to the same degree I was with the Axe the last few years. Regardless of whether the officials got the call right (they did), the hoopla on the kick return does taint what was already a grimy victory in a way that takes just a little sheen off of it for me. Namely because Iowa fans aren't going to give us our due. Beat them again next year boys!

Whole heartedly agree that everything our offense does looks so friggen hard.
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I think Iowa's style of play kind of messes with people's perceptions.

The 2023 Iowa football team is considerably better than the 2022 Wisconsin Badgers football team. I don't understand how this win is any less satisfying than beating the Badgers last year.
 

Win the West!!… if they don’t that means there were was a bad loss mixed in there like the other years they had a chance to win it..
 

RogueGopher said:
Is 4-3 after these 7 games not exactly where a majority of the fan base expected to be? 1-2 against top 25. 1 bad loss.

Right on the path to another 8-4 season
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I thought northwestern might go 0-12 this year so that game was supremely disappointing.

This team should be 5-2 right now both preseason and knowing what we know now
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I think Iowa's style of play kind of messes with people's perceptions.

The 2023 Iowa football team is considerably better than the 2022 Wisconsin Badgers football team. I don't understand how this win is any less satisfying than beating the Badgers last year.
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Don’t disagree but I would like to see where this Iowa team ends up.
 

Taji34 said:
8-4 regular season will be a success. I will always think it should have been 9-3, but having only 1 loss that didn't come to ranked opponents, 2 of which are in CFP contention and the other being a favorite to win the ACC, is successful.

If we drop any more down the stretch in addition to OSU, it starts to change. If we end 6-6 or lower, the season is a definite disappointment.
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If this team goes 8-4 it’s a heck of a coaching job.
So many issues.
 

kg21 said:
A guy waved his hands too much, or this board is nuclear. Think about that.
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Assuming in this non-waiving hand timeline they still house the punt return, the board would be nuclear because we had a chance to beat a good Iowa team in Iowa City and we messed it up. We would have went nuclear because we were so close to something that mattered (beating Iowa) and came up short.

There is also a timeline where Chase Wolf hits an open Dike on 2nd down and we lose in Camp Randall last year. The board would have also went nuclear.
 

kg21 said:
This wisconsin team is bad. I can't believe the luck they had to beat Illinois.
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The entire division is mediocre....that is not the point. The point is that Iowa makes you play a certain way....they do it over and over against pretty much everyone. Those expecting style points in an Iowa game have not been watching Iowa.
 


I'd say my answer to the question is no, but no matter what happens the rest of the season I will walk away with an awesome memory. In the end, I follow sports for entertainment, with the hope of the occasional special moment. We received one of those special moments this weekend, and I'm going to savor it.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Assuming in this non-waiving hand timeline they still house the punt return, the board would be nuclear because we had a chance to beat a good Iowa team in Iowa City and we messed it up. We would have went nuclear because we were so close to something that mattered (beating Iowa) and came up short.

There is also a timeline where Chase Wolf hits an open Dike on 2nd down and we lose in Camp Randall last year. The board would have also went nuclear.
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It never ceases to amaze me how hard some people work to find things to be unhappy about.
 

since we're getting into "what-ifs" here.......

If Kaliakmanis completed more than 40% of his passing attempts, the game would not have come down to a negated punt return.

in his last two games, AK's passing line is 15 of 40 (37.5%) for 178 yds with 1 TD and 2 INT. for the season - completing 53.4% with 6 TD and 6 INT.

by comparison, Deacon Hill in his last two games: 16 of 42 (38.1% for 153 yds with 0 TD and 1 INT.

Yes, AK is relatively young and inexperienced.

But, IF the Gophers want to end with a successful season, they need better play out of the QB position. and right now, it looks like AK is the only option, so it's on him - and the coaches - to find a way to get more production in the passing game.
 

It's unfortunate that beating Iowa would somehow qualify the season as a success in anyone's mind. I'm reminded of 2010. Brewster is fired midyear and there were a lot more "L's" than "W's." Beating Iowa and bringing home Floyd home was a great feel good moment in a long ugly season, but no one would call 2010 a success in any way, shape or form.
 

There is a path to success. Win out except for OSU, which will pulverize us. That would mean we complete the regular season with the Axe and the Pig, and also win the West title (perhaps by virtue of tie breakers). We might then get a second chance at the Jug. I’d call that a success. A little ugly, like the Iowa win. But a success.
 

Saying we control our own destiny when we have OSU on the schedule is not a genuine statement.
 

No. Calling a theoretical 4-8 season successful would be giving way too much weight to Iowa. I’m glad Floyd is home.

But the Gophers have played Purdue, Illinois, and Wisconsin a lot too and those games matter. I personally know a lot more people who went to MSU than Iowa for bragging rights.

Gophers should be well past winning a single game and thinking that’s enough.
 

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