Just watched the 2nd half

Some Day...Maybe

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Here’s the deal. First, way too much passing on 1st down after taking a 16-14 lead. Second, Taylor is obviously injured and was obviously way less quick and fast. No way he should have been out there. Major and Nubin would have been much better. Other backs probably would have too.

You have to have a plan to run the ball to some degree. You have to establish some physicality. You have to keep the defense honest. Fleck was a moron to play Taylor as much as he did. Think how easy it was for the Rutgers DC (Harasymiuk?) in the 4th quarter? Elementary easy. That whole defense was licking their chops because MN never seriously tried to establish any run game. That’s on the OC and the head coach. The head coach for playing a RB at about 75%.

Maybe Fleck has his team and OC ready and they beat Penn St. If they lose to PSU and WI, it’s just another underperforming season for a guy getting paid $6.5 millIon. Expectations for this guy were much higher.
 


Here’s the deal. First, way too much passing on 1st down after taking a 16-14 lead. Second, Taylor is obviously injured and was obviously way less quick and fast. No way he should have been out there. Major and Nubin would have been much better. Other backs probably would have too.

You have to have a plan to run the ball to some degree. You have to establish some physicality. You have to keep the defense honest. Fleck was a moron to play Taylor as much as he did. Think how easy it was for the Rutgers DC (Harasymiuk?) in the 4th quarter? Elementary easy. That whole defense was licking their chops because MN never seriously tried to establish any run game. That’s on the OC and the head coach. The head coach for playing a RB at about 75%.

Maybe Fleck has his team and OC ready and they beat Penn St. If they lose to PSU and WI, it’s just another underperforming season for a guy getting paid $6.5 millIon. Expectations for this guy were much higher.
He is making 9-12th place salary in an 18 team conference.
4-5 or 5-4 is what we should expect for the money


I expect more but not because of his salary
 

It’s mind boggling how inconsistent this team is. It’s imo coaching, but not the head coach necessary. Greg Harbaugh need to be shown the door for my part two minutes after the game.
 



Maybe Mo Ibrahim could have made something with that run blocking but I would tip the cap to Rutgers defense for playing very well against the pass and run, while also saying this was a poor performance by the Gophers Oline. The outside zone worked really well on that one TD, but I don't think it created any holes after that.
 

He is making 9-12th place salary in an 18 team conference.
4-5 or 5-4 is what we should expect for the money


I expect more but not because of his salary
You are correct regarding salary. I just see Fleck as regressing in his time here at MN. The next 2 games will show if that’s the case or not. They need to be able to run the ball if they are going to have success. By that I mean more than 12 times a game.
 

You are correct regarding salary. I just see Fleck as regressing in his time here at MN. The next 2 games will show if that’s the case or not. They need to be able to run the ball if they are going to have success. By that I mean more than 12 times a game.
If this team tries to pound it they won’t win. They haven’t been able to run all year.


College football is completely different than when he was hired. It remains to be seen if fleck is a good hire in the NIL+free agency era
 





I just can’t be happy because some publication or website said we should win 4 games. It is just so stupid.
It wasn’t just one publication. All over Vegas and multiple preseason predictions were at 4.5 or 5. Not saying to be happy about it because expectations can change during a season, but relative to talent level the gophers are not underperforming in my opinion.
 

It wasn’t just one publication. All over Vegas and multiple preseason predictions were at 4.5 or 5. Not saying to be happy about it because expectations can change during a season, but relative to talent level the gophers are not underperforming in my opinion.
So what does that say about PJ then if we win more than five games were over performing in year eight or nine?
 

I just can’t be happy because some publication or website said we should win 4 games. It is just so stupid.
Me either.

So many of us still believe the Sid Hartman/Charlie Walters rules of journalism that it amazes me. These rules include Set Up The Loss, Lowered Expectations, A Ray of Hope, The Key Person Was Interested In Minnesota But Went Elsewhere, They're One Of Us, and It's A Moral Victory, among others.
 



The Gophers are better off paying the players $6M and paying a good FCS coach $500K to coach the team. That's not a slam on PJ because I would say the same thing about almost all the other P5 head coaches at this point in time.
 

It wasn’t just one publication. All over Vegas and multiple preseason predictions were at 4.5 or 5. Not saying to be happy about it because expectations can change during a season, but relative to talent level the gophers are not underperforming in my opinion.
Oops, I did not mean to like your comment, valid as it may be. I’m kinda getting to where after 8 years the expectation or floor better be 7-5 or so, otherwise, I mean, what’s the point, finish 12th or better and that’s ok?
 

It wasn’t just one publication. All over Vegas and multiple preseason predictions were at 4.5 or 5. Not saying to be happy about it because expectations can change during a season, but relative to talent level the gophers are not underperforming in my opinion.
And who is responsible for these expectations and talent level?
 


You are correct regarding salary. I just see Fleck as regressing in his time here at MN. The next 2 games will show if that’s the case or not. They need to be able to run the ball if they are going to have success. By that I mean more than 12 times a game.
He only had one really good year
 


I just can’t be happy because some publication or website said we should win 4 games. It is just so stupid.
Ok, but "underperforming" has to be in relation to something, so if not the preseason win/loss projection, then what would you suggest?
 

It’s mind boggling how inconsistent this team is. It’s imo coaching, but not the head coach necessary. Greg Harbaugh need to be shown the door for my part two minutes after the game.
First line would fit for 50%+ of P4 teams.
 

It wasn’t just one publication. All over Vegas and multiple preseason predictions were at 4.5 or 5. Not saying to be happy about it because expectations can change during a season, but relative to talent level the gophers are not underperforming in my opinion.
Yeah, when I made my bet the number was 5.5.

I think people got carried away by the win streak and thoughts of what could have been if we made the FG against North Carolina. Wasn't there a thread on here about if a 9-3 Gopher team could make the playoff?

Losing Saturday to a team on a 4 game losing streak showed that we weren't as far along as hoped/envisioned. Now we can look back and realize USC isn't the 11th best team in the country and if we played UCLA now they might beat us (they just beat Nebby and Iowa).
 

Oops, I did not mean to like your comment, valid as it may be. I’m kinda getting to where after 8 years the expectation or floor better be 7-5 or so, otherwise, I mean, what’s the point, finish 12th or better and that’s ok?
I don't think it's "ok" as much as "it's gonna happen". With this new landscape the margin for error is slim because the talent levels are much more closer. Take away the Jah Joyner facemask and have Brosmer throw to someone else on that fumble and we probably win that game 16-14 and talking about how tough and resilient we are.

Will Indiana keep this up or will they get some duds in the portal next year? Can Purdue do a quick Indiana-like turnaround? Etc. Don't bother looking at trajectory anymore.
 

The Gophers are better off paying the players $6M and paying a good FCS coach $500K to coach the team. That's not a slam on PJ because I would say the same thing about almost all the other P5 head coaches at this point in time.
This would be a really good strategy unless it works. Because if it worked then someone would pay him more to steal him.
Do you then up the contract to keep him or do you go get another 500k coach?
 

Yeah, when I made my bet the number was 5.5.

I think people got carried away by the win streak and thoughts of what could have been if we made the FG against North Carolina. Wasn't there a thread on here about if a 9-3 Gopher team could make the playoff?

Losing Saturday to a team on a 4 game losing streak showed that we weren't as far along as hoped/envisioned. Now we can look back and realize USC isn't the 11th best team in the country and if we played UCLA now they might beat us (they just beat Nebby and Iowa).
A 9-3 gopher team could have had an outside shot at the playoff. Thats just true. But it doesn’t really matter. And it was completely contingent on there not being many teams with just 2 losses in the power 4. Currently there are 19 2 loss teams in the power 4 for seemingly 11 spots (assuming the non power 4 only get 1). That number will go down to 17 next week even if there are 0 upsets.
If TN beats Georgia it’s 16
If South Carolina beats Missouri (they’re 13.5 point favorites) it’s 15.

There just are going to be too few 2 loss teams to say for certain any 3 loss team from the big ten or SEC is out.



The gophers have played 2 dogs this year.
2-0

The gophers have played non of the top 4 of the big ten
0-0

The gophers have not played the worst team in the big ten
0-0

The gophers have played 8 games against middle of the road teams from power 4 conferences…what I have been calling 50/50 games since September…and are…wait for it….
4-4 in those games





The gophers will likely lose to Penn state.
And then play a 50/50 game against Wisconsin. I hope they win.



At some point we need to have a season where we go 7-1 instead of 4-4 in 50/50 games.
 
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A 9-3 gopher team could have had an outside shot at the playoff. Thats just true. But it doesn’t really matter. And it was completely contingent on there not being many teams with just 2 losses in the power 4. Currently there are 19 2 loss teams in the power 4 for seemingly 11 spots (assuming the non power 4 only get 1). That number will go down to 17 next week even if there are 0 upsets.
If TN beats Georgia it’s 16
If South Carolina beats Missouri (they’re 13.5 point favorites) it’s 15.

There just are going to be too few 2 loss teams to say for certain any 3 loss team from the big ten or SEC is out.



The gophers have played 2 dogs this year.
2-0

The gophers have played non of the top 4 of the big ten
0-0

The gophers have not played the worst team in the big ten
0-0

The gophers have played 8 games against middle of the road teams from power 4 conferences…what I have been calling 50/50 games since September…and are…wait for it….
4-4 in those games





The gophers will likely lose to Penn state.
And then play a 50/50 game against Wisconsin. I hope they win.



At some point we need to have a season where we go 7-1 instead of 4-4 in 50/50 games.
Good post, it probably took some time to write all that up. Unless you knew all that off the top of your head, in which case I'd be rather impressed .
 

Good post, it probably took some time to write all that up. Unless you knew all that off the top of your head, in which case I'd be rather impressed .
Had to Quick Look up how many 2 loss teams are left. But I remember our schedule
 

Well, we have a full handful of other backs so that was stupid but not unprecedented.
Yes, Mangham has looked very good each time he's played. 6th year Sr so I can't understand why he is not seeing the field more.
 

I don’t think being in the mix for the CFP or getting into the top 25 and staying for a while is too much to ask in year 8 with a staff that took over a team with a 9-4 record. I do not think a new coach is necessarily the answer either, but fans should be able to question the middle of the road every year being acceptable. Should be able to pull off an occasional Ole Miss, Missouri, Indiana, BYU type season. In my opinion, of course.
 




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