Keep in mind, the Gophers went 9-4 as recently a 2022. They were 5-2 at home, 3-2 on the road and 1-0 in neutral site games (bowl win vs. Syracuse).

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SeaBee_Gopher

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Remember how different the posts were back then? How different our hopes and expectations were? It seems like a million years ago!

Most of us were surprised by our bad 2023 and 2024 looks like it will be worse. I thought this would be a bounce back year! Not likely. I'm 51 and a life long Minnesota sports fan. Two bad years is not that long or unusual for me. We're stuck with PJ for a few more years because of the size of the buyout. Obviously, he's trying his best to turn things around. A lot of changes going on this year with the Gophers - new defensive philosophy, pass first offence, etc. - and in this sport! It's impossible to predict how this will all turn out. I, for one, plan to be here for the chaos. What about you?
 


I have it all in mind and if you could not see this coming, wave something if front of you to clear the smoke.
 




GopherGuy82 said:
The Gophers also lost two, if not three, games they had no business losing in 2022. Nine wins is nice but years like those are when you should be winning ten or eleven and playing in a New Year's Six bowl.
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No they didn’t. You do have to actually to be somewhat good to cash in on a weak schedule.
 
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Gopherchase said:
Easy ass schedules both 9 win seasons.
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2022 was a 1 good-win season, the great victory at Madison. Otherwise, the victories were over 3 incredibly weak non-conference opponents, and 5 other teams that couldn't crack the top 50, 2 of which couldn't crack the top 100. Altogether, there were 5 wins against teams not in the top 100. That's how you win 9 games, win a bowl game and still can't crack the top 25.

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SeaBee_Gopher said:
Remember how different the posts were back then? How different our hopes and expectations were? It seems like a million years ago!

Most of us were surprised by our bad 2023 and 2024 looks like it will be worse. I thought this would be a bounce back year! Not likely. I'm 51 and a life long Minnesota sports fan. Two bad years is not that long or unusual for me. We're stuck with PJ for a few more years because of the size of the buyout. Obviously, he's trying his best to turn things around. A lot of changes going on this year with the Gophers - new defensive philosophy, pass first offence, etc. - and in this sport! It's impossible to predict how this will all turn out. I, for one, plan to be here for the chaos. What about you?
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Who was our OC in 2022? Oh.
 

btowngopher said:
No they didn’t. You do have to actually to be somewhat good to cash in on a weak schedule.
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Valid comment. I don't know what I would have called that Purdue game. I think PJ thought it would be an easy win while sitting Mo. They had Iowa beat then they decided to run Mo into the ground something crazy like fourteen straight carries before the goal line fumble. I'm not saying that was a great team. The premise of the original post was look how good they were just two years ago. They were an ok team. Historically nine wins should be great for the Gophers. I see a wasted opportunity. It was the third time in four years where they gave away the West title. 2022 reminds me of the 2016 Claeys team. Left a bad taste in my mouth. At some point you have to beat an 8, 9, 10 win team, God forbid two, if they are ever going to have more than a 6-8 win ceiling (9 with a cakewalk schedule).
 




I am like a lot of Gopher fans. I will stick it out. I have for 56 years of my 64 year old life.

That being said. I am very, very tired of P.J.'s act. There is nothing elite about sticking to the same old shtick and expecting things to magically change. If this presnt trend continues, he will be gone in a year or two, one way or the other.
 

SeaBee_Gopher said:
Most of us were surprised by our bad 2023 and 2024 looks like it will be worse.
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I'm not quite ready to claim that this season will be worse than last season. Iowa-Michigan-USC is a much tougher start to the Big Ten season than anything we've faced in a long time. For the time being, I still think we could be at least bowl eligible by the end of the season.
 

GopherGuy82 said:
Valid comment. I don't know what I would have called that Purdue game. I think PJ thought it would be an easy win while sitting Mo. They had Iowa beat then they decided to run Mo into the ground something crazy like fourteen straight carries before the goal line fumble. I'm not saying that was a great team. The premise of the original post was look how good they were just two years ago. They were an ok team. Historically nine wins should be great for the Gophers. I see a wasted opportunity. It was the third time in four years where they gave away the West title. 2022 reminds me of the 2016 Claeys team. Left a bad taste in my mouth. At some point you have to beat an 8, 9, 10 win team, God forbid two, if they are ever going to have more than a 6-8 win ceiling (9 with a cakewalk schedule).
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It definitely was a missed opportunity, but only because we had a pretty good team. During my lifetime we haven’t had a coach put us in position to where we can even consistently talk about missed opportunities at anything significant until Fleck. Sure maybe once or twice with Mason, once or twice with Kill/Claeys. Hopefully Fleck can turn things back around to the point where we at least have the opportunity again to miss or make.
 



In fairness twice (99', 03') Mason was a blown game away from winning the conference and going to the Rose Bowl. I'd say that is better than potentially winning the West but I agree there has been a little more consistency under Fleck. At the end of the day if you want to be taken seriously nationally you have to win one of those blown games and then continue to do so on a somewhat regular cadence. Being a Gophers fan all my life I want to see that happen at least once and it never has.
 

stocker08 said:
The combined record of the P5 teams we *beat* in 2022 were 29-57. We're never going to have a schedule that easy again.
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I think you're right, but things could go better in other ways:

1) We figure out a way to use some of the TV money to pay players so we get a sort of salary cap floor in the B1G.
2) Our coaches get better at their job - head coach, DC, OC.
3) Our players get used to our completely different defense and slightly different offense.
4) Our recruiting at quarterback and receiver improves because PJ proves he is actually willing to throw the ball if he has a competent quarterbacks and receivers.

And so on. A lot of people on here seem to think they have crystal balls. I do not and I don't believe they do either so I can still be a fan and have hope for the future. We've had success in our recent past and I believe we can again.

You don't see the season I referenced as successful and have valid reasons why. I obviously just have a lower bar for them to clear than you do. I think it's very hard for the Gophers to have even moderately successful season and so cherish when they do. I hope some of the barriers to success come down in the future, but there is certainly no guarantee that happens. I'll just have to wait and see.
 

GopherGuy82 said:
The Gophers also lost two, if not three, games they had no business losing in 2022. Nine wins is nice but years like those are when you should be winning ten or eleven and playing in a New Year's Six bowl.
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The homecoming loss to Purdue that year is what did it for me. That was an absolute dud of a performance against a completely beatable team.
 

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