Letdown game?

[RodentRampage]

CFN has their list of potential letdown games. http://cfn.scout.com/2/890190.html

They list South Dakota State as a potential letdown game, coming between Illinois and Iowa. I don't think so, for a couple reasons. I think this team will be well aware of having lost to a I-AA team 2 years ago, and isn't going to assume the game to be a cakewalk. We will be a better team than we were in 2007, and SDSU likely won't be as good as NDSU was in 2007, but even with that, I think we are going to be very hungry for the win in this game.

But also I think Syracuse has more potential to trap us. The team is going to have to put the home opener out of their minds in the days before the game to make sure they are fully focused on beating Syracuse. If you want to talk about games where there is a danger to be looking ahead, this has to rank pretty high on that list.

I didn't add OSU and Penn State to the poll because I only could add 10 options.

 

[Curseislifted33]

Air force scares me. They are underrated, but WE WILL WIN.

 

[Go Gophers Rah]

To me a trap game insinuates a game that we ought to win, but may not because we have overlooked the opponent or haven't yet moved on from the victory or defeat from the previous week's game or are looking ahead to the subsequent opponent. With that in mind, I don't think most of these games would even qualify as potential "trap" games (especially Cal and Iowa).

I voted for Purdue, assuming that we will be 4-1 (with an oh-so-close loss to Cal), just outside the top-25 and looking ahead to the road trip to Penn State and Ohio State.

 

[Schnoodler]

Most projections are counting on this game to go bowling. I think the south dakota game will bring in a lot of meaning, the only worry I have about this game is playing too tight trying not to lose than playing to crush.

 

[Gopher07]

Syracuse. For sure. With such a huge day coming up the next week, and so much said about how bad Syracuse has been the past few years, it is a trap game extraordinaire. Especially given our last two season openers were less than stellar.

 

[RodentRampage]

I'm surprised how many people think the Air Force game will be a letdown game, this will probably be the game everyone is focused on. We even have a countdown clock for this game.

 

[grunkiejr]

Purdue is the classic trap game in that it falls between a rivalry game with Wisconsin and precedes a big road game against a likely top 10 team in Penn State.

I could see the logic in picking Syracuse too simply because there has been so much focus on Sept. 12 for so long. However, for the team the focus should be on the first opponent the entire camp.

IMO Air Force isn't a "trap" game by definition but it has the potential to be one of those games where there are so many other things going on with the celebration of the new stadium that it is hard for the players to focus on the task at hand.

 

[Gopherprof]

Half those games we probably won't even be the favorite to win.

 

[wait!what?]

When IL will play against the gophs, IL will be trying to win their first Big Ten game in 2009. they might make it tough for us.

 

[dpodoll68]

When IL will play against the gophs, IL will be trying to win their first Big Ten game in 2009. they might make it tough for us.

Wrong.

Illinois plays Indiana, Purdue, and Michigan in the three games previous to ours. They may win all three.

If they don't win at least one of those three games, I will pay you a gajillion bajillion dollars.

 

[go 31]

Has to be Syracuse. Everybody's talking about the home opener and this will seem like an exhibition game...but it's not. Look for us to be behind at halftime and go ahead in the last 2 minutes.

 

[DiehardGopher]

Boosh! I am the one and only vote for Cal. We are a trap game for them, they will not get out of Minnesota with anything but a Loss. Mark it down.

 

[GoldenGo4Fan]

Purdue is the classic trap game in that it falls between a rivalry game with Wisconsin and precedes a big road game against a likely top 10 team in Penn State.

I could see the logic in picking Syracuse too simply because there has been so much focus on Sept. 12 for so long. However, for the team the focus should be on the first opponent the entire camp.

IMO Air Force isn't a "trap" game by definition but it has the potential to be one of those games where there are so many other things going on with the celebration of the new stadium that it is hard for the players to focus on the task at hand.

This is how I see it as well.

 

[The Big L]

@ 'Cuse definitely has trap game potential, but it being the first game of the season I think we will be ready to play. I'm worried about Purdue, especially if we beat Becky the week before. Also, it's the homecoming game, and those haven't fared well in the Brewster era (Illinois in 07, NW last year).