Matt Rhule: "Once Minnesota assert their physicality , I don't think we were ready for a fist fight. And that's sad to say"

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I like Matt, he’s pretty straightforward.

The knock on Nebraska ever since the end of the Bo era was that if you punch them in the nose they fold. PJ and other coaches have even said it publicly… still true.

Matt… can only do so much IMO. Player has to have a backbone or not in the face of a challenge…
 


MaxyJR1 said:
He also went on to say that they were pissed to have 6 at the half and he was sick of that "entitlement" in their program. Says they are better when they play with a chip on their shoulder and that no one is laying down for them.
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I’ve thought for a long time, but whoever is gonna be successful and Nebraska needs to in someway discard the whole “Nebraska mythology” and build the team up like they’re nobodies …
 





Mr. 131 said:
Nebraska football reminds me of Gopher hockey tbh.
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Last 4 years NCAA tournament, lost in championship 2023. (And anything can happen in a one-and-done tournament.) Have won the conference 7 times in it's short existence.

Nebraska has made 1 bowl game in 9 years.

How are they even remotely comparable???
 


A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I’ve thought for a long time, but whoever is gonna be successful and Nebraska needs to in someway discard the whole “Nebraska mythology” and build the team up like they’re nobodies …
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Their koolaid is Big Red Brand from the 1980s.

Even sugar and artificial dyes and food coloring can go stale...
 



This guy says effectively the same thing. He also gives PJ a plug at the end for consideration for other jobs.

 

Word said:
Last 4 years NCAA tournament, lost in championship 2023. (And anything can happen in a one-and-done tournament.) Have won the conference 7 times in it's short existence.

Nebraska has made 1 bowl game in 9 years.

How are they even remotely comparable???
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Sure, I’m happy to expand on that. This is based on watching the team steadily since 1999.

Entitlement from the fans and the players. Prob the biggest straight comparable.

Lack of physicality and folds when punched in the nose.

Lack of Titles. This feels like a team the rest of the landscape caught up to a long time ago. I can only take this so far because the structure or the respective post seasons are so different. In college hockey, there is only one - and if you aren’t the one you’re the many. There is no Jan 1 bowl for being third or second (or 16th) best. So while the tourney is thrilling, it still is not much consolation to any team that falls short.

A storied, glorious program that just isn’t the same and might not be again.

Not hating for sake of it - I was at the title game a few years ago.
 


I don't think he ever said the obvious and that was Minnesota was the better team. No credit rather than blame. They got their butts kicked in the second half. I sensed that Rhule has not established the culture that PJ and Kirk have established.
 

This is Rhule criticizing his team for more than one reason. The first reason is to hopefully motivate the players to play harder. The second reason, and probably the actual/real reason, is that he's still interviewing publicly for the Penn State job. Shift some of the blame on performance to his team by saying he warned them ahead of time.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
I hope we saved a decent piece of that personality for the Iowa game, The Gophs will need it.
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Football best played like your hair is on fire and a lot of the times we are missing that. Yes, I hope we can bottle the attitude from Friday night and carry that into the future.
 

Word said:
Last 4 years NCAA tournament, lost in championship 2023. (And anything can happen in a one-and-done tournament.) Have won the conference 7 times in it's short existence.

Nebraska has made 1 bowl game in 9 years.

How are they even remotely comparable???
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I don't think it's directly comparable....but Minnesota used to be a powerhouse. And there are fewer competitive D1 hockey programs than football programs. Anyways....somehow win another title and all those doubts go out the window.
 

Mr. 131 said:
Sure, I’m happy to expand on that. This is based on watching the team steadily since 1999.

Entitlement from the fans and the players. Prob the biggest straight comparable.

Lack of physicality and folds when punched in the nose.

Lack of Titles. This feels like a team the rest of the landscape caught up to a long time ago. I can only take this so far because the structure or the respective post seasons are so different. In college hockey, there is only one - and if you aren’t the one you’re the many. There is no Jan 1 bowl for being third or second (or 16th) best. So while the tourney is thrilling, it still is not much consolation to any team that falls short.

A storied, glorious program that just isn’t the same and might not be again.

Not hating for sake of it - I was at the title game a few years ago.
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About the only thing I'll agree with you on is lack of physicality but that's what happens when you have a bunch of 18-20 year old draft picks playing against 25 year olds in the playoffs when whistles are few and far between. The college hockey scene is so different from 1999 (or 1979) that it's hard to compare or have the same expectations. Nodak, BU, BC, and Michigan have had down years too.
 

stocker08 said:
I don't think it's directly comparable....but Minnesota used to be a powerhouse. And there are fewer competitive D1 hockey programs than football programs. Anyways....somehow win another title and all those doubts go out the window.
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In a one and done tournament format I think it's hard to judge a team by championships. So many weird things can happen (see referee controversy from last year's NCAA tourney). Judging by wins, conference championships, tournament berths is more fair in my mind. Gophers have been a perennial top 10 team under Motzko, often top 5. There are about double the number of football teams compared to hockey so for us to be comparable to Nebraska it would mean Nebbie has been perennially top 10 or 20. They haven't even been top 80 until last year.

A better college hockey comparison would be a school like Lake Superior St or Michigan Tech...or dare I say Wisconsin.

I'll exit this conversation and venture back over to GPL.
 
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Word said:
In a one and done tournament format I think it's hard to judge a team by championships. So many weird things can happen (see referee controversy from last year's NCAA tourney). Judging by wins, conference championships, tournament berths is more fair in my mind. Gophers have been a perennial top 10 team under Motzko, often top 5. There are about double the number of football teams compared to hockey so for us to be comparable to Nebraska it would mean Nebbie has been perennially top 10 or 20. They haven't even been top 80 until last year.

A better college hockey comparison would be a school like Lake Superior St or Michigan Tech...or dare I say Wisconsin.

I'll exit this conversation and venture back over to GPL.
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A blue blood with a long title drought. I think that's fair. Nebraska is no longer a blue blood. But who knows. Enough money can make any program good.
 

Word said:
In a one and done tournament format I think it's hard to judge a team by championships. So many weird things can happen (see referee controversy from last year's NCAA tourney). Judging by wins, conference championships, tournament berths is more fair in my mind. Gophers have been a perennial top 10 team under Motzko, often top 5. There are about double the number of football teams compared to hockey so for us to be comparable to Nebraska it would mean Nebbie has been perennially top 10 or 20. They haven't even been top 80 until last year.

A better college hockey comparison would be a school like Lake Superior St or Michigan Tech...or dare I say Wisconsin.

I'll exit this conversation and venture back over to GPL.
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stocker08 said:
I don't think it's directly comparable....but Minnesota used to be a powerhouse. And there are fewer competitive D1 hockey programs than football programs. Anyways....somehow win another title and all those doubts go out the window.
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21 years without a National Title is pretty sad for U of M hockey. Wisconsin has won one in that time, North Dakota has won one, UMD has won 3, Denver has won 5! That’s over two decades. Minnesota hasn’t even really come close in those 2 decades but for one season.
 

Some Day...Maybe said:
21 years without a National Title is pretty sad for U of M hockey. Wisconsin has won one in that time, North Dakota has won one, UMD has won 3, Denver has won 5! That’s over two decades. Minnesota hasn’t even really come close in those 2 decades but for one season.
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2014 they were in the final as well, they did get blown out (7-4 I think) but they did make another final to go along with the one Bob fumbled recently.
 
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Minnesota hockey is like Duke basketball. 5 titles each and a bunch of runner up’s. Antyhing can happen in a one done. 5 and 8 and Dever is like 10-2 it happens but to suggest they aren’t a power because of one post season game is a joke. Every team in the nation wants to beat these teams in their respective sport more than any other.

Nebraska just plain stinks since the turn of the century other than the Suh year. They are not relevant at all.
 

Word said:
About the only thing I'll agree with you on is lack of physicality but that's what happens when you have a bunch of 18-20 year old draft picks playing against 25 year olds in the playoffs when whistles are few and far between. The college hockey scene is so different from 1999 (or 1979) that it's hard to compare or have the same expectations. Nodak, BU, BC, and Michigan have had down years too.
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Yep - they go after a lot of blue chip 18 year olds, and that doesn’t work for the most part come tourney time when you have teams stacked with MEN from juniors.
 

Word said:
In a one and done tournament format I think it's hard to judge a team by championships. So many weird things can happen (see referee controversy from last year's NCAA tourney). Judging by wins, conference championships, tournament berths is more fair in my mind. Gophers have been a perennial top 10 team under Motzko, often top 5. There are about double the number of football teams compared to hockey so for us to be comparable to Nebraska it would mean Nebbie has been perennially top 10 or 20. They haven't even been top 80 until last year.

A better college hockey comparison would be a school like Lake Superior St or Michigan Tech...or dare I say Wisconsin.

I'll exit this conversation and venture back over to GPL.
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It’s ok to disagree and still be friends.
But it isn’t hard to judge a team by lack of titles in a one and done. We have had superior talent in many situations over the years. That 2005 or maybe 06 team with Kessel and Okposo, godamn that squad was stacked. The 23 team was loaded. The Gophers flat out underperform on relation to the number of appearances they’ve made.
 


Some Day...Maybe said:
21 years without a National Title is pretty sad for U of M hockey. Wisconsin has won one in that time, North Dakota has won one, UMD has won 3, Denver has won 5! That’s over two decades. Minnesota hasn’t even really come close in those 2 decades but for one season.
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The real comparison to Nebraska football in the college hockey world is Wisconsin. Badgers haven't been to a Frozen Four in 15 seasons. Haven't won a national title in 19 years. One conference title in the past 20 seasons. Two NCAA appearances in past 11 seasons. They have gone through a few coaches.

Maybe Hastings gets them going, but Wisconsin hockey hasn't done much for awhile now, much like Nebraska football.
 

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