Minnesota football switches from title hopes to winning 'Gophers Football Playoff'

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Randy:

They've lost three consecutive games, dropped from first to fifth in the Big Ten's West Division standings and are returning home to play — no offense to the State University of New Jersey — a nondescript Rutgers team that doesn't exactly move the excitement meter to 11 when it comes to intraconference opponents.

So just what do the Gophers have to look forward to for the rest of the football season?

Competing, players say. Taking their 4-3 record and turning it into 9-3, which would include snatching the pig from Iowa and keeping Wisconsin's hands off the axe.

"Coach [P.J.] Fleck had a talk with the team,'' defensive end Thomas Rush said Tuesday, three days after the Gophers lost 45-17 at No. 16 Penn State. "We have five games left in the season. We kind of coined it GFP — Gopher Football Playoff.

"We're going to play these five games — starting with Rutgers and [it] being the most important one because it's next — just go one game at a time, continue our process. In the end, we'll look up and see where we're at.''

www.startribune.com

Minnesota football switches from title hopes to winning 'Gophers Football Playoff'

The team needs a new set of goals, and coach P.J. Fleck has helped the players recalibrate for the rest of the season.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
 

Fleck should’ve talked to his offensive coordinator and looked in the mirror instead.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Randy:

They've lost three consecutive games, dropped from first to fifth in the Big Ten's West Division standings and are returning home to play — no offense to the State University of New Jersey — a nondescript Rutgers team that doesn't exactly move the excitement meter to 11 when it comes to intraconference opponents.

So just what do the Gophers have to look forward to for the rest of the football season?

Competing, players say. Taking their 4-3 record and turning it into 9-3, which would include snatching the pig from Iowa and keeping Wisconsin's hands off the axe.

"Coach [P.J.] Fleck had a talk with the team,'' defensive end Thomas Rush said Tuesday, three days after the Gophers lost 45-17 at No. 16 Penn State. "We have five games left in the season. We kind of coined it GFP — Gopher Football Playoff.

"We're going to play these five games — starting with Rutgers and [it] being the most important one because it's next — just go one game at a time, continue our process. In the end, we'll look up and see where we're at.''

www.startribune.com

Minnesota football switches from title hopes to winning 'Gophers Football Playoff'

The team needs a new set of goals, and coach P.J. Fleck has helped the players recalibrate for the rest of the season.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
How does GFP differ from one week championship seasons?
 






Gopher_In_NYC said:
Probably the same thing; that doesn’t preclude it from being BS as well.
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I hope neither the coaches nor the players have a doom and gloom attitude at this point. There are still 5 games (at least) remaining.

I genuinely admire perseverance in the face of adversity. That may sound trite, but it definitely isn't B.S.

We fans can wallow in despair. I sure hope the team doesn't.
 

RememberMurray said:
What would you tell the team after a third consecutive loss? I'm assuming it wouldn't be B.S., of course.
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That this is Rutgers championship week. Isn't the whole premise of that phrase to focus one week at a time?
 



PMWinSTP said:
That this is Rutgers championship week. Isn't the whole premise of that phrase to focus one week at a time?
Click to expand...

I think so, yes. And I get the impression that's the approach they're taking. I think it is a good plan, under the circumstances.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better way to go.
 

RememberMurray said:
I think so, yes. And I get the impression that's the approach they're taking. I think it is a good plan, under the circumstances.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of a better way to go.
Click to expand...
So why change to another catch phrase that is sort of counter to that one game at a time philosophy? Not really getting it.
 

PMWinSTP said:
So why change to another catch phrase that is sort of counter to that one game at a time philosophy? Not really getting it.
Click to expand...

I don't see it as changing to another "catch phrase". Look at the last paragraph in the Rush quote: one game at a time, continue our process. I don't see it as a change of philosophy at all.

However, they had to address the reality of the three game losing streak in some way, and to speak to how it may impact the goals they had coming into the season. Winning the West is still possible, but they'll need a lot of chips to fall their way.

Considering the reality of the situation, you need to keep the kids focused and positive in the here and now. You have to acknowledge that things have not gone the way they'd hoped in the last three games, while reiterating the fact that there is still a lot that can be achieved this season.

Not a permanent change of philosophy, but a resetting of goals and expectations for this one season.
 

RememberMurray said:
I don't see it as changing to another "catch phrase". Look at the last paragraph in the Rush quote: one game at a time, continue our process. I don't see it as a change of philosophy at all.

However, they had to address the reality of the three game losing streak in some way, and to speak to how it may impact the goals they had coming into the season. Winning the West is still possible, but they'll need a lot of chips to fall their way.

Considering the reality of the situation, you need to keep the kids focused and positive in the here and now. You have to acknowledge that things have not gone the way they'd hoped in the last three games, while reiterating the fact that there is still a lot that can be achieved this season.

Not a permanent change of philosophy, but a resetting of goals and expectations for this one season.
Click to expand...
So it's now a one week playoff?
 



PMWinSTP said:
So it's now a one week playoff?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm just not following you.

Are you seeing this as some kind of repudiation of Fleck's long-standing, ongoing "Rutgers championship season" mantra?

I don't see it that way. But you be you.
 

RememberMurray said:
I hope neither the coaches nor the players have a doom and gloom attitude at this point. There are still 5 games (at least) remaining.

I genuinely admire perseverance in the face of adversity. That may sound trite, but it definitely isn't B.S.

We fans can wallow in despair. I sure hope the team doesn't.
Click to expand...

It was a joke bro
 

RememberMurray said:
Sorry, I'm just not following you.

Are you seeing this as some kind of repudiation of Fleck's long-standing, ongoing "Rutgers championship season" mantra?

I don't see it that way. But you be you.
Click to expand...
You be you, too. I just think coming up with another slogan doesn't move the needle. In this case, playoffs indicates more than one game...because there are five left. Not getting it.
 

PMWinSTP said:
You be you, too. I just think coming up with another slogan doesn't move the needle. In this case, playoffs indicates more than one game...because there are five left. Not getting it.
Click to expand...

I can see that.
 

we are 2-0 in gopher playoff season
 
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