BleedGopher
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per Phil:
A 9-win season likely wouldn’t be enough for the Gophers to win the Big Ten West. Ultimately, that’s the next step for this program. But consistent winning seasons and New Year’s Day bowl trips are hallmarks of a good operation. This schedule is taxing, starting with the opener against No. 4 Ohio State and closing with No. 18 Iowa, No. 17 Indiana and No. 12 Wisconsin. In between, though, there’s a chance to build momentum. We saw 2 years ago what that can look like in Dinkytown.
2. The Axe comes back to the Twin Cities.
We’re still not saying a best-case scenario includes a division title. An 0-3 showing in the final three games is very possible (more on that later). Best-case, Minnesota goes 1-2 through that gauntlet. And if you gave Gophers fans a choice of who they’d like the “one” to be against, they’ll answer before you’re done asking the question. Wisconsin will have one of the best defenses in the country this year, but this game has been quite a thriller under Fleck. The Saturday after Thanksgiving should be another fun one.
3. Mohamed Ibrahim wins the Doak Walker Award.
Hopefully the SEC faithful don’t get ahold of this potential result. Actually, it’d be good if they did. Ibrahim is the real deal, and a 12-game season behind a large, deep, talented offensive line has him primed to not only repeat as the Big Ten’s top running back but garner serious consideration as the nation’s best back. No player from Minnesota has ever won the award.
Minnesota’s defense ranked near the bottom of the conference in most major statistical categories last season. It’s comprised primarily of players who put up those numbers, with the exception of some key transfers on the defensive line. The largest question surrounding this team is simple: did they get better? If the answer’s no, we could be in for another long fall in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
2. Backups at the skill positions don’t pan out, the defense doesn’t improve, and the Gophers go 4-8.
Ibrahim will need help. So will Autman-Bell. And if Minnesota can’t stop anyone, watch out. In this scenario, the only wins come against MAC opponents Miami and Bowling Green, beleaguered Purdue, and Illinois, which has a first-year head coach. Hot seat? Hardly. Minnesota has been afforded some clunkers in the past. But this would be a significant step backward for a team that’s won 6 or more games every full season since 2012 save for one.
3. Special teams once again proves costly.
How’s this for a rip-your-heart-out scene: The Gophers take an 8-game win streak into their final 3 games of the season. They’re nationally ranked and riding high with an 8-1 record. Then a Hawkeyes kickoff return for a touchdown turns the tide in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale, and Iowa ends up winning comfortably. A field-position battle in cold conditions goes Indiana’s way after Minnesota can’t net a punt over 35 yards. Finally, the lack of an effective field goal kicker rears its ugly head again on the final play of a 2-point loss to archrival Wisconsin. The Gophers need drastic special teams improvement, otherwise at least part of this nightmare could well come to pass.
saturdaytradition.com
Go Gophers!!
Best-case scenarios
1. Minnesota wins all its “toss-up” games, upsets Indiana and gets a return trip to the Outback Bowl.A 9-win season likely wouldn’t be enough for the Gophers to win the Big Ten West. Ultimately, that’s the next step for this program. But consistent winning seasons and New Year’s Day bowl trips are hallmarks of a good operation. This schedule is taxing, starting with the opener against No. 4 Ohio State and closing with No. 18 Iowa, No. 17 Indiana and No. 12 Wisconsin. In between, though, there’s a chance to build momentum. We saw 2 years ago what that can look like in Dinkytown.
2. The Axe comes back to the Twin Cities.
We’re still not saying a best-case scenario includes a division title. An 0-3 showing in the final three games is very possible (more on that later). Best-case, Minnesota goes 1-2 through that gauntlet. And if you gave Gophers fans a choice of who they’d like the “one” to be against, they’ll answer before you’re done asking the question. Wisconsin will have one of the best defenses in the country this year, but this game has been quite a thriller under Fleck. The Saturday after Thanksgiving should be another fun one.
3. Mohamed Ibrahim wins the Doak Walker Award.
Hopefully the SEC faithful don’t get ahold of this potential result. Actually, it’d be good if they did. Ibrahim is the real deal, and a 12-game season behind a large, deep, talented offensive line has him primed to not only repeat as the Big Ten’s top running back but garner serious consideration as the nation’s best back. No player from Minnesota has ever won the award.
Worst-case scenarios
1. They are who we thought they were.Minnesota’s defense ranked near the bottom of the conference in most major statistical categories last season. It’s comprised primarily of players who put up those numbers, with the exception of some key transfers on the defensive line. The largest question surrounding this team is simple: did they get better? If the answer’s no, we could be in for another long fall in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
2. Backups at the skill positions don’t pan out, the defense doesn’t improve, and the Gophers go 4-8.
Ibrahim will need help. So will Autman-Bell. And if Minnesota can’t stop anyone, watch out. In this scenario, the only wins come against MAC opponents Miami and Bowling Green, beleaguered Purdue, and Illinois, which has a first-year head coach. Hot seat? Hardly. Minnesota has been afforded some clunkers in the past. But this would be a significant step backward for a team that’s won 6 or more games every full season since 2012 save for one.
3. Special teams once again proves costly.
How’s this for a rip-your-heart-out scene: The Gophers take an 8-game win streak into their final 3 games of the season. They’re nationally ranked and riding high with an 8-1 record. Then a Hawkeyes kickoff return for a touchdown turns the tide in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale, and Iowa ends up winning comfortably. A field-position battle in cold conditions goes Indiana’s way after Minnesota can’t net a punt over 35 yards. Finally, the lack of an effective field goal kicker rears its ugly head again on the final play of a 2-point loss to archrival Wisconsin. The Gophers need drastic special teams improvement, otherwise at least part of this nightmare could well come to pass.
Minnesota Gophers football: Best-case, worst-case scenarios for 2021
Five years into coach P.J. Fleck's tenure with a load of "super seniors" and returning experience, Minnesota still faces a season that could go well or really badly.
saturdaytradition.com
Go Gophers!!