My take on the Gopher football team today

[Gold Rush]

It's been a tough year and I think we are all a little discouraged. It has not gone the way any of us wanted and many are saying we need to fire Coach Fleck or the coordinators or even the special teams coach. I agree both the defense and offense has had their share of problems and when you look at the upcoming schedules, things look bleak for the program.

My take is we need to stay the course and let things play out. The defense right now looks as inept as they did before Rossi took over but remember when he did, they immediately improved dramatically. Back then, he simplified the defense with less reads and that seemed to work. Possibly there are just a few changes to get things better again and remember, they looked very good vs. Iowa and Michigan St. just a few weeks ago. I don't think you need to start over but we need to regroup.

On offense, remember we are at our 4th and 5th RB's for the year and that has been tough to overcome as the previous 3 all looked pretty good. Our QB play has been erratic but I think he has showed some improvement that he can build on. Fleck has repeatedly said they are a young team and will need time to develop and I agree with him. Also, Fleck has won some big games in the past and does not deserve to get fired for 3 bad games this year. You have to give him time to right the ship - this isn't Tim Brewster where the entire program is in complete disarray and the sooner you pull the plug the better.

With the ever changing landscape of NCAA Football, I would wait for things to settle down a bit. I don't think a change right now is a good idea given a new, much tougher Big Ten, the NIL money etc. because we aren't quite sure where this is going in the next couple years. Jumping the gun on a new hire might turn up exactly the wrong guy like the Tim Brewster hire was.

So, given all this we need to ride it out and hopefully PJ Fleck can get this all figured out. I have complained as much as anyone over this season but we need to pull together and get behind Fleck more than ever because the chips are down and our backs are up against the wall. I know we may come up short this week (maybe even FAR short) vs. Ohio State but if sports have taught us anything, you never EVER give up and you fight harder than ever when things get down.
And right now -- it's time to fight back!!

 

[Big Dawg]

My take is "stop being so invested". Charlie Brown, how many times does Lucy have to pull the ball away before you realize you will never get to kick the ball? MN sports (the big 6) suck. Relish 87 and 91 (Twins). Yes, I remember the North Stars getting crushed by Pittsburg in the early 90's before they moved to Dallas. I mean, really? We are the "state of hockey" yet we can't win/get to the Stanley cup. Can't even win the college championship. I was in Tampa in March. Saw the melt down firsthand. There is nothing that can be done about my Gopher/MN fandom. But I refuse to stay invested. I will follow from a distance. A person can handle only so much disappointment. IF magically one of our teams (Vikes, Twins, Wolves, Wild, Goph football/basketball) somehow manage to do something, I'll start paying a bit more attention. In the meantime, apathy has overcome my hopes for sports success in MN. Keep Fleck, fire Fleck, I don't care. Bowling Green, Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue----- we suck! Next year? Yup, we'll find a way to again lose to 2-3 teams we are forecasted to beat.

 

[Dano564]

It's been a tough year and I think we are all a little discouraged. It has not gone the way any of us wanted and many are saying we need to fire Coach Fleck or the coordinators or even the special teams coach. I agree both the defense and offense has had their share of problems and when you look at the upcoming schedules, things look bleak for the program.

My take is we need to stay the course and let things play out. The defense right now looks as inept as they did before Rossi took over but remember when he did, they immediately improved dramatically. Back then, he simplified the defense with less reads and that seemed to work. Possibly there are just a few changes to get things better again and remember, they looked very good vs. Iowa and Michigan St. just a few weeks ago. I don't think you need to start over but we need to regroup.

On offense, remember we are at our 4th and 5th RB's for the year and that has been tough to overcome as the previous 3 all looked pretty good. Our QB play has been erratic but I think he has showed some improvement that he can build on. Fleck has repeatedly said they are a young team and will need time to develop and I agree with him. Also, Fleck has won some big games in the past and does not deserve to get fired for 3 bad games this year. You have to give him time to right the ship - this isn't Tim Brewster where the entire program is in complete disarray and the sooner you pull the plug the better.

With the ever changing landscape of NCAA Football, I would wait for things to settle down a bit. I don't think a change right now is a good idea given a new, much tougher Big Ten, the NIL money etc. because we aren't quite sure where this is going in the next couple years. Jumping the gun on a new hire might turn up exactly the wrong guy like the Tim Brewster hire was.

So, given all this we need to ride it out and hopefully PJ Fleck can get this all figured out. I have complained as much as anyone over this season but we need to pull together and get behind Fleck more than ever because the chips are down and our backs are up against the wall. I know we may come up short this week (maybe even FAR short) vs. Ohio State but if sports have taught us anything, you never EVER give up and you fight harder than ever when things get down.
And right now -- it's time to fight back!!

Your post is largely reasonable and wise considering these times.

We have been a top 10 program the last 3 combined full seasons in achieving wins over Power 5 teams. Fleck has won here more than anyone in 60 years.

The climate of college football is on a hectic race to change for change's sake. This is evidenced by PJ almost being the coach in the Big Ten with the most seniority.

I have no doubt PJ knows the strength and weakness of Minnesota football more than anyone.

PJ is quick to utilize any advantage he can and is early on trends to improve like he was with the transfer portal.

PJ's not perfect, but Coyle will demand a plan for success and I'm sure PJ has one despite the setbacks.

This forum is mostly toxic. Just browse the topics and it's a bunch of people trying to out due themselves to find a way to point out a particular loss may be. It resembles more of a Badger fan forum regarding the Gophers than it is a Gopher forum.

If we are going to fire coaches every time we have a 5-7 season, we are going to be spending a lot of money on coaches who no longer work here.

People who are complaining about PJ are doing so from an individual contributor mindset. They aren't addressing issues in the manner in which a CEO or President or Athletic Director would. If they were viewing it from that lens, they would realize how immature their perspective is on PJ.

 

[Gold Rush]

Your post is largely reasonable and wise considering these times.

We have been a top 10 program the last 3 combined full seasons in achieving wins over Power 5 teams. Fleck has won here more than anyone in 60 years.

The climate of college football is on a hectic race to change for change's sake. This is evidenced by PJ almost being the coach in the Big Ten with the most seniority.

I have no doubt PJ knows the strength and weakness of Minnesota football more than anyone.

PJ is quick to utilize any advantage he can and is early on trends to improve like he was with the transfer portal.

PJ's not perfect, but Coyle will demand a plan for success and I'm sure PJ has one despite the setbacks.

This forum is mostly toxic. Just browse the topics and it's a bunch of people trying to out due themselves to find a way to point out a particular loss may be. It resembles more of a Badger fan forum regarding the Gophers than it is a Gopher forum.

If we are going to fire coaches every time we have a 5-7 season, we are going to be spending a lot of money on coaches who no longer work here.

People who are complaining about PJ are doing so from an individual contributor mindset. They aren't addressing issues in the manner in which a CEO or President or Athletic Director would. If they were viewing it from that lens, they would realize how immature their perspective is on PJ.

Good post!! I think the fans all want to win big games and championships and they all want what is best for Gopher football. They are angry and frustrated but this is because they care about the team. A greater enemy would be apathy - when people do not care about what happens that is when you see the wheels come off the cart.

We have been gut punched and the big question is how do you respond?? Do you cower in the corner, do you quit or do you battle back harder than ever before? We shall see!

 

[BilldGopher]

Gopher football, and college football generally, is my hobby so I'm stuck on the investment front.

Since the Brewster years mark my own personal low point for the program, nowhere near that so my glass is half full.

All disappointing seasons for Minnesota at this time of the year boil down to "Did we get The Pig?" and "Did we get The Axe?" Proverbial questions to be sure.

We have one answer and await the next. Just like in 2018, getting the "yes" for The Axe also gets us to a bowl although I understand there will again be some 5-win teams going bowling.

I'm not so much a purist to look down my nose on that opportunity this year. Since we're supposedly young again, any bowl is just good for player development in the most needed sense.

First things first though. Come out of Columbus intact and hopefully a little healed to take on Bucky.

 

[walrus]

It's been a tough year and I think we are all a little discouraged. It has not gone the way any of us wanted and many are saying we need to fire Coach Fleck or the coordinators or even the special teams coach. I agree both the defense and offense has had their share of problems and when you look at the upcoming schedules, things look bleak for the program.

My take is we need to stay the course and let things play out. The defense right now looks as inept as they did before Rossi took over but remember when he did, they immediately improved dramatically. Back then, he simplified the defense with less reads and that seemed to work. Possibly there are just a few changes to get things better again and remember, they looked very good vs. Iowa and Michigan St. just a few weeks ago. I don't think you need to start over but we need to regroup.

On offense, remember we are at our 4th and 5th RB's for the year and that has been tough to overcome as the previous 3 all looked pretty good. Our QB play has been erratic but I think he has showed some improvement that he can build on. Fleck has repeatedly said they are a young team and will need time to develop and I agree with him. Also, Fleck has won some big games in the past and does not deserve to get fired for 3 bad games this year. You have to give him time to right the ship - this isn't Tim Brewster where the entire program is in complete disarray and the sooner you pull the plug the better.

With the ever changing landscape of NCAA Football, I would wait for things to settle down a bit. I don't think a change right now is a good idea given a new, much tougher Big Ten, the NIL money etc. because we aren't quite sure where this is going in the next couple years. Jumping the gun on a new hire might turn up exactly the wrong guy like the Tim Brewster hire was.

So, given all this we need to ride it out and hopefully PJ Fleck can get this all figured out. I have complained as much as anyone over this season but we need to pull together and get behind Fleck more than ever because the chips are down and our backs are up against the wall. I know we may come up short this week (maybe even FAR short) vs. Ohio State but if sports have taught us anything, you never EVER give up and you fight harder than ever when things get down.
And right now -- it's time to fight back!!

It's been a tough year and I think we are all a little discouraged. It has not gone the way any of us wanted and many are saying we need to fire Coach Fleck or the coordinators or even the special teams coach. I agree both the defense and offense has had their share of problems and when you look at the upcoming schedules, things look bleak for the program.

My take is we need to stay the course and let things play out. The defense right now looks as inept as they did before Rossi took over but remember when he did, they immediately improved dramatically. Back then, he simplified the defense with less reads and that seemed to work. Possibly there are just a few changes to get things better again and remember, they looked very good vs. Iowa and Michigan St. just a few weeks ago. I don't think you need to start over but we need to regroup.

On offense, remember we are at our 4th and 5th RB's for the year and that has been tough to overcome as the previous 3 all looked pretty good. Our QB play has been erratic but I think he has showed some improvement that he can build on. Fleck has repeatedly said they are a young team and will need time to develop and I agree with him. Also, Fleck has won some big games in the past and does not deserve to get fired for 3 bad games this year. You have to give him time to right the ship - this isn't Tim Brewster where the entire program is in complete disarray and the sooner you pull the plug the better.

With the ever changing landscape of NCAA Football, I would wait for things to settle down a bit. I don't think a change right now is a good idea given a new, much tougher Big Ten, the NIL money etc. because we aren't quite sure where this is going in the next couple years. Jumping the gun on a new hire might turn up exactly the wrong guy like the Tim Brewster hire was.

So, given all this we need to ride it out and hopefully PJ Fleck can get this all figured out. I have complained as much as anyone over this season but we need to pull together and get behind Fleck more than ever because the chips are down and our backs are up against the wall. I know we may come up short this week (maybe even FAR short) vs. Ohio State but if sports have taught us anything, you never EVER give up and you fight harder than ever when things get down.
And right now -- it's time to fight back!!

Well said. It is highly unlikely the Gopher football program is going to succeed in "firing the program's way to prosperity..." at this moment in time. Noise, distractions, wars, rumors of wars and a 'sighting of end times for this B1G football coach and his program are highly over-rated by some. "...keep some powder dry..." when it comes to haphazardly firing a football coach who has done some good things for this football program. The natural order of things is to wait until some on this board are so afraid the coach will jump ship and abandon the U of M. Then, offer him a bit of incentive to stay. At that point in time, it will make more sense to explore options. Why? If the coach fires us, there is much more incentive to not OVERPAY for the next coach the way MSU, Texas A&M, et.al have.

The world is not ending.

 

[MaxyJR1]

My take is "stop being so invested". Charlie Brown, how many times does Lucy have to pull the ball away before you realize you will never get to kick the ball? MN sports (the big 6) suck. Relish 87 and 91 (Twins). Yes, I remember the North Stars getting crushed by Pittsburg in the early 90's before they moved to Dallas. I mean, really? We are the "state of hockey" yet we can't win/get to the Stanley cup. Can't even win the college championship. I was in Tampa in March. Saw the melt down firsthand. There is nothing that can be done about my Gopher/MN fandom. But I refuse to stay invested. I will follow from a distance. A person can handle only so much disappointment. IF magically one of our teams (Vikes, Twins, Wolves, Wild, Goph football/basketball) somehow manage to do something, I'll start paying a bit more attention. In the meantime, apathy has overcome my hopes for sports success in MN. Keep Fleck, fire Fleck, I don't care. Bowling Green, Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue----- we suck! Next year? Yup, we'll find a way to again lose to 2-3 teams we are forecasted to beat.

My friend's dad always said by mid- 40's we wouldn't care as much about all the teams in town. He was right, but I can't let the Gophers go. They are my University and Team.

 

[Gold Rush]

I remember more than a few Gopher fans saying win me the Pig and Axe and we will be happy with any coach.

True!!!! Well -- here is their test!!!

 

[Dano564]

My take is "stop being so invested". Charlie Brown, how many times does Lucy have to pull the ball away before you realize you will never get to kick the ball? MN sports (the big 6) suck. Relish 87 and 91 (Twins). Yes, I remember the North Stars getting crushed by Pittsburg in the early 90's before they moved to Dallas. I mean, really? We are the "state of hockey" yet we can't win/get to the Stanley cup. Can't even win the college championship. I was in Tampa in March. Saw the melt down firsthand. There is nothing that can be done about my Gopher/MN fandom. But I refuse to stay invested. I will follow from a distance. A person can handle only so much disappointment. IF magically one of our teams (Vikes, Twins, Wolves, Wild, Goph football/basketball) somehow manage to do something, I'll start paying a bit more attention. In the meantime, apathy has overcome my hopes for sports success in MN. Keep Fleck, fire Fleck, I don't care. Bowling Green, Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue----- we suck! Next year? Yup, we'll find a way to again lose to 2-3 teams we are forecasted to beat.

Not having your emotions tied to things you can not control is a sign of maturity or growth. You can still enjoy the sport, but understanding the unlikely hood of a Minnesota football team having multiple consecutive winnings seasons is unlikely because the vary laws of the came and the fabric of college sports very largely go against the probability that Minnesota can succeed at a high level in this environment.

Those are the facts. There are things you can do to help, but not in a way that's largely influential. If you want to throw a few dollars to help with NIL, and you get 30k people to do it, it would help. If you get 100k people to do it, suddenly it's an advantage over half the Big Ten.

But if every time someone complained on this forum, they instead gave $10 to NIL, Minnesota football would be in a pretty good spot.

 

[Dano564]

Good post!! I think the fans all want to win big games and championships and they all want what is best for Gopher football. They are angry and frustrated but this is because they care about the team. A greater enemy would be apathy - when people do not care about what happens that is when you see the wheels come off the cart.

We have been gut punched and the big question is how do you respond?? Do you cower in the corner, do you quit or do you battle back harder than ever before? We shall see!

What's ironic about this all is we as fans have zero impact on the Twins / Vikings etc. Whether we sell out Twins games or not, we know the Twins aren't going to spend more than X% on payroll.

Introduce the opportunity where Minnesota fans CAN have influence on an organization through NIL, and we suffer to move the needle.

For as beaten down and angry as Minnesota fans have been, we prefer to use a victim mindset more than mobilize around something we are passionate about.

So maybe deep down, we are just seeking sympathy more than a winner.

 

[Dano564]

I remember more than a few Gopher fans saying win me the Pig and Axe and we will be happy with any coach.

It's not logical. People who are angry will be angry no matter what.

PJ isn't Margaret Thatcher, but the same rules apply.

"If my critics saw me walking over the Thames they would say it was because I couldn't swim."

 

[Gopher 461]

It's been a tough year and I think we are all a little discouraged. It has not gone the way any of us wanted and many are saying we need to fire Coach Fleck or the coordinators or even the special teams coach. I agree both the defense and offense has had their share of problems and when you look at the upcoming schedules, things look bleak for the program.

My take is we need to stay the course and let things play out. The defense right now looks as inept as they did before Rossi took over but remember when he did, they immediately improved dramatically. Back then, he simplified the defense with less reads and that seemed to work. Possibly there are just a few changes to get things better again and remember, they looked very good vs. Iowa and Michigan St. just a few weeks ago. I don't think you need to start over but we need to regroup.

On offense, remember we are at our 4th and 5th RB's for the year and that has been tough to overcome as the previous 3 all looked pretty good. Our QB play has been erratic but I think he has showed some improvement that he can build on. Fleck has repeatedly said they are a young team and will need time to develop and I agree with him. Also, Fleck has won some big games in the past and does not deserve to get fired for 3 bad games this year. You have to give him time to right the ship - this isn't Tim Brewster where the entire program is in complete disarray and the sooner you pull the plug the better.

With the ever changing landscape of NCAA Football, I would wait for things to settle down a bit. I don't think a change right now is a good idea given a new, much tougher Big Ten, the NIL money etc. because we aren't quite sure where this is going in the next couple years. Jumping the gun on a new hire might turn up exactly the wrong guy like the Tim Brewster hire was.

So, given all this we need to ride it out and hopefully PJ Fleck can get this all figured out. I have complained as much as anyone over this season but we need to pull together and get behind Fleck more than ever because the chips are down and our backs are up against the wall. I know we may come up short this week (maybe even FAR short) vs. Ohio State but if sports have taught us anything, you never EVER give up and you fight harder than ever when things get down.
And right now -- it's time to fight back!!

USMC: Never, ever give up. You suck it up and play as hard as you can the next game. Go Gophers.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

where is Gopher football Today - with Today being the key word?

I would say Gopher football is at a potential crossroads.

Next year, MN will play in an 18-team B1G with no Divisions. checking the current AP top-25, current or future B1G teams are ranked 2 - 3 - 5 - 6 - 12. If you include other teams receiving votes, then add B1G teams at 26 - 30.

Seven of the top 30 teams in the country will be conference opponents of MN next year.

The Gopher could have a good season by recent standards and still finish 8th or lower in the conference. with no Division title hopes to keep fans interested/engaged.

So what do the Gophers have to play for? qualify for a bowl game and win rivalry games. that's it.

and the ultimate question - is that enough? is a 6-, 7- or 8-win season enough? If the Gophers win 1 of the two big rivalry games, is that enough? I don't know.

But I suspect we will find out just how many true, hard-core Gopher fans exist in this market. and if I'm being cynical, I suspect there will be plenty of good seats available for home games.

 

[disco]

where is Gopher football Today - with Today being the key word?

I would say Gopher football is at a potential crossroads.

Next year, MN will play in an 18-team B1G with no Divisions. checking the current AP top-25, current or future B1G teams are ranked 2 - 3 - 5 - 6 - 12. If you include other teams receiving votes, then add B1G teams at 26 - 30.

Seven of the top 30 teams in the country will be conference opponents of MN next year.

The Gopher could have a good season by recent standards and still finish 8th or lower in the conference. with no Division title hopes to keep fans interested/engaged.

So what do the Gophers have to play for? qualify for a bowl game and win rivalry games. that's it.

and the ultimate question - is that enough? is a 6-, 7- or 8-win season enough? If the Gophers win 1 of the two big rivalry games, is that enough? I don't know.

But I suspect we will find out just how many true, hard-core Gopher fans exist in this market. and if I'm being cynical, I suspect there will be plenty of good seats available for home games.

I've said before. Without divisions, this becomes Major League Baseball pre-1969. There's a reason, and it's not just for TV money, that the playoffs have expanded in every major sport over the decades. More teams competing for something means more fan interest. This moves that backwards at least at the conference level.

 

[Dano564]

They are going to need to go to divisions very soon. It will be evident potentially as early as next year when we have 4-5 teams tied for 2nd place with 2 losses each with very few common opponents between those tied teams.

 

[MplsGopher]

The big thing is going to be this: how long until the schools themselves are going to be allowed to pay players directly?

As much as folks hate it here, that’s actually the only realistic way that the U can climb back in the game. Because we’re never going to be a player in NIL. Never. The glorified bake sale approach with the beer and burgers is creative and commendable, but it’s a desperate attempt because the usual way flopped.


But if we can take our yearly $80M share of TV money and start paying players to come here (per whatever collective bargaining and salary cap is established) …. Now we’ve got something.


Depends on the new round of court cases and on national legislation, if any gets done.


But the stick in the mud could be the elite cabal. Why do they want to allow a school like Minnesota to use “their” (the cabal’s) TV ratings derived money to up-jump themselves???

They won’t want that. So will be interesting to see what all happens, if the Big Ten and SEC can retain their historic forms, or if a new elite division splinters off to try to capture most of the TV value for themselves.

 

[Texan Gopher]

My take:

Unless your university is going to invest a ton into sports, and the fan base is willing to spend NIL $$, you are set for years of 4 to 8 wins and fighting for bowl games.

PJ is correct. The face of college football is not going back to "developing a team for a few years". What TCU did last year will not happen again.

We are in the era of the haves and have nots.

 

[MplsGopher]

@short ornery norwegian while your point is very well stated and I agree with it, practically it’s not going to be that much different than the 2000’s and 2010’s before the Big Ten had divisions at all.

We were never in realistic contention for the outright conf championship, back then.

We had the trophy games, and hoped for the best bowl game and a win there.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I remember more than a few Gopher fans saying win me the Pig and Axe and we will be happy with any coach.

At that very moment it was true ... at that moment

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

It's a down year, the players ... just not making plays.

I'd like to see some changes (at QB...).

Had we made a couple more passes we would be in position to win the division so as frustrating as it is, there are wins to be had. Tanner for one more year, would have won those games for sure.

Defense at LB and secondary has been wonky, DL has kept us in games.

Right now it's not a player lead team, they've got work to do.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

My take is "stop being so invested". Charlie Brown, how many times does Lucy have to pull the ball away before you realize you will never get to kick the ball? MN sports (the big 6) suck. Relish 87 and 91 (Twins). Yes, I remember the North Stars getting crushed by Pittsburg in the early 90's before they moved to Dallas. I mean, really? We are the "state of hockey" yet we can't win/get to the Stanley cup. Can't even win the college championship. I was in Tampa in March. Saw the melt down firsthand. There is nothing that can be done about my Gopher/MN fandom. But I refuse to stay invested. I will follow from a distance. A person can handle only so much disappointment. IF magically one of our teams (Vikes, Twins, Wolves, Wild, Goph football/basketball) somehow manage to do something, I'll start paying a bit more attention. In the meantime, apathy has overcome my hopes for sports success in MN. Keep Fleck, fire Fleck, I don't care. Bowling Green, Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue----- we suck! Next year? Yup, we'll find a way to again lose to 2-3 teams we are forecasted to beat.

I get the frustration... but man if it is all championships ... sports aren't going to be fun.

We've had some great games and memories in recent years.

And hey watch some Twolves ... they hot. Gotta get some variety in there.

 

[Big Dawg]

I get the frustration... but man if it is all championships ... sports aren't going to be fun.

We've had some great games and memories in recent years.

And hey watch some Twolves ... they hot. Gotta get some variety in there.

I don't need ALL championships. I would like ONE. For instance, if the Gophers won in March in Tampa and were currently the reigning National Champions in NCAA hockey, I would be OK with that fact that Gophers football/basketball suck. At least I, as a fan, would have something to be happy with. Let's use TX as an example. If the Cowboys, Stars and Mav's all suck it doesn't matter. Why? Because the Rangers just won the world series. That would keep me happy as a sports fan for a few years.

 

[MplsGopher]

Things with AK vs Morgan … at the very end of last year, AK was playing on fire. Wisc game, bowl game before being injured. It was correct to start AK over Morgan for those.

But then that guy has largely not shown up this year. I don’t know where he went …

 

[GoodasGold]

It's been a tough year and I think we are all a little discouraged. It has not gone the way any of us wanted and many are saying we need to fire Coach Fleck or the coordinators or even the special teams coach. I agree both the defense and offense has had their share of problems and when you look at the upcoming schedules, things look bleak for the program.

My take is we need to stay the course and let things play out. The defense right now looks as inept as they did before Rossi took over but remember when he did, they immediately improved dramatically. Back then, he simplified the defense with less reads and that seemed to work. Possibly there are just a few changes to get things better again and remember, they looked very good vs. Iowa and Michigan St. just a few weeks ago. I don't think you need to start over but we need to regroup.

On offense, remember we are at our 4th and 5th RB's for the year and that has been tough to overcome as the previous 3 all looked pretty good. Our QB play has been erratic but I think he has showed some improvement that he can build on. Fleck has repeatedly said they are a young team and will need time to develop and I agree with him. Also, Fleck has won some big games in the past and does not deserve to get fired for 3 bad games this year. You have to give him time to right the ship - this isn't Tim Brewster where the entire program is in complete disarray and the sooner you pull the plug the better.

With the ever changing landscape of NCAA Football, I would wait for things to settle down a bit. I don't think a change right now is a good idea given a new, much tougher Big Ten, the NIL money etc. because we aren't quite sure where this is going in the next couple years. Jumping the gun on a new hire might turn up exactly the wrong guy like the Tim Brewster hire was.

So, given all this we need to ride it out and hopefully PJ Fleck can get this all figured out. I have complained as much as anyone over this season but we need to pull together and get behind Fleck more than ever because the chips are down and our backs are up against the wall. I know we may come up short this week (maybe even FAR short) vs. Ohio State but if sports have taught us anything, you never EVER give up and you fight harder than ever when things get down.
And right now -- it's time to fight back!!

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. It’s gut-check time. Both the players and coaches have to step up and employ a great work ethic. Taking care of the football is job one if we’re to take it to the next level.
Our backs are against the wall, but this team knows what it takes to win. Players need to put on their game faces and come together as a team, get on the same page, give it 110 percent and take it one game at a time.
And we need to generate some offense along with an unyielding defense and play within ourselves. At the end of the day, football is a game of inches.

 

[GoodasGold]

Dup.

 

[Tommyboy]

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. It’s gut-check time. Both the players and coaches have to step up and employ a great work ethic. Taking care of the football is job one if we’re to take it to the next level.
Our backs are against the wall, but this team knows what it takes to win. Players need to put on their game faces and come together as a team, get on the same page, give it 110 percent and take it one game at a time.
And we need to generate some offense along with an unyielding defense and play within ourselves. At the end of the day, football is a game of inches.

You are right! They are taking Ohio down.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

The big thing is going to be this: how long until the schools themselves are going to be allowed to pay players directly?

I don't see that happening. But, I do think there is a chance that we do see some form of revenue sharing.

that is how this whole mess really started. athletes saw the $$ schools were making and they wanted a cut. the schools & NCAA said "no" - and that led to the birth of NIL (and the pay-for-play NIL).

So, if the NCAA wanted to tame the NIL dragon, they could approve a revenue-sharing system where athletes receive a fixed percentage of total revenue. put all athletes on an equal footing and there would be less incentive to jump from school to school seeking a bigger payday.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I don't need ALL championships. I would like ONE. For instance, if the Gophers won in March in Tampa and were currently the reigning National Champions in NCAA hockey, I would be OK with that fact that Gophers football/basketball suck. At least I, as a fan, would have something to be happy with. Let's use TX as an example. If the Cowboys, Stars and Mav's all suck it doesn't matter. Why? Because the Rangers just won the world series. That would keep me happy as a sports fan for a few years.

Yeah I get that, how the frustration builds.

Just kinda a bummer how it lands on a given team... Gophers are responsible for them not winning a championship ... they ain't responsible for ages of Vikings playoff sinking.

 

[disco]

So, if the NCAA wanted to tame the NIL dragon, they could approve a revenue-sharing system where athletes receive a fixed percentage of total revenue. put all athletes on an equal footing and there would be less incentive to jump from school to school seeking a bigger payday.

There would still be funny business going on.

 

[MplsGopher]

Agree with that, SEC schools would still find a way to try to get an edge.

And NIL would still be allowed. Sk right there that’s legal. Don’t think that (completely) goes away now that cat is out of the bag, even with true player salaries.