Nation's Longest Non-Conference Win Streak?

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short ornery norwegian said:
I would rather see the Gophers play one "name" opponent in the non-conf schedule. Even if that means they lose some of those games. that is one of the things holding the Gophers back from making it to that "next level" we talk about - being able to play, and defeat, other power-5 opponents. the kind of games that get you on national TV and draw attention to the program.

one big win over a good team would do more for the program than multiple years of beating Directional State and the University of Wherever.
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agree with this. way more fun to get up for a quality opponent than North West Michigan university.
 

Scheduling is a tough spot to be in, even more so with MORE conference games.

Folks want you to win ... and play tougher teams.

Those are very much competing ideas there.
 

John Galt said:
Agree that Fresno St last year was better, but the non-conference games are usually scheduled 6+ years in advance. No one knew Fresno St was going to be that good last year, just like no one knew if Colorado or UNC would be good when we play them.

I don’t remember if Kill tried to cancel the TCU series. He might not have had enough time, or maybe we went ahead with it because his best friend Gary was their coach.
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We swapped UNC out for TCU. Came out 100K ahead as well

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 

John Galt said:
Agree that Fresno St last year was better, but the non-conference games are usually scheduled 6+ years in advance. No one knew Fresno St was going to be that good last year, just like no one knew if Colorado or UNC would be good when we play them.

I don’t remember if Kill tried to cancel the TCU series. He might not have had enough time, or maybe we went ahead with it because his best friend Gary was their coach.
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Wasn't it Kill's idea to schedule TCU?
 




Wcfan56 said:
Check the future schedules and beginning next year BYU, Colorado and North Carolina start showing up.
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There’s a home and home with Mississippi State as well a few years down the road. I’m excited to see some SEC action. Those teams don’t like to come north of Kentucky.
 

AtTheLibrary said:
There’s a home and home with Mississippi State as well a few years down the road. I’m excited to see some SEC action. Those teams don’t like to come north of Kentucky.
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Mississippi State isn't on the future schedule anymore. There's BYU, Colorado, and North Carolina though.
 





Word said:
Ok - the gopher site only goes through 2025. Mississipi State's site goes through 2027 and lists a home and home in 2026/2027. Wonder what the odds are that series actually gets played?
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given the age of some Gopher fans, I would say the odds are fairly good that some of us won't be around by then.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
given the age of some Gopher fans, I would say the odds are fairly good that some of us won't be around by then.
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I suspect football as it is played today with touching ... and the lifespan of this crowd are running neck and neck into the abyss fast.
 

Many fans "won't be around by then"?

"Running neck and neck into the abyss fast"?

Good grief, people!

Again, I have to say it:

What a cheery, sunny, positive bunch of folks we have here at Gopher Hole!!!! I read this stuff, and I feel like a giant black cloud is going to follow me around for the next few weeks.
 



I tend to be of the mindset that it is fun to play other P5 schools in non-conference games but at the same time, unless you're in the playoff discussion, there isn't a ton of upside to having a "stronger schedule."
 

RatherBeGolfing said:
I tend to be of the mindset that it is fun to play other P5 schools in non-conference games but at the same time, unless you're in the playoff discussion, there isn't a ton of upside to having a "stronger schedule."
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Often even if you're in the playoff hunt... playing better teams isn't necessarily helpful either.

You could argue TCU was left out due to scheduling a while back but IMO that was more happenstance / their conference than anything someone can control and I suspect the long term impact of scheduling a tough(er) OCC is far more likely to be negative than the outside chance it impacts the playoffs.
 


Here's the non-con look since 2012 with South Dakota St added.

2012
UNLV, G5, W
New Hampshire, FCS, W
Western Mich, G5, W
Syracuse, P5, W
*Bowl* Texas Tech, P5, L

2013
UNLV, G5, W
New Mex St, G5, W
West Ill, FCS, W
San Jose St, G5, W
*Bowl* Syracuse, P5, L

2014
East Ill, FCS, W
Mid Tenn, G5, W
TCU, P5, L
San Jose St, G5, W
*Bowl* Missouri, P5, L

2015
TCU, P5, L
Colorado St, G5, W
Kent St, G5, W
Ohio, G5, W
*Bowl* Central Mich, G5, W

2016
Oregon St, P5, W
Indiana St, FCS, W
Colorado St, G5, W
*Bowl* Washington St, P5, W

2017
Buffalo, G5, W
Oregon St, P5, W
Mid Tenn, G5, W

2018
New Mex St, G5, W
Fresno St, G5, W
Miami OH, G5, W
*Bowl* Georgia Tech, P5, W

2019
South Dak St, FCS, W
Fresno State, G5, W
 
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Wish Gophers could play Iowa State every year

I know it is not likely to happen because they play Iowa every year. Would be a natural non-conference opponent every year. They are the only Power five conference team outside the conference that is a reasonable driving distance for both fan bases. It would be a packed stadium every year for both teams if the Gophers and the Cyclones could play. We compete with them for kid's in the Midwest all of the time.
It would be fun annual match-up and natural road trip for both squads. Tailgating would vastly improve with this as an added game. Doubtful it will happen as neither team seems inclined to play each other.
I do not think we have played the Cyclones since a bowl game in Arizona or that one time in the 1990's.
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
I know it is not likely to happen because they play Iowa every year. Would be a natural non-conference opponent every year. They are the only Power five conference team outside the conference that is a reasonable driving distance for both fan bases. It would be a packed stadium every year for both teams if the Gophers and the Cyclones could play. We compete with them for kid's in the Midwest all of the time.
It would be fun annual match-up and natural road trip for both squads. Tailgating would vastly improve with this as an added game. Doubtful it will happen as neither team seems inclined to play each other.
I do not think we have played the Cyclones since a bowl game in Arizona or that one time in the 1990's.
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I don't think Iowa State would be up for 2 Power 5 non conference games per year and as for the Gophers, if they are going to schedule a power 5, I'd like to see it spread around all the conferences, not just one team. However, I do like the idea of having a driving distance non-con game every year.
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
I know it is not likely to happen because they play Iowa every year. Would be a natural non-conference opponent every year. They are the only Power five conference team outside the conference that is a reasonable driving distance for both fan bases. It would be a packed stadium every year for both teams if the Gophers and the Cyclones could play. We compete with them for kid's in the Midwest all of the time.
It would be fun annual match-up and natural road trip for both squads. Tailgating would vastly improve with this as an added game. Doubtful it will happen as neither team seems inclined to play each other.
I do not think we have played the Cyclones since a bowl game in Arizona or that one time in the 1990's.
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It was in the bowl game, 2009, one point loss. It hurt. I don't know about every year but I wouldn't mind more Midwest-ish match-ups! Iowa St, Kansas St, Missouri, Kansas. I'm super open to games like that, could be fun!
 



Livingat45north said:
Our "College Empire" map must be looking pretty good.
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Nope. This year we haven't beaten a team that has any territory yet (SDSU has no territory to begin with as an FCS team, and FSU lost theirs in week 1).
 


Here’s an opportunity to focus on something positive. The streak is still alive:

2019
W - Auburn
W - Georgia Southern
W - @Fresno St
W - SDSU
2018
W - vs Georgia Tech
W - Miami (OH)
W - Fresno State
W - New Mexico State
2017
W - Middle Tennessee State
W - @ Oregon State
W - Buffalo
2016
W - vs Washington State
W - Colorado State
W - Indiana State
W - Oregon State
2015
W - vs Central Michigan
W - Ohio
W - Kent State
W - @ Colorado State
L - TCU

What’s everyones thoughts & feelings on 2020?

Florida Atlantic
Tennessee Tech
BYU
Bowl Game?
 

AtTheLibrary said:
Here’s an opportunity to focus on something positive. The streak is still alive:

2019
W - Auburn
W - Georgia Southern
W - @Fresno St
W - SDSU
2018
W - vs Georgia Tech
W - Miami (OH)
W - Fresno State
W - New Mexico State
2017
W - Middle Tennessee State
W - @ Oregon State
W - Buffalo
2016
W - vs Washington State
W - Colorado State
W - Indiana State
W - Oregon State
2015
W - vs Central Michigan
W - Ohio
W - Kent State
W - @ Colorado State
L - TCU

What’s everyones thoughts & feelings on 2020?

Florida Atlantic
Tennessee Tech
BYU
Bowl Game?
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Auburn seems harder than any of those teams... granted that was last year so not sure it is relevant.

The exception being that the Bowl Game in 2020 is a playoff game so that will be hard.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Auburn seems harder than any of those teams... granted that was last year so not sure it is relevant.

The exception being that the Bowl Game in 2020 is a playoff game so that will be hard.
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FAU has a new coach with Willie Taggart so it seems like the Gophers will he preparing for “Ghosts” in that one. BYU had a nice win @Tennessee last year so they could be sneaky as well. I have the Gophers going 3-0 though.
 

I hate playing teams whose uniforms look like something from a wacky, low-budget, made-for-cable movie about a fictitious football team. Give me the Alabamas'.
 


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