Next year's over/under

[Section209]

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[die hard gopher]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Our <a href="https://twitter.com/JLeman47">@JLeman47</a> just said <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Gophers&src=hash">#Gophers</a> could open 8-0 next year, basing the prediction on an easy schedule. Thoughts?</p>— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) <a href="https://twitter.com/BTNBrentYarina/statuses/417799271899881472">December 30, 2013</a></blockquote>
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[MZBKA]

some of you are acting like this years gopher team is playing next years schedule and if they were then i would agree with you but that is not the case, next years gopher team plays next years schedule, and next years gophers should be a lot better then this years gophers

While this is a good point, at what position will the Gophers be so improved that we can expect wins against teams like Michigan, Wisconsin or Iowa?

 

[die hard gopher]

While this is a good point, at what position will the Gophers be so improved that we can expect wins against teams like Michigan, Wisconsin or Iowa?

Michigan is an average team, we could beat them if we replayed them this year, and Wiscy and Iowa are good but not great by any means, they will both be fringe top 25 teams next year, i think we will be better then Iowa next year

 

[MZBKA]

Michigan is an average team, we could beat them if we replayed them this year, and Wiscy and Iowa are good but not great by any means, they will both be fringe top 25 teams next year, i think we will be better then Iowa next year

Iowa is much better than Michigan. Both teams are young and neither Iowa nor Michigan will lose many key players this year. If we're going to be much improved, so will they, and given our history with Michigan, I think it's going to be very difficult to win.

 

[Clark W. Griswold]

While this is a good point, at what position will the Gophers be so improved that we can expect wins against teams like Michigan, Wisconsin or Iowa?

The gophers were a young team and return a lot. Assuming continued development of the returning players and relative health-
Improved positions:
OL, WR, TE, QB, DB

Positions comparable to last year:
DL, LB, RB

Losing Hageman is big, but the DEs should be better. Vereen will be out but they get Boddy back and the safeties will be another year older. Hill and Manual were very solid but not irreplaceable. The key for the OLBs will how Campbell develops.

Edit- My post was more about how this should be an improved team, not whether the gophers will beat those teams.

 

[MZBKA]

The gophers were a young team and return a lot. Assuming continued development of the returning players and relative health-
Improved positions:
OL, WR, TE, QB, DB

Positions comparable to last year:
DL, LB, RB

Losing Hageman is big, but the DEs should be better. Vereen will be out but they get Boddy back and the safeties will be another year older. Hill and Manual were very solid but not irreplaceable. The key for the OLBs will how Campbell develops.

Edit- My post was more about how this should be an improved team, not whether the gophers will beat those teams.

Thanks for responding. I understand what you're saying, but in order to have an improved record next year, we have to beat the teams to whom we lost this year. An improved record would mean beating Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, or OSU while at the same time still beating Nebraska, TCU and the lower-rung teams.

That is, in order to improve on this year's record, we must be able to compete with Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, or OSU, which I don't know if we can yet -- Iowa and Michigan in particular don't lose much more than we do and therefore should be 'improved' just like we should be.

 

[die hard gopher]

Michigan doesn't lose a ton of guys but they still do lose a lot more guys then we do, and Iowa loses almost as much as Wiscy, we will be more improved then either

 

[Clark W. Griswold]

Every offseason a team will either improve or regress. The gophers should be in the "improve" group. I don't know much about what will happen at Iowa and Michigan, but I feel comfortable saying that an improved gopher team will be able to compete with every team on its schedule (including OSU). I am not nervous about playing Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin next year each of which should be winnable.

I am still disappointed by the syracuse game, but that one game is not sign of things to come. I saw enough through the whole season to say that the gophers are a program on the rise and a team that can complete in the B1G with continued improvement.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Thanks for responding. I understand what you're saying, but in order to have an improved record next year, we have to beat the teams to whom we lost this year. An improved record would mean beating Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, or OSU while at the same time still beating Nebraska, TCU and the lower-rung teams.

That is, in order to improve on this year's record, we must be able to compete with Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, or OSU, which I don't know if we can yet -- Iowa and Michigan in particular don't lose much more than we do and therefore should be 'improved' just like we should be.

Even though we wet the bed against Michigan this year, we were a better team in the standings. And I think we competed with Wisconsin this year. If our quarterback doesn't miss some throws that I would expect a punter to make 9 times out of 10 on a fake punt play, I think we win that game. If we aren't able to compete with those teams next year (obviously I don't think we will run the table against them), then we have taken a step backwards.

 

[MZBKA]

Even though we wet the bed against Michigan this year, we were a better team in the standings. And I think we competed with Wisconsin this year. If our quarterback doesn't miss some throws that I would expect a punter to make 9 times out of 10 on a fake punt play, I think we win that game. If we aren't able to compete with those teams next year (obviously I don't think we will run the table against them), then we have taken a step backwards.

I hope you're right. I honestly wouldn't mind winning 3 games if the only wins came against Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa.

With regards to throwing during the Wisconsin game (minus that horrible throw to Maxx...), Nelson was on for most of the game. His first three throws hit the receivers in the hands, and the receivers dropped the ball. I can't imagine that does good things to a QB's confidence.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

I hope you're right. I honestly wouldn't mind winning 3 games if the only wins came against Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa.

With regards to throwing during the Wisconsin game (minus that horrible throw to Maxx...), Nelson was on for most of the game. His first three throws hit the receivers in the hands, and the receivers dropped the ball. I can't imagine that does good things to a QB's confidence.

Absolutely right about the receivers. It seemed like every incomplete pass that game was to an open receiver, and either it his the receiver in the hands and was dropped or didn't get close to the receiver (the airmail to Maxx in a crucial situation has to be the single most painful moment of this season).