O'Brien Says These Aren't The Same Old Gophers

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STATE COLLEGE -- Penn State coach Bill O'Brien wants everybody to be clear on one thing. Minnesota, his team's upcoming road opponent, is extremely underrated. He has watched on film each of its nine games, seven of which the Gophers won, and claims that they are one of the top teams the Nittany Lions have faced all season.

Although Penn State holds an 8-4 all-time series advantage over the Gophers, who consistently finish in the bottom half of the Big Ten, O'Brien is urging his players not to take Minnesota lightly.

"When I watch them, there aren't any easy plays on either side of the ball," O'Brien said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. "I think they just do a really good job of making sure that their scheme is coached up well.

"They play very, very hard. On defense they run to the ball. On offense they run the ball downhill. They challenge you defensively. So we're going to have to be up for the challenge -- that's for sure.".

History

Although Penn State has won the last four meetings against Minnesota, there's an intriguing trend that goes against the Nittany Lions in this one. In this series, which dates back to 1993, victories have come in batches of four.

PSU won the first four meetings, before Minnesota went on to win the next four games between 1999-2004. O'Brien is focused on getting Penn State a victory, and with that, the evasive fifth win.

"This is a very, very good team," O'Brien said of the Gophers. "It's one of the better teams we've played this year."


http://dailyitem.com/0200_sports/x1...l-OBrien-says-theyre-not-the-same-old-Gophers
 

He is already sandbagging his audience in Penn. ;)
 


I will never forget that game the refs placed on a platter and gave to PSU back in the dome. PI call that handed it directly to PSU. 5-7 sounds a lot better than 4-8. That one was taken away (and I am normally the last person to blame a loss on reffing). My mind goes immediately to that game any time I hear the series record with PSU.
 

Go Gophers. Prove him right! Play hard. Figure out a way to WIN!

You are at that point. You can figure out a way to WIN!

You did it at Northwestern. You did it at Indiana. You you did it for a WHOLE game, right here, against Nebraska.

Confidence, yup. As a fan, I am getting a new definition of here we go again. It is now, "The Gophers will figure out a way to win." At Indiana it was they will figure out how to get the ball back and win.

Good teams figure out a way to win. That is exactly what you have figured out how to do!
 


Schnauzer said:
I will never forget that game the refs placed on a platter and gave to PSU back in the dome. PI call that handed it directly to PSU. 5-7 sounds a lot better than 4-8. That one was taken away (and I am normally the last person to blame a loss on reffing). My mind goes immediately to that game any time I hear the series record with PSU.
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You talking about in '06? Banks getting the PI on the 4th down that led to the winning TD for PSU. We ended up 6-6 before the epic bowl collapse that year. But then again, we win that PSU game, we're 7-5, and perhaps we don't play Tech in the bowl game, and the collapse never happens, and then Mason is never fired......let me stop haha
 

It is clear that this would been said in most places in most years.

I think the key is to not believe it, but to prove to the coach that what he has said is true.

This is not the Gophers' program of five years ago or last year. But they are only in a position to prove that on every play. That opportunity is the only thing that is guaranteed. They have to do the work to prove that what has been said is true.

4four4 said:
He is already sandbagging his audience in Penn. ;)
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Monty519 said:
You talking about in '06? Banks getting the PI on the 4th down that led to the winning TD for PSU. We ended up 6-6 before the epic bowl collapse that year. But then again, we win that PSU game, we're 7-5, and perhaps we don't play Tech in the bowl game, and the collapse never happens, and then Mason is never fired......let me stop haha
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Yes, that call was B.S.

But the Gophers would've still ended up in the Insight Bowl that year, even at 7-5. The Alamo Bowl made it clear over the years they were never going to select Minnesota, under any circumstances.
 

Schnauzer said:
I will never forget that game the refs placed on a platter and gave to PSU back in the dome. PI call that handed it directly to PSU. 5-7 sounds a lot better than 4-8. That one was taken away (and I am normally the last person to blame a loss on reffing). My mind goes immediately to that game any time I hear the series record with PSU.
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How true. Seeing the play, hearing the cheers and watching Paterno screaming at the closest Ref who then threw the flag was pretty disgusting, but how about 6-6 looking better than 4-8?

Remember the 15-16 loss in Happy Valley where Paterno came into the Gopher locker room and told them they had outplayed his top- ranked team and that they deserved to win?

What Paterno and his players did do afterward was make it clear that they were fortunate to escape with a victory, but not apologize for it. ''They outplayed us and outcoached us; we just outlucked them,'' Paterno said.

Mason agreed with that but saw the reason for the loss a little differently.

So concerned is Golden Gophers coach Glen Mason that he called Dave Parry, the Big Ten supervisor of officials, the past two weeks to discuss the calls.

Controversial Ruling No. 1: In the Oct. 18, 1997 game against then top-ranked Penn State, Minnesota free safety Crawford Jordan was called for pass interference. The flag came in the fourth quarter on a third-and-6 with the Gophers ahead 15-3. After the automatic first down, Penn State's Curtis Enis scored from six yards out and started the Nittany Lions' comeback.

"On that particular call, I told Glen Mason it was not a good, strong call," Parry said. "It was very thin, very marginal. The guy should have picked up the flag.
 



Paterno used to say the same thing about Temple (or insert whichever east-coast dogwalking school they would schedule, like FIU). O'Brien is just carrying on the tradition.

Just kidding. It is nice to see that we're getting respect from Kill's peers. The question is will the PSU or UW players come in overconfident? I think that might have been the case with Nebraska.

P.S. That phantom PI penalty back in '06 was horrible. I'm used to getting screwed by BT refs, but that was in our own house!!!
 

Too Long in the Wasteland said:
Paterno used to say the same thing about Temple (or insert whichever east-coast dogwalking school they would schedule, like FIU). O'Brien is just carrying on the tradition.

Just kidding. It is nice to see that we're getting respect from Kill's peers. The question is will the PSU or UW players come in overconfident? I think that might have been the case with Nebraska.

P.S. That phantom PI penalty back in '06 was horrible. I'm used to getting screwed by BT refs, but that was in our own house!!!
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Anyone remember this game against Purdue? We've been jobbed in our own house before.

http://brainerddispatch.com/stories/100101/ssp_1001010005.shtml
 

year of the gopher said:
Anyone remember this game against Purdue? We've been jobbed in our own house before.

http://brainerddispatch.com/stories/100101/ssp_1001010005.shtml
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Gees yeah that was horrible! You know what was even worse? They replayed it the scoreboard and you saw a defender just about to nail Hance before he released the ball. You also saw the defender's uniform stretched completely OFF THE SCREEN by a blocker holding on and pulling it for dear life! Even with Tiller's reputation of near constant holding that "non-call" was one of the worst in Gopher Dome history.

Oh yeah, they only replayed it once. Otherwise they might have burned that damn Vikings Stadium down.

My gosh, this thread has taken a very sad, sad turn.,:(
 

In this game Saturday with our mighty Gophers playing PSU here, it's really not going to matter if we get bad calls or if we get good calls. This is our house and we bring home the win rather easily. I know that I predicted a closer game like the gophs winning by 3 or something but I'm feeling confident that it will be more, much more.....and then O'Brien will be telling his staff and players, "I told you so."
 



One of the worst officiated games the Gophers have ever experienced at the Dome

year of the gopher said:
Anyone remember this game against Purdue? We've been jobbed in our own house before.

http://brainerddispatch.com/stories/100101/ssp_1001010005.shtml
Click to expand...

Henderson was clearly in bounds to tie the game on that catch where his foot touched the green not the white line.
Worst part was they reviewed the call and the referee refused to over turn a clearly blown call.
Metrodome clock operators were of no help and they did not get the snap away before the clock ticked one.
This game sent that season down in a downward spiral and effected the Gophers the rest of the year.
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
Henderson was clearly in bounds to tie the game on that catch where his foot touched the green not the white line.
Worst part was they reviewed the call and the referee refused to over turn a clearly blown call.
Metrodome clock operators were of no help and they did not get the snap away before the clock ticked one.
This game sent that season down in a downward spiral and effected the Gophers the rest of the year.
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Story mentioned that but had tried to put that too, out of my mind. Funny thing is we had six season tickets that year and had taken a couple of cousins and their wives to the game. My Cousins were pretty big Vikings fans, but since they had worked Saturdays for most of their adult lives they weren't to familiar with the College game or the differences between the College and Pro games. We were going to meet a couple of more sets of cousins at our house after the game for dinner and drinks.

When the damn holding call was missed we all screamed. When the damn clock didn't start we were all up and screaming again. Then when Henderson's catch was ruled incomplete, I was up screaming but they were silent. We talked about the hosing while we were leaving, on the way home and when we got back to the house.

They were right there with me on the non-call and the clock but always silent or noncommittal on the bad TD call.

Then, when we were on the deck having some drinks and grilling, I mentioned it again. Just couldn't possibly see how they could have missed a call when Henderson clearly had a foot in bounds? It was a College game not the NFL. He only needed one. They looked at each other and said that they NOW could understand why I was so pissed.

They thought he needed to get both feet in.

Bet they weren't the only ones.
 

Schnauzer said:
I will never forget that game the refs placed on a platter and gave to PSU back in the dome. PI call that handed it directly to PSU. 5-7 sounds a lot better than 4-8. That one was taken away (and I am normally the last person to blame a loss on reffing). My mind goes immediately to that game any time I hear the series record with PSU.
Click to expand...

I was sitting right in front of the down marker. We were screwed !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
Henderson was clearly in bounds to tie the game on that catch where his foot touched the green not the white line.
Worst part was they reviewed the call and the referee refused to over turn a clearly blown call.
Metrodome clock operators were of no help and they did not get the snap away before the clock ticked one.
This game sent that season down in a downward spiral and effected the Gophers the rest of the year.
Click to expand...

That was probably the most pissed I've ever been at the officials. Two really bad calls that gave the game to Purdue. I hate all officials because of this game.
 

How about the phantom interference call the ref made in 1997 that allowed PSU to steal a win from the U. I was at the game and a PSU fan turned to me and said "you guys just got f'd." I think people forget about that one thanks to the win in 1999.
 

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
How about the phantom interference call the ref made in 1997 that allowed PSU to steal a win from the U. I was at the game and a PSU fan turned to me and said "you guys just got f'd." I think people forget about that one thanks to the win in 1999.
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That's the one talked about in #9. I'll add the year.
 

Schnauzer said:
I will never forget that game the refs placed on a platter and gave to PSU back in the dome. PI call that handed it directly to PSU. 5-7 sounds a lot better than 4-8. That one was taken away (and I am normally the last person to blame a loss on reffing). My mind goes immediately to that game any time I hear the series record with PSU.
Click to expand...

I went to school that Monday and I asked one of my student's "Did your uncle work the game Saturday?"
Kid rolls his eyes and says..........."Yes, and he threw the flag."
I reply........"Tell him Thanks a Million for the loss!"
Kid says, "Don't worry, I will!"
 

Buck_Buchanan said:
I went to school that Monday and I asked one of my student's "Did your uncle work the game Saturday?"
Kid rolls his eyes and says..........."Yes, and he threw the flag."
I reply........"Tell him Thanks a Million for the loss!"
Kid says, "Don't worry, I will!"
Click to expand...

Was that at K-M?
 


How can they have an 8-4 record against us with all those vacated wins?
 



Dr.Don said:
We as fans count them because they happened, just like our Final Four in BB.
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I dunno, I remember the feeling of joy and excitement when that trip to the final four happened. But the bottom line was that a lot of the people involved were cheating to win. Which tainted it for me.

With Penn State, anybody that knew anything about what happened should be in jail. That coach was and is a criminal, and he shouldn't have been anywhere near a place of education, and all the glory at Penn State they gained with him involved is tainted too. We saw the games, but the excitement and nostalgia are not there anymore for me.

I will look towards the future, and hope that clean programs (Especially ours) can create that excitement, and sustain it.

Go Gophers!

Sent from my PLAYSTATION PHONE using tapatalk
 



Dilemina said:
I dunno, I remember the feeling of joy and excitement when that trip to the final four happened. But the bottom line was that a lot of the people involved were cheating to win. Which tainted it for me.

With Penn State, anybody that knew anything about what happened should be in jail. That coach was and is a criminal, and he shouldn't have been anywhere near a place of education, and all the glory at Penn State they gained with him involved is tainted too. We saw the games, but the excitement and nostalgia are not there anymore for me.

I will look towards the future, and hope that clean programs (Especially ours) can create that excitement, and sustain it.

Go Gophers!

Sent from my PLAYSTATION PHONE using tapatalk
Click to expand...

Throughout the years I've watched my R&D cording of that game and after the "rhythmic slapping" incident that JoePa helped cover up, it hasn't been the same.
 

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