Offical Underreaction Thread

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The one underreaction thing that I think of is that last year in the non conference we gave up 32 to Georgia Southern followed by 35 in double OT to Fresno St. The defense didn't look great and the offense was very boring. I think we all remember how the defense started in 2019. They then won like 4 of their final 6 maybe?

Anyway...I'm not happy but I'm off the ledge of thinking we will go 0-9.
 

Agree with the sentiment in this thread so far. Some of the frustration with the way we have started is way over the top, especially those calling for coaches to be fired already.

I can totally understand the disappointment with the 0-2 start and especially with the way the D has looked. But this is such an odd season, I really don't know that it is fair to judge anyone (positive or negative) on how it goes.
 

We're dealing with the internet era where people can post stupid comments with no accountability as to who they are. Basically meaning that these people are cowards. We also don't know where all these comments are coming from as some no doubt are trolls trying to stir the pot all the more.

I'm in the camp to play the season out, don't fire the coaches involved, get players better etc.
 


I will be shocked if any coaches get fired this year. Too many variables of why this has been a difficult season. The Gophers need to improve on defense immediately. The coaches need to have better play calling/game plans. If those two things don't change (I trust they will) we will not be winning ANY games.
 

TurfGopher said:
I will be shocked if any coaches get fired this year. Too many variables of why this has been a difficult season. The Gophers need to improve on defense immediately. The coaches need to have better play calling/game plans. If those two things don't change (I trust they will) we will not be winning ANY games.
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Yeah I'd be really wary of actual staff changes for on field stuff.

Really hard for me to justify going to a coach and saying: "Hey our team isn't very good after dealing with a myriad of players being out and an accelerated and abbreviated fall 'camp' that occurred with kids actually in school...!"
 

Some guy said:
Put me down as an underreactor

I’ve given up hope of this season being a success. But I also don’t need anybody fired.
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Being totally serious, isn't giving up hope actually an overreaction? Agree barring a scandal, highly unlikely any HC will get fired.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Being totally serious, isn't giving up hope actually an overreaction? Agree barring a scandal, highly unlikely any HC will get fired.
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Giving up hope on the season being a success? We would really have to win out to be to my expectations. I no longer have hope that happens.

Nor do I feel any assistants need to get fired
 



Some guy said:
Giving up hope on the season being a success? We would really have to win out to be to my expectations. I no longer have hope that happens.

Nor do I feel any assistants need to get fired
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Agree on assistants as well. Has to be a scandal for any coaches to get fired.
 

Some guy said:
Giving up hope on the season being a success? We would really have to win out to be to my expectations. I no longer have hope that happens.

Nor do I feel any assistants need to get fired
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Aren't we always - every year - adjusting our expectations every couple games? I'm sure when we started 9-0 last year, most of adjusted our expectations. At this point, I'd call this year very successful if we win 5 games.
 





I don't think most people are calling for anyone to be fired.

But, some of us are pointing out that maybe - just maybe - some people might have been a little too quick to proclaim that last year was a turning point for the program.

the long-time fans have been down this road before. Mason won 10 games in 2003. the next three years, the team won 7, 7 and 6 games.

so, maybe this year is an outlier because of covid and all the other screwy circumstances. maybe this year deserves an asterisk.

but, if this winds up being a 5-4 or 4-5 type year, then Fleck needs to come back with a much better season in 2021 to regain the positive momentum. if it winds up being a 3-win season or worse, I think you will see Fleck on some of those "hot seat" lists.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I don't think most people are calling for anyone to be fired.

But, some of us are pointing out that maybe - just maybe - some people might have been a little too quick to proclaim that last year was a turning point for the program.

the long-time fans have been down this road before. Mason won 10 games in 2003. the next three years, the team won 7, 7 and 6 games.

so, maybe this year is an outlier because of covid and all the other screwy circumstances. maybe this year deserves an asterisk.

but, if this winds up being a 5-4 or 4-5 type year, then Fleck needs to come back with a much better season in 2021 to regain the positive momentum. if it winds up being a 3-win season or worse, I think you will see Fleck on some of those "hot seat" lists.
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There is no doubt last year was a turning point for the program.

there is also no doubt that last year did NOT turn Minnesota into a perennial top 20 program


somehow I initially missed that you think fleck is on the hot seat entering 2021 if we go 3-5 this year?
The team was 7-2 last year.
Minnesota has been over .500 in conference play 5 times since 1991 and you think the guy who had the best season in 45 years is on the hot seat for being a game under .500 the next season?
 
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short ornery norwegian said:
I don't think most people are calling for anyone to be fired.

But, some of us are pointing out that maybe - just maybe - some people might have been a little too quick to proclaim that last year was a turning point for the program.

the long-time fans have been down this road before. Mason won 10 games in 2003. the next three years, the team won 7, 7 and 6 games.

so, maybe this year is an outlier because of covid and all the other screwy circumstances. maybe this year deserves an asterisk.

but, if this winds up being a 5-4 or 4-5 type year, then Fleck needs to come back with a much better season in 2021 to regain the positive momentum. if it winds up being a 3-win season or worse, I think you will see Fleck on some of those "hot seat" lists.
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Everyone wants improvement.

I don't think though anyone should think after last season that somehow we're magically bullet proof and can avoid a bad season here or there.... like there's maybe a couple programs that can do that... at most. Not sure they've ever watched college football before if they think that...
 



We can still end the year with every trophy in the trophy case.
 


Some guy said:
There is no doubt last year was a turning point for the program.

there is also no doubt that last year did NOT turn Minnesota into a perennial top 20 program


somehow I initially missed that you think fleck is on the hot seat entering 2021 if we go 3-5 this year?
The team was 7-2 last year.
Minnesota has been over .500 in conference play 5 times since 1991 and you think the guy who had the best season in 45 years is on the hot seat for being a game under .500 the next season?
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He actually posted "if it winds up being a 3-win season or worse, I think you will see Fleck on some of those "hot seat" lists"...
 


If the threshold for being an undereactor is that we aren't ready to fire people yet, then count me in.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
I don't think most people are calling for anyone to be fired.

But, some of us are pointing out that maybe - just maybe - some people might have been a little too quick to proclaim that last year was a turning point for the program.

the long-time fans have been down this road before. Mason won 10 games in 2003. the next three years, the team won 7, 7 and 6 games.

so, maybe this year is an outlier because of covid and all the other screwy circumstances. maybe this year deserves an asterisk.

but, if this winds up being a 5-4 or 4-5 type year, then Fleck needs to come back with a much better season in 2021 to regain the positive momentum. if it winds up being a 3-win season or worse, I think you will see Fleck on some of those "hot seat" lists.
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Your point about the Mason year is fair, but there are some differences. We had a LOT more national spotlight and excitement and coverage in 2019 than we did in 2003.

If you want to equate the opportunity we had against Michigan in 2003 with the one we had against PSU in 2019, we won on the national stage in 2019 and it made a big difference in the perception of the team and program. Gameday and a big bowl win over Auburn just added to that.

Once we lost that Michigan game in 2003 - despite the wins that came after it - we were never really respected the way we were last year.
 

Regarding my point above, I went back and looked at the 2003 schedule. Our highest-ranked win came against #21 Northwestern. We lost to everyone else #20 or above that we played. We had 4 wins that year against very soft non-conf teams. We beat an unranked team in the Sun Bowl.

2019 = Two wins over Top 10 teams was unprecedented in a LOT of Gopher fans lifetimes. We finally won some big games when the lights were very bright.

So, yeah, as someone who was a very avid fan for both seasons, I think the 2019 vibe was much more momentous and "program-changing" than 2003.
 

Here's my optimist take:

If anyone watched the Vikings game yesterday they saw how a team can fluctuate wildly from week to week. Suddenly, the Vikings who were extraordinarily hosed on defense on paper rose up and looked like a winning team. That may be a new trend, or it might be a good game plan for a week.

That's even more true of a bunch of inexperienced college kids who didn't have a normal offseason. We had almost no tape on Michigan or Maryland and their new QBs and they caught us off guard. This could reverse very quickly, like it did in 2018 after Joe Rossi (the guy we loved 10 days ago) was promoted.
 


GopherVotary said:
Are we stealing the Jug?
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While I like the idea, I was referring to the possibility of playing Michigan in game 9. A loss to Michigan St means they are a middling team in the east. If we can either steal wins from or outright beat Wisconsin and Iowa (and Nebraska) a rematch with Michigan is possible.

Again though, stealing it should be under consideration...
 

The D problems look more like a inexperience problem than a talent problem.

The uncertainty of a season being played screwed up the off season. The D needs game reps. The improvement needed may take more time than this shortened season allows.
 

I am prepared to relax and see what happens next year. Maybe 5-3 or 4-4 is possible if something big happens with the LB play and decisions on D line playing time. Players we have yet to see might have an impact before it is all over. The offense is too good for a 2-6 year.
 

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