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Go Gophers Rah

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Mostly based on last year and the little bit of knowledge I have about each team this year, here is my ranking of our opponents from easiest win to most difficult:

1. South Dakota State (home)
2. Syracuse (road)
3. Purdue (homecoming)
4. Air Force Academy (home)
5. Northwestern (road)
6. Wisconsin (home)
7. Michigan State (home)
8. Illinois (home)
9. California (home)
10. Iowa (road)
11. Penn State (road)
12. Ohio State (road)

If you break this into thirds, the pessimist in me says that at the least we should win all of #1-4, and one of #5-8 and none of #9-12. That would put us at 5-7 and no bowl. Again, this is my most pessimistic view of the season.

The optimist in me says that I don't see anyone ranked 1-9 above that I don't think we have a good chance against given the talent upgrade we've made since 2006.

I don't like the looks of Iowa, Penn State or Ohio State on the road (although who would have said that we would beat #2 Penn State 6 months prior to November 1999?)

Go Gophers!
 

Your 1-4 and 9-12 are right on, but I would change around the 5-8 a little:

5. Illinois
6. Wisconsin
7. Northwestern
8. Michigan State

MSU could easily move ahead of Cal or even Iowa too.
 

1. South Dakota State (home)
2. Syracuse (road)
3. Purdue (homecoming)
4. Air Force Academy (home)
5. Wisconsin (home)
6. Northwestern (road)
7. Illinois (home)
8. Michigan State (home)
9. California (home)
10. Penn State (road)
11. Iowa (road)
12. Ohio State (road)
 

Based on what I have read, there is a question of whether Michigan State lost more than they are gaining in terms of players (namely Hoyer and Ringer) and that they might not be as good as last year. Conversely, I read that Illinois talent level is an overall increase over last year.
 

Illinois will be tough, we had a lot of things bounce in our direction last year for that upset. They will definitely be playing with a chip on their shoulder.
 


Illinois will be better than last year, but their defense leaves something to be desired.
 

MSU

Cousins or Nichol will be better than Hoyer. Hoyer was a serviceable, but nothing better than average Big 10 QB. Sparty will upgrade at QB whichever sophomore earns the starting job. Overall, MSU will be a more diverse offensive team this season.

Still, replacing Ringer is another matter. MSU is very thin at RB, so Dantonio reportedly is adjusting to his personnel and apparently is going to run some West Coast offense stuff to emphasize the QBs/WR's, lessen the need for having a RB who will get tough yards after he is hit, i.e. Caulcrick a couple years ago, Ringer.
 

I think it's a stretch to say that either MSU QB will be better than Hoyer this upcoming year. Possibly in 2010 or 2011, but assuming that a sophomore will step in and instantly be an upgrade over a senior that's at least been around the block is a bit much for me. Just my opinion.

As much as it pains me to say, I'd put Ohio State 1 & Iowa 1A right there with them. Their OL is good & deep. And Stanzi is the first QB there since Banks that has his head on straight and doesn't take anything off of the table and perhaps brings something to the table.
 

The thing I remember most is breaking the season in thirds. First 4 games are a starting point, a chance to get set, avoid injury, try some things. The second third is most telling momentum of the early third can meet the reality of the opponent and there cannot be that game where you come out lost and flat. Given you make it through the first 8, as we did last year you now face the fact you have a target on your back and you are generally facing your biggest rivals. This is where the season is made or lost the final 4 games. Finish strong.

Playing teams like Syracuse, SDSU, and Air Force are prototypical pre season games. Once the Conference starts it often is a case not of who you play but when you play them. Playing a conference opponent early while they are scuffling is a bonus. By the same token playing a team on a roll late is no bargin.

But most importantly, the opponent is only a measuring stick of how well you are prepared, how you excecute, and how you respond to adversity. There is no one on the schedule we cannot beat, if we are focused, prepared, and execute.
 



FireDaveLee said:
As much as it pains me to say, I'd put Ohio State 1 & Iowa 1A right there with them. Their OL is good & deep. And Stanzi is the first QB there since Banks that has his head on straight and doesn't take anything off of the table and perhaps brings something to the table.
Click to expand...

While I do believe that Iowa will be a good to very good team, I think people are underestimating their losses. On offense they lost two very good offensive linemen (I believe Olsen and Bruggeman), one of the top running backs in the country, a starting TE, and a starting WR. On defense they lost both DTs (King and Kroul) and probably their best d-back (Fletcher). Their defense revolved around the mayhem that King and Kroul generated and its a stretch to think that the guys replacing them will be as good. Also, their offense obviously was centered around that strong running game. Losing Greene and two of their best linemen will not help that. While Stanzi is good, its much easier to pass the ball when the defense is playing 8 (or even 9) in the box to stop the run. I think it will be interesting to see how Iowa does this year and the final result could be anywhere from first to middle of the pack. A fair number of unknowns.
 

Where is Wren when we need him?

We need a mathematician to explain to us the value of playing "one game at a time" and the value to assign each game.
 

Gold Vision said:
1. South Dakota State (home)
2. Syracuse (road)
3. Purdue (homecoming)
4. Air Force Academy (home)
5. Wisconsin (home)
6. Northwestern (road)
7. Illinois (home)
8. Michigan State (home)
9. California (home)
10. Penn State (road)
11. Iowa (road)
12. Ohio State (road)
Click to expand...

Going in to the season this is the order I would put them in too.
-Illinois is a question mark and could be a top 3 or 4 team--their skills position players are #1 in the conference but their LB's are really weak and their OL was less than mediocre last year.
-MSU has some q's too. Their D will be good, their OL will be good, the WR's emerged as 08 progressed but they drop a lot of balls, and the RB & QB are a question mark. Even if Hoyer seemed very average the key thing he did for MSU was ball control which allowed them to win every close game against the middle of the Big Ten. A 0.5 increase in TO's could make them 7-5 instead of 9-3.
-It wouldn't surprise me if Cal was #10 or #8 instead of #9.
-PSU and Iowa could be shifted but we don't really know until the games are played.
-Wisc & NU could be shifted but we don't really know until the games are played.
 

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