Ranking Michigan State’s 2022 Football Schedule: No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers

[BleedGopher]

per Kevin:

Why No. 6?​

This game is a tricky one for a number of reasons. The first is where the game falls, which is early in the season on Sept. 24 between a road trip to Washington and a road trip to Maryland. In addition, the two teams have not faced off against one another since 2017, meaning it could be a bit more difficult game-planning for such an unfamiliar opponent (the irony being the programs have been members of the same conference since 1950).

Finally, despite the poor passing attack, Ibrahim is one of the truly elite running backs in college football and will post a challenge to Michigan State’s defense, which is facing a lot of turnover at the defensive end position — players like Jacub Panasiuk and Drew Beesley who were key in defending the run over the past several seasons are now gone. However, the interior of the defensive line remains stacked with Jacob Slade, Simeon Barrow, and others returning. All of that adds up to put Minnesota in the top-half of challenges MSU faces this season in my book.

Ranking Michigan State’s 2022 Football Schedule: No. 6 Minnesota Golden Gophers

The look ahead to the 2022 schedule continues for ranking Michigan State’s football opponents this coming season. Up today is what was supposed to be the new West Division annual crossover opponent...

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Go Gophers!!

 

[fmlizard]

Interesting that this writer considers a Washington team that went 4-8 in 2021 and has a brand new coach a tougher draw than 9-4 Minnesota. I guess it's a long road trip.

 

[swingman]

Common 2021 opponents:

we both crushed Maryland
we both crushed Northwestern
they just got by Indiana 20-15; we crushed the Hoosiers 35-14
they just got by NE 23-20, we beat Huskers 30-23
they lost to Purdue 29-40; we beat Boilers 20-13
OSU crushed them 56-7; we lost to Buckeyes 45-31

 

[Plato]

Every year is a new year in college football.
Looking to the past to predict the future does not work.

 

[Yah-E]

Every year is a new year in college football.
Looking to the past to predict the future does not work.

Cmon! Works a little within the same decade!

 

[Cedar Rapids Gopher]

Another tough game with two teams that like to run but both lost a ton of experience off their lines. We lost our best RB and theirs will be seeing how his Achilles has healed. We have a much better passing attack but their pass defense was light years better than ours last year. It isn't great when you have five teams you play that are better than a 9 win Minnesota team ( which is their third best season since joint the B10 ).

 

[Cedar Rapids Gopher]

Another tough game with two teams that like to run but both lost a ton of experience off their lines. We lost our best RB and theirs will be seeing how his Achilles has healed. We have a much better passing attack but their pass defense was light years better than ours last year. It isn't great when you have five teams you play that are better than a 9 win Minnesota team ( which is their third best season since joint the B10 ).

From the comments section

 

[cjbfbp]

Interesting that this writer considers a Washington team that went 4-8 in 2021 and has a brand new coach a tougher draw than 9-4 Minnesota. I guess it's a long road trip.

Yes, that's it. Another way to look at this ranking is that the author ranks Minnesota #3 among home opponents behind OSU and Wisconsin.

 

[fmlizard]

From the comments section

"Third best season since joint (sic) the B10"

Shhhhhh, don't tell him about all the 3 straight nattys and 7 overall. Or that Minnesota is 3rd all-time in Big Ten titles, and will likely remain there for decades.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

I think this is bulletin board material. This guy is saying the Gophers are only better than two MAC opponents and the dregs of the B1G!

 

[Cayman]

"Third best season since joint (sic) the B10"

Shhhhhh, don't tell him about all the 3 straight nattys and 7 overall. Or that Minnesota is 3rd all-time in Big Ten titles, and will likely remain there for decades.

Might mean third best season for Minnesota since Michigan State joined the Big Ten? 11 wins in 2019, 10 in 2003, 9 in 2016 and 2021. Off the top of my head I think Michigan State joined in the 1950’s, and if I’m right, there’s still a national championship and conference championship for us in that time when the season was shorter, and thus lower win totals.