Remaining path to win the west

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Some guy said:
If you extrapolated Illinois’ offensive reproduction over the course of the season they’d be a bottom 50 offense.
Minnesota 2-3 plays away from beating a top 15 team on the road while playing like dogshit isn’t a beat down in my book
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You are conflating Illinois’ performance during the season with its performance (and ours) during the Gopher game. I am talking about the Gopher-Illinois game only. If you extrapolate Illinois’s production in the Gopher game, relative to its opponent’s production in the Gopher game, to a full season—262% more yardage gained than allowed; 40+ minutes time of possession in every game; 33 turnovers (3 x 11) gained versus 0 turnovers lost; plus a QB who completed 78+% of his passes for over 3000 yards—you would be looking at Illinois as a top 10 team minimum and possibly a CFP participant. I love the Gophers, but they were not 2 or 3 plays away from winning.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
You are conflating Illinois’ performance during the season with its performance (and ours) during the Gopher game. I am talking about the Gopher-Illinois game only. If you extrapolate Illinois’s production in the Gopher game, relative to its opponent’s production in the Gopher game, to a full season—262% more yardage gained than allowed; 40+ minutes time of possession in every game; 33 turnovers (3 x 11) gained versus 0 turnovers lost; plus a QB who completed 78+% of his passes for over 3000 yards—you would be looking at Illinois as a top 10 team minimum and possibly a CFP participant. I love the Gophers, but they were not 2 or 3 plays away from winning.
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We are going to go ahead and disagree then
 


beavergopher said:
I was at the Illinois game. The score is misleading. We got our asses handed to us. It was not a close game.
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For sure the team got their asses handed to them. That’s an entirely different conversation from a conversation about the closeness of the game

Which could be just me taking the comment I originally responded to different than the person intended

I was talking about the gophers having the ball at midfield down 6 with 21 minutes to play. It wasn’t by any means a blowout.
So if taken to the woodshed was a description of the scoreboard I disagree. If it was a description of the action I’m fine with the description. I may have been reading it wrong
 
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beavergopher said:
I was at the Illinois game. The score is misleading. We got our asses handed to us. It was not a close game.
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I agree. We got taken to the woodshed. Not everybody sees it that way. But the game stat’s make it painfully clear, and so does the “eye test,” at least to me. Lesson: we don’t all see things the same way.
 


It’s over.
Michigan state suspending 8 players
Nebraska QB got hurt when it was a close game.
Illinois got both Iowa and Mn at home
Illinois got to play wisconsin when they were so dysfunctional they fired their coach the week after their game

It’s Illinois’ year

**unless they lose to Purdue…then it might be Purdue’s year
 


Wacky stuff happens.

All we can do this weekend is cheer on the Gophers, Iowa (I know, I know …), and Maryland.

Then take it from there.
 




Gophergrandpa said:
I agree. We got taken to the woodshed. Not everybody sees it that way. But the game stat’s make it painfully clear, and so does the “eye test,” at least to me. Lesson: we don’t all see things the same way.
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I agree and I don't think there is any objective way to see it differently. Some people are just pointlessly argumentative. I agree that the scoring margin wasn't enormous but that was because 1) we had a 90+ yard kick return (the kind we get once every 5 years or more) and 2) the defense was able to hold them to field goals a good bit of the time.
 

cjbfbp said:
I agree and I don't think there is any objective way to see it differently. Some people are just pointlessly argumentative. I agree that the scoring margin wasn't enormous but that was because 1) we had a 90+ yard kick return (the kind we get once every 5 years or more) and 2) the defense was able to hold them to field goals a good bit of the time.
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Not just a good bit of the time: the whole game
The teams scored the same number of touchdowns.
It was a butt kicking but a close game
 

I was thinking about this today, and if I've learned anything as a Minnesota sports fan, what seems more likely than any of these scenarios is that a series of unlikely events gives Minnesota a clear path to the title on the last weekend before an equally unlikely event occurs that snatches it away.
 

MGGopher said:
I was thinking about this today, and if I've learned anything as a Minnesota sports fan, what seems more likely than any of these scenarios is that a series of unlikely events gives Minnesota a clear path to the title on the last weekend before an equally unlikely event occurs that snatches it away.
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I will say this, if Illinois loses two straight a third becomes much more likely.

I will also say this, northwestern is awful
 



MGGopher said:
I was thinking about this today, and if I've learned anything as a Minnesota sports fan, what seems more likely than any of these scenarios is that a series of unlikely events gives Minnesota a clear path to the title on the last weekend before an equally unlikely event occurs that snatches it away.
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HA! This has been my prevailing thought as well!
 


Some guy said:
I will say this, if Illinois loses two straight a third becomes much more likely.

I will also say this, northwestern is awful
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Teams can't improve over the season?
Teams can't get up for a single, Superbowl, rivalry/trophy game, at home, last game of the season?

:devilish:
 

Gophers_4life said:
Teams can't improve over the season?
Teams can't get up for a single, Superbowl, rivalry/trophy game, at home, last game of the season?

:devilish:
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They can but northwestern hasn’t. They peaked in a foreign country 6 days before week 1
 

Some guy said:
They can but northwestern hasn’t. They peaked in a foreign country 6 days before week 1
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Yep, very high probability that they finish the season 1-11 with their only win coming in Ireland against Nebraska.
 




fmlizard said:
West title is over. The new goal is a 10 win season, Floyd, and the Axe, which would still be really good.
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Glad to be wrong. While it's still a long shot, the West title is no longer over after today's results.
 

Only chance I see us having is if Illinois loses 2 of next 3 (possible with Purdue and MI still on schedule), MN wins the rest and Purdue loses 1(assuming win vs Ill, would need to lose to Indiana or NW). We need to finish with 3 losses and everyone else having 4 to win West. Tiebreakers won't go our way if Illinois and Purdue are included with 3 losses.
 

Yeah, I think the best bet is root for Purdue next week and then hope NW or Indiana can pull off a win against Purdue.

Funnily enough, Us, Wisconsin, and Iowa are rooting for Purdue next week.
 


Gophergrandpa said:
If (1) Purdue and Michigan beat Illinois, (2) Purdue then loses to either Indiana or Northwestern, and (3) we win out, we are Western Champs with no tie-breaker needed. Go Purdue! (next week only).
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And if Illinois beats Purdue we can still win it by Illinois losing to Michigan and northwestern


So go Purdue is correct BUT not the end of it if they lose. Would be fun to go into the final weekend still Alive. And that will happen provided Michigan beats Illinois and the gophers win 2
 

Some guy said:
And if Illinois beats Purdue we can still win it by Illinois losing to Michigan and northwestern


So go Purdue is correct BUT not the end of it if they lose. Would be fun to go into the final weekend still Alive. And that will happen provided Michigan beats Illinois and the gophers win 2
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You are right. I kind of thought that Purdue has a better chance of beating Illinois than Northwestern does, but after games this week who knows? Anyway, assuming the Gophers win out--a huge assumption--we have a chance.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
You are right. I kind of thought that Purdue has a better chance of beating Illinois than Northwestern does, but after games this week who knows? Anyway, assuming the Gophers win out--a huge assumption--we have a chance.
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The reason we want Purdue to win is that Purdue has two chances to get upset.

Whereas Illinois only has one.


Which is more likely:
If purdue wins,
Purdue loses to northwestern OR Indiana

Or

If illinois wins
Illinois loses to Michigan AND Northwestern


I see the first thing as more likely so I prefer Purdue winning. At the end of the day Indiana or northwestern has to win…so it’s unlikely



There are other variables as well. For instance, if Purdue wins…Iowa and Wisconsin still alive longer
If Illinois wins Iowa and Wisconsin are out faster
 
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I don't know much about the Purdue-Indiana "rivalry"... the Oaken Bucket trophy, I think?

Is it actually an intense, hard-fought, important game to those two schools? If it is, those type of games can be somewhat less predictable. The underdog might be highly motivated to have one decent win to end their season.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
You are right. I kind of thought that Purdue has a better chance of beating Illinois than Northwestern does, but after games this week who knows? Anyway, assuming the Gophers win out--a huge assumption--we have a chance.
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Keep in mind Illinois/Northwestern and Purdue/Indiana are rivalry games, so anything could happen in the last weekend. Hopefully, the Gophers will still be in it going to Madtown.
 

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