Gopher07
Captain of Awesome
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2008
- Messages
- 9,008
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- Points
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Last weekend sure didn't go the Gophers' way, but don't tell the Sagarin predictions that. After a 14-7 loss to the Hawkeyes, the Gophers predicted record improved by virtue of a decline for Illinois, and while it was predicting a 7-point advantage to the Terps last week, it's a 3.5-point spread as of now. So things might not be as bleak as they seem.
Saturday's game looms extremely large for the hopes of the season. If - and that's a big if considering how the team has performed in the last several weeks - the Gophers can win on the road as the underdog on Saturday, they'll enter the easiest three-game conference stretch one could hope to get in major college football with momentum.
Seriously - Rutgers, Illinois and Purdue average Sagarin rank is 106. There are only six P5 teams that rank 85+ in the ratings right now, and the Gophers play three in a row starting 10/22 - the other three are Oregon State [85], Syracuse [93] and Kansas [114].
Time will tell if 10/15 is the day things changed for this team. The opportunity is there.
A reminder on how I arrive here, I take Jeff Sagarin's predictor ratings (found here), and calculate what the computer says the spread should be, for now through the end of the season. Negative numbers favor the Gophers, positive favor the opponent.
Previous weeks are below:
Preseason
Week 2
Week 3
Week 5
Week 6
vs Oregon State W (predicted -8; actual -7)
vs Indiana State W (predicted -17.5; actual -30)
vs Colorado State W (predicted -17.5; actual -7)
@ Penn State L (predicted +4; actual +3)
vs Iowa L (predicted +8; actual +7)
@ Maryland +3.5
vs Rutgers -16.5
@ Illinois -3.5
vs Purdue -15
@ Nebraska +14.5
vs Northwestern +0.5
@ Wisconsin +18.5
Final record: 6-6 (3-6)
Likely in the W column (>7-point advantage to Minnesota): vs Rutgers, vs Purdue
Toss ups (no team with a greater than 7-point advantage): @ Maryland, @ Illinois, vs Northwestern
Likely in the L column (>7-point advantage to opponent): @ Nebraska, @ Wisconsin
Saturday's game looms extremely large for the hopes of the season. If - and that's a big if considering how the team has performed in the last several weeks - the Gophers can win on the road as the underdog on Saturday, they'll enter the easiest three-game conference stretch one could hope to get in major college football with momentum.
Seriously - Rutgers, Illinois and Purdue average Sagarin rank is 106. There are only six P5 teams that rank 85+ in the ratings right now, and the Gophers play three in a row starting 10/22 - the other three are Oregon State [85], Syracuse [93] and Kansas [114].
Time will tell if 10/15 is the day things changed for this team. The opportunity is there.
A reminder on how I arrive here, I take Jeff Sagarin's predictor ratings (found here), and calculate what the computer says the spread should be, for now through the end of the season. Negative numbers favor the Gophers, positive favor the opponent.
Previous weeks are below:
Preseason
Week 2
Week 3
Week 5
Week 6
vs Oregon State W (predicted -8; actual -7)
vs Indiana State W (predicted -17.5; actual -30)
vs Colorado State W (predicted -17.5; actual -7)
@ Penn State L (predicted +4; actual +3)
vs Iowa L (predicted +8; actual +7)
@ Maryland +3.5
vs Rutgers -16.5
@ Illinois -3.5
vs Purdue -15
@ Nebraska +14.5
vs Northwestern +0.5
@ Wisconsin +18.5
Final record: 6-6 (3-6)
Likely in the W column (>7-point advantage to Minnesota): vs Rutgers, vs Purdue
Toss ups (no team with a greater than 7-point advantage): @ Maryland, @ Illinois, vs Northwestern
Likely in the L column (>7-point advantage to opponent): @ Nebraska, @ Wisconsin