Season Grade A+

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csom_1991

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I know - premature to be assigning a grade to the season but barring a career ending injury to Nelson, the Gophers have hit and surpassed all my expectations for this season:

1.) Bowl game eligible
2.) Quality Big 10 wins
3.) Sweep non-conference games
4.) Install a new offense based on a QB with 3 years of remaining eligibility
5.) Extra weeks of practice w/ the bowl game and the new offense
6.) Defense established themselves - played way above my expectations

I could not be prouder of the team. Way to go Gopher players and coaches.
 


Beat MSU at home and I might sneak them into "A" category. Beat Nebraska, and I will agree LOL
 

I'm feeling good and giving it an A+. I know there are ups and downs during the season. If you told me we'd get to 6-8 wins during the regular season, I'd be very happy.
 

csom_1991 said:
I know - premature to be assigning a grade to the season but barring a career ending injury to Nelson, the Gophers have hit and surpassed all my expectations for this season:

1.) Bowl game eligible
2.) Quality Big 10 wins
3.) Sweep non-conference games
4.) Install a new offense based on a QB with 3 years of remaining eligibility
5.) Extra weeks of practice w/ the bowl game and the new offense
6.) Defense established themselves - played way above my expectations

I could not be prouder of the team. Way to go Gopher players and coaches.
Click to expand...

It's been a solid year.....no question. I think #2 is a little questionable. Illinois and Purdue have been proven to possibly be the worst teams in the Big Ten. I would personally like us to take down a couple of 'higher up' teams.....but I'm happy to see the progress this team has made. It will be nice to see us in a bowl game. That was what I saw as the goal before the season began.
 


csom_1991 said:
2.) Quality Big 10 wins
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I don't see the quality win in beating two teams that currently have a combined Big Ten record of 1-11


4.) Install a new offense based on a QB with 3 years of remaining eligibility
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Blow a year of eligibility on a promising young QB is more like it.
 

B. Six wins is great, but we're still not competitive in the Big Ten. But it's one win more than I expected.
 

mckerney said:
Blow a year of eligibility on a promising young QB is more like it.
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Whether you agree with the decision or not, you have to acknowledge that it helps the team when considering next year only.
 

Bluto: A+? A+? Did you say "A+? Nothing is graded until we decide it is! Did we get a grade when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Otter: [to Boon] Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
 



I honestly can't believe I am reading this after what I watched today. I saw two terrible football teams play an atrocious game that was won by the team that didn't turn the ball over. This is as bad as I've felt about a Gopher road conference win in a long time.

To declare this season an "A" when the Gophers have 2 conference wins is more than a little questionable...we've won 2 or more conference games for 5 straight years now. Hopefully, the Gophers can do something with the rest of their season to actually justify an "A" grade.
 

Gophers09 said:
Whether you agree with the decision or not, you have to acknowledge that it helps the team when considering next year only.
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Not really sure that it does, Nelson would have been fine watching and learning for a year and getting his feet wet against the 4 cupcakes we have lined up. So much for that, "Foundation out of concrete ," though when we can possibly get a slight edge for next year.

Watching Johnny Manziel today it sure does look like a QB can come in ready to play after not seeing the field as a true freshman.
 

EG#9 said:
I honestly can't believe I am reading this after what I watched today. I saw two terrible football teams play an atrocious game that was won by the team that didn't turn the ball over. This is as bad as I've felt about a Gopher road conference win in a long time.

To declare this season an "A" when the Gophers have 2 conference wins is more than a little questionable...we've won 2 or more conference games for 5 straight years now. Hopefully, the Gophers can do something with the rest of their season to actually justify an "A" grade.
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2009 was the last time anyone felt anything about a road conference win so...
 

EG#9 said:
I honestly can't believe I am reading this after what I watched today. I saw two terrible football teams play an atrocious game that was won by the team that didn't turn the ball over. This is as bad as I've felt about a Gopher road conference win in a long time.

To declare this season an "A" when the Gophers have 2 conference wins is more than a little questionable...we've won 2 or more conference games for 5 straight years now. Hopefully, the Gophers can do something with the rest of their season to actually justify an "A" grade.
Click to expand...

A little more negative than I think is warranted, but I agree, it's premature to award a grade for the season. Yet I see considerable improvment, which is encouraging.
 



EG#9 said:
I honestly can't believe I am reading this after what I watched today. I saw two terrible football teams play an atrocious game that was won by the team that didn't turn the ball over. This is as bad as I've felt about a Gopher road conference win in a long time.

To declare this season an "A" when the Gophers have 2 conference wins is more than a little questionable...we've won 2 or more conference games for 5 straight years now. Hopefully, the Gophers can do something with the rest of their season to actually justify an "A" grade.
Click to expand...

I agree that A is probably not accurate, but a win on the road in the BT is always a good thing. Our defense played very well and our OL played well also.
 


My definition of a "good" season, regardless of what team or even what sport, has always been to win the games you should and steal one or two you "shouldn't".

Iowa was there for the taking, unfortunately it was likely the game this year the Gophers were dinged up the most. Northwestern was a possibility also, but also one where they were awfully dinged up.

Stealing one against Sparty would make this season unquestionably an A. If not, pretty solid B as they really won every game they were expected. Too many past seasons, going quite a ways back actually, where they dumped at least one game they shouldn't have.

Offensive line continues to impress, moving the ball with Freshmen and Sophs when Illinois knew they were going to run. Still can't believe they are winning games with NO upper class men up front.
 

I follow EG#9 and his comments closely. He is hereby crowned the Joe Bltzfk of GopherHole.
 

mckerney said:
Not really sure that it does, Nelson would have been fine watching and learning for a year and getting his feet wet against the 4 cupcakes we have lined up. So much for that, "Foundation out of concrete ," though when we can possibly get a slight edge for next year.

Watching Johnny Manziel today it sure does look like a QB can come in ready to play after not seeing the field as a true freshman.
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With all due respect to your post and to Nelson, I would be hesitant to compare a True Frosh from TX thrown into the fire of SEC vs Nelson being thrown into (halfway through in a down year ) to the B1G. Happy for the Gophs though. Congrats Coach Kill & Co. SKI-U-MAH
 

To declare this season an "A" when the Gophers have 2 conference wins is more than a little questionable...we've won 2 or more conference games for 5 straight years now. Hopefully, the Gophers can do something with the rest of their season to actually justify an "A" grade.

I case you missed it, we are on our 3rd QB of the year and our wins are not morale building wins at the end of the year to finish off a 3 win campaign. The important thing is that the Gophers took care of business when we needed to and with the exception of WI, were competitive in every game - that is improvement well beyond the record. Lastly, we are not going into the off-season guessing who is going to be playing QB next year - that question has been answered and the extra reps (from here on out + bowl prep) he gets more than makes up for the burned redshirt. I would wager our recruiting at the skill positions will be much easier now for Kill given the bowl eligibility + recruits knowing that they will have a legitimate QB running the show. Kill can now sell them on results rather than just promises of a grand future 'when he gets things fixed'....this season was HUGE.
 

My definition of a "good" season, regardless of what team or even what sport, has always been to win the games you should and steal one or two you "shouldn't".

I would agree with that with the caveat that those expectations are set at the start of the year. If I told you that Gray would get injured and would not be able to play QB mid-way through the non-conference schedule and Shortell would be sidelined with a concussion - how many wins would you have pegged the Gophers at? This team is not just 'meeting expectations' unless your expectations were ridiculous at the start of the year.
 

mckerney said:
Blow a year of eligibility on a promising young QB is more like it.
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How is it blowing a year of eligibility if he has led us to a bowl game? The entire team (all of those freshmen) get an extra month of practice, they get the experience of a bowl game, and you'd consider that a waste?

What would Nelson have had to have done to consider his playing time warranted?
 


I agree with other people's sentiment....

it's not an A yet.

For me, it's like school. I'd set the curve at B-. If you do what is expected, you get a B-. If you're slightly better than expected, B and if you totally exceed expectations, you can get into the A range.

I thought we'd win 5 games this season. Right now, with 6, I'd give this season a solid B. If we can beat either Nebraska or MSU....i'd give them an A.
 

Right now I would give this season a solid B. Won the non-conf games we were supposed to and have equaled last seasons Big Ten win total which means the team goes bowling.

Grade could move up to an A with a win over NEB or more likely MSU.

To the original post I would not classify either of our 2 Big Ten wins to date as quality wins as those two teams have proven to be two of the worst in the conference with Illinois as the run away worst team by far. They are however conference wins so I put more stock in them than the 4 non-conf wins.
 

Every FBS team we have beaten we have a better record then. Every team we lost to we have a worse record then, with the exception of Iowa and it was a road game. I'd say that's pretty consistent with the "beating teams you are supposed to beat mantra" that everyone had been clamoring for before the season started. If we beat Nebraska or Michigan State that's gravy before the bowl game. I just hope we draw someone that we can be competitive with to maybe crack .500 and finish 7-6, the season would be an solid A if that was our result.
 

csom_1991 said:
I case you missed it, we are on our 3rd QB of the year and our wins are not morale building wins at the end of the year to finish off a 3 win campaign. The important thing is that the Gophers took care of business when we needed to and with the exception of WI, were competitive in every game - that is improvement well beyond the record. Lastly, we are not going into the off-season guessing who is going to be playing QB next year - that question has been answered and the extra reps (from here on out + bowl prep) he gets more than makes up for the burned redshirt. I would wager our recruiting at the skill positions will be much easier now for Kill given the bowl eligibility + recruits knowing that they will have a legitimate QB running the show. Kill can now sell them on results rather than just promises of a grand future 'when he gets things fixed'....this season was HUGE.
Click to expand...

Nice win to get bowl eligible but you need to settle down on the whole quality conference wins. There was no guessing on who was the starting QB going into the start of the season and Nelson was not yet arrived to the point Kill can sell other recruits on playing with him.
 

EG#9 said:
I honestly can't believe I am reading this after what I watched today. I saw two terrible football teams play an atrocious game that was won by the team that didn't turn the ball over. This is as bad as I've felt about a Gopher road conference win in a long time.

To declare this season an "A" when the Gophers have 2 conference wins is more than a little questionable...we've won 2 or more conference games for 5 straight years now. Hopefully, the Gophers can do something with the rest of their season to actually justify an "A" grade.
Click to expand...

I agree that it's not an A, but I think you're being a little pessimistic about the development of this season.

In the recent past, we've struggled against atrocious teams (NMSU, NSDU, SDSU), this year, we avoided a devastating loss. A loss that was flat-out embarrasing. From where we came from, that's a big plus.

We beat a decent Syracuse team and we got bowl eligible.

If you would have told people last year after the Michigan game that we were going to make a bowl in 2012, they would have laughed at you.

We were an embarrasingly bad football team, now we are just an OK Big 10 team, that's a significant improvement.
 

I would peg the season currently at a B with one win away from an A (regular season or Bowl game).
 

To get 6 wins with 2 to play is huge for this team. Each win for the program has been a program builder. We embaraced Purdue when we had the chance to have the season going the other direction. We then get a huge road win with all the pressure of becoming bowl eligible in Illinois. We are playing the QB we didn't expect. We were on our 3rd Center today. The Olson boys are no where to be found. Barker is the MVP and he has been out. We had all the pressure today and we won!

No we can just let it all go and enjoy the next two weeks. Let it all hang out and see what we can do with Nebraska and Michigan State.

Oh yeah, and we just added a 13th game to our schedule today.
 

I think an A+ might be be a bit much. But 6 wins meets most people's reasonable expectations. I had the Gophers for 5 wins, maybe 6. But "feeling bad" about a Big Ten road win, that makes far less sense than grading the season an A+.
 

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