And it's why I have major questions about next year. People hate Carroll, but he's been fairly solid during his time here. Replacing him. Cooper and Ersery will not be seamless.
Not sure how next year is not a rebuilding year. Year 0 all over again.
Yup... need help at OL.
Sounds like you think the team underperforms no matter how many games they win. I’m sure you’ll tag them with it if they win 7-8 next year despite your 3-4 win projection.
At Oregon. At OSU. Likely unwinnable.
Hard to say what happens with Oregon after this season. They’ll probably still be very good, don’t get me wrong, but they won’t be the same team that they are this year. Lots of people ruled out @ Michigan and Penn State this year and for both we came a play or two away from potentially winning. At any rate, our home schedule is very favorable. I could see us going 6-1 or 5-2 in that slate with an average team and making a bowl off of that.
Not about the opponents like it was last year. About the team next year. Totally new offensive line (as bad as they have been, they can get worse). New QB. New receivers. Going to be a totally new offense and likely not a good one.
I’d agree. They play to roughly their recruiting rankings. Need to get lucky once in a while
Hard to tell with the portal but next year looks like it could be a rough one.
Agree---I've said it a thousand times. I'm a happy camper if we beat Iowa and Wisconsin at least 50% of the time, have at least a .500 or better record, and go to a bowl game. (we ain't winning no BIG titles or going to the 12 team playoff)
What limits the maximum talent level at UM?
It's college football. Every one of our opponents is losing a bunch of key guys.
What hurts about this season isn't the record. When the season started, most of us didn't expect more (or much more) than being 6-5 at this point in the season. I think the prognosticators had us projected to go more like 3-8 or 4-7. What hurts is HOW we lost these games. We were leading yesterday well into the game. Same with the Iowa game until the half. Missed a short FG to lose to North Carolina. Had Michigan on-the-ropes. If 2 of those four games go the other way, this season would have been far different. 3 of those 4 and it would have been special!
Rutgers beat us and was super close to beating Illinois, a team we barely beat. I'd say those three teams are fairly even. So that would then make all three below average right?
Almost every Big Ten coach out thinks PJ on game day. And until he gets that figured out, we will continue to scuffle along. I’m optimistic on our talent. I think the OL will be better next year. I love the returning D group. I’d love to go back in time to whomever taught or told PJ that momentum is not a real thing and kick that person in the nuts. PJ fails to capitalize on what is a very real thing quite often and it’s maddening.
Totally agree. Coach treats every snap as a unique event and fails to account for the initial conditions coming into each snap, especially performance wise. Similar to his thinking that each game is a one-off championship season.
Well said: “…fails to account for the initial conditions coming into each snap”!
Every year is full of unknowns. Someone will step up to replace Jackson. Lindsey will be just fine. Gophs actually gained a lot on defense this year.
Well said. We still put our players in the NFL, but I also like the graduation rate, academic achievements that have created professionals in various fields, community outreach, and I don't see very many articles, if any, about our players running afoul of the police. Fleck says he manages a transformational program. I believe him. There will be years when he will have the kind of results that make Gopherholer's proud, and then there will be the years where we are inconsistent and have the UNC, Rutgers, PSU results.
What did they gain on D (that will be here next year)? Perich obviously. Jaxon Howard played a little. Beyond that?
If they win 7 or 8 regular season games next season I would not say that. The other thing to factor in is games they lose that they should win and if they have any good wins. Illinois their only decent win this year imo. USC next best win. Lastly, this roster was set up for a better season. To me, Fleck was a better coach at WM and his first few years here. I don’t think he’s as good without Ciarrocca. I think the current OC improved as the year went on but that he still has a ways to go. The NC loss was bad, the offensive game plan vs Rutgers was bad and this game I believe Fleck and the OC lost, which seems to happen a lot the last several years.
If they win 7 or 8 regular season games next season I would not say that. The other thing to factor in is games they lose that they should win and if they have any good wins. Illinois their only decent win this year imo. USC next best win.
We’ve beat Iowa once in Fleck’s tenure.