Seth Davis: Ben Johnson has done an incredible job with this team. One of the elite coaches in one of the toughest jobs in America.

[gregbrady]

Yeah, he couldn't get a job in the MAC before our charity hire. If there were over/under on how many wins would any MAC coach get in the Big 10 in their first 4 seasons, I would take over 22 on every single one of them.

Lookup John Groce, who went from Ohio U to Illinois and won 29 games his first four years in the B1G, probably should’ve been let go, but they gave him a 5th and didn’t do much better and they let him go. Now he’s back in the MAC and has Akron playing very well.

 

[Gopheritnow]

9 pages since Sat afternoon. This is gonna wipe the FBJ post off the leader board at this rate.

Hell hath no fury like a FBJ poster scorned.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Lookup John Groce, who went from Ohio U to Illinois and won 29 games his first four years in the B1G, probably should’ve been let go, but they gave him a 5th and didn’t do much better and they let him go. Now he’s back in the MAC and has Akron playing very well.

I was just thinking about Groce the other day! I really liked the guy and thought he was an impressive man and coach, but he couldn't get it done at Illinois. At the time, people were wondering out loud whether Illinois might be one of the more difficult jobs in the Big Ten, speculating that, even though the recruiting grounds were fertile with Chicago close by, it was tough to recruit there without cheating, and Groce was not a cheater. That was some of the chatter at that time, at least. Obviously, Lou Henson had been successful there, but there were always murmurings that he was dirty. Then Bruce Weber had some success, getting them to the national final, but ultimately couldn't sustain it and was dismissed. Because Groce was well liked and regarded, the punditry concluded that it was just an impossible situation and the lack of success no fault of his. Sound familiar? That's why I was thinking about him the other day.

 

[Gophers7633]

I'm sure the teams that miss out on the Big Ten tournament or played/play on weakling Wednesday would beg to differ.

If playing in the B1GT actually meant something towards making the actual NCAA Tournament it would mean something. Unfortunately, for us it really doesn't. I'm glad it appears we will make it because I enjoy watching as much Gophers bball as possible, but unless we win it, it won't change much.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

Look hockey makes money and that is great (it is my fave sport) but more people watch reruns of Big Bang Theory than watch even the best hockey matchups. I know it sounds like I am exaggerating but I am pretty sure BTN was bragging that they got 159k people to watch a game a month or so ago. (one of the top viewership numbers they have had)

I certainly believe that hockey doesn't generate the TV money that basketball does but I don't think it's so unlikely that there are more college hockey fans than gopher basketball fans in this state. Hockey is the one sport where all of the larger state universities field D1 teams so it provides for significant in-state rivalries. This state also produces more D1 hockey players than any other (according to a publication I read about two years ago). Do you know the values of NIL for hockey vs. men's basketball?

 

[JZABR]

Everything you said is true. Remember this: They hired this same guy who had never been a head coach. Anywhere. To do this job. To me, that's crazy.

I think it is time to move on.

They are building a case that:

1. Ben has done well with the talent he has this year. Let's face it- who among us thought 7-8 wins was possible at the start of the conference season?
2. He had the beginnings of a talented team last year with Hawkins and Payne now starting on top 20 squads- but the NIL wasn't there to keep them (I blame that partly on Ben).
3. We will have the money to compete next year so Ben can do this if he has the financial backing.

That's their case. Not mine.

I don't like his offensive scheme or his defense. I don't like how he uses the bench. I don't like how he uses his timeouts. I don't think he's any better than an average recruiter. I don't think he has managed or built rosters. He has mostly brought in guards that lack speed- Hawkins and Asuma being the exceptions. He brings in guys that can't shoot or are otherwise one dimensional. The bench gets shorter as the season goes on and guys disappear.

To his credit- his teams play hard and he brings in good attitude/character kids. That is a plus for sure.

Completely agree. There's a difference between we want / feel the need to happen vs what we think will happen. Yes, his players seem to really play hard for him. That is appreciated by us fans. His bench usage always has frustrated me, and I'm not alone in this. The defense has been the better calling card vs the offense. Having am actual play maker / shot creator makes the offense look 10x better than what an offense like ours looks like right now.
There will be no shortage of coaches who will jump at the opportunity to coach a B1G team and same goes for mid-major players.

 

[Blackhammer]

Per Doogie, they're "thrilled" with their current assistants and wouldn't want any changes.

Can’t recruit or coach Xs and Os . I guess if they get better job offers my statement would be proven wrong.

 

[JZABR]

Everything you said is true. Remember this: They hired this same guy who had never been a head coach. Anywhere. To do this job. To me, that's crazy.

I think it is time to move on.

They are building a case that:

1. Ben has done well with the talent he has this year. Let's face it- who among us thought 7-8 wins was possible at the start of the conference season?
2. He had the beginnings of a talented team last year with Hawkins and Payne now starting on top 20 squads- but the NIL wasn't there to keep them (I blame that partly on Ben).
3. We will have the money to compete next year so Ben can do this if he has the financial backing.

That's their case. Not mine.

I don't like his offensive scheme or his defense. I don't like how he uses the bench. I don't like how he uses his timeouts. I don't think he's any better than an average recruiter. I don't think he has managed or built rosters. He has mostly brought in guards that lack speed- Hawkins and Asuma being the exceptions. He brings in guys that can't shoot or are otherwise one dimensional. The bench gets shorter as the season goes on and guys disappear.

To his credit- his teams play hard and he brings in good attitude/character kids. That is a plus for sure.

Completely agree. There's a difference between we want / feel the need to happen vs what we think will happen. Yes, his players seem to really play hard for him. That is appreciated by us fans. His bench usage always has frustrated me, and I'm not alone in this. The defense has been the better calling card vs the offense. Having am actual play maker / shot creator makes the offense look 10x better than what an offense like ours looks like right now.
There will be no shortage of coaches who will jump at the opportunity to coach a B1G team and same goes for mid-major players.

 

[gregbrady]

I was just thinking about Groce the other day! I really liked the guy and thought he was an impressive man and coach, but he couldn't get it done at Illinois. At the time, people were wondering out loud whether Illinois might be one of the more difficult jobs in the Big Ten, speculating that, even though the recruiting grounds were fertile with Chicago close by, it was tough to recruit there without cheating, and Groce was not a cheater. That was some of the chatter at that time, at least. Obviously, Lou Henson had been successful there, but there were always murmurings that he was dirty. Then Bruce Weber had some success, getting them to the national final, but ultimately couldn't sustain it and was dismissed. Because Groce was well liked and regarded, the punditry concluded that it was just an impossible situation and the lack of success no fault of his. Sound familiar? That's why I was thinking about him the other day.

Some Illinois fans consider it their dark period when it hit rock bottom, yet he went to 1 NCAA and 3 NIT’s in 5 years and he was let go for not winning enough. I’m sure he couldn’t get the players, as they say ‘it’s not the x’s & I’d, it’s the Jimmy’s and the Joes!

 

[WindyCityGopher]

I was just thinking about Groce the other day! I really liked the guy and thought he was an impressive man and coach, but he couldn't get it done at Illinois. At the time, people were wondering out loud whether Illinois might be one of the more difficult jobs in the Big Ten, speculating that, even though the recruiting grounds were fertile with Chicago close by, it was tough to recruit there without cheating, and Groce was not a cheater. That was some of the chatter at that time, at least. Obviously, Lou Henson had been successful there, but there were always murmurings that he was dirty. Then Bruce Weber had some success, getting them to the national final, but ultimately couldn't sustain it and was dismissed. Because Groce was well liked and regarded, the punditry concluded that it was just an impossible situation and the lack of success no fault of his. Sound familiar? That's why I was thinking about him the other day.

Groce was not well-liked in his last couple years, and was continually roasted by Chicago sports radio, with the talking heads demanding he be fired. Illini basketball has to be either especially good or especially bad to get attention in Chicago, despite all the alums who live here. The latter half of his tenure was especially bad.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

Some Illinois fans consider it their dark period when it hit rock bottom, yet he went to 1 NCAA and 3 NIT’s in 5 years and he was let go for not winning enough. I’m sure he couldn’t get the players, as they say ‘it’s not the x’s & I’d, it’s the Jimmy’s and the Joes!

I don't know that I'd say that. Here are the years that he coached at Illinois and the number of RSCI Top 100 players he had on the roster:

2016 - 5 (two played in the NBA); season record: 15-19

2015 - 4 (same two played in NBA); season record: 19-14

2014 - 4
(same two played in NBA); season record: 20-15

2013 - 6

(two different players played in NBA); season record: 23-13; made the NCAA tournament

For comparison, here were the number of Top 100 players on the Gophers' rosters during those years.

2016- 0
2015 - 0
2014 - 0
2013 - 2

I don't think Groce was a bad coach but, in terms of raw talent, he had more to work with than this program did.

 

[CentralGopher]

My point is this. If you look at the actual language of Davis' comments, all he did is sited his opinion, followed by his reasons for his opinion.

"Ben Johnson has done an incredible job with this team. One of the elite coaches in one of the toughest jobs in America." He went on to site the following factors as his reason for saying so: "Tough league, brutal weather, outdated facilities, minimal NIL $$".

So how does the fire Ben Johnson crowd respond. Predictaby, with their fire Ben Johnson chant. Oh, and they are very offended by the word "elite" being used, and the weather being a mentioned factor. On the big factors of NIL and facilities, crickets.

The fact is there are major, non-coach related reasons for Gopher basketball's current state. And until those reasons are addressed, hiring a new coach is not going to be the panacea the fire Ben Johnson crowd thinks it will be.

Both NIL and facilities have been addressed here. NIL isn’t as bad as you’d like to believe and facilities here are top notch. Players don’t care that fans pee in a trough.

 

[gregbrady]

I don't know that I'd say that. Here are the years that he coached at Illinois and the number of RSCI Top 100 players he had on the roster:

2016 - 5 (two played in the NBA); season record: 15-19

2015 - 4 (same two played in NBA); season record: 19-14

2014 - 4
(same two played in NBA); season record: 20-15

2013 - 6

(two different players played in NBA); season record: 23-13; made the NCAA tournament

For comparison, here were the number of Top 100 players on the Gophers' rosters during those years.

2016- 0
2015 - 0
2014 - 0
2013 - 2

I don't think Groce was a bad coach but, in terms of raw talent, he had more to work with than this program did.

Good info, I didn’t look up their roster. It’s interesting that he got the Illinois job after one decent year(of 4) at Ohio. They made the sweet 16, but not much else as a head coach screamed Power 5 potential.

 

[howeda7]

Both NIL and facilities have been addressed here. NIL isn’t as bad as you’d like to believe and facilities here are top notch. Players don’t care that fans pee in a trough.

I'm sure taking recruits to an empty Barn in September/October isn't ideal, but I doubt too many are basing their decision on that. It's about NIL, the coaches and and the practice facilities.

The Barn does need to be addressed, but not because of recruiting.

 

[TwistingMyMelon]

As you read the fire BJ crowds comments here on Seth Davis' post, I would encourage you to go back and read their predictions on how many Big 10 wins the Gophers will have this year.

You will find their win predictions to be on par with the reaction to Davis. Let's just say they were & are terrible wrong in both instances. My favorite is USAF's zero win prediction. And he is not alone in vastly underestimating this team and coaching staff.

The fire BJ crowd sure know their basketball. LOL.

Good post. Ben Johnson may or may not be renewed here but you can't have it both ways. You can't say: "He's the worst coach in the league and won't beat anybody" and then still say he's the worst coach in the league if he finishes above 5 or 6 teams.

Of course, that rule assumes that people will have honesty, objectivity, and integrity and most of these people have none of those. Most of them aren't very bright either.

 

[bga1]

As you read the fire BJ crowds comments here on Seth Davis' post, I would encourage you to go back and read their predictions on how many Big 10 wins the Gophers will have this year.

You will find their win predictions to be on par with the reaction to Davis. Let's just say they were & are terrible wrong in both instances. My favorite is USAF's zero win prediction. And he is not alone in vastly underestimating this team and coaching staff.

The fire BJ crowd sure know their basketball. LOL.

Total Wins During Conference Season

Now that we have seen the majority of the non-conference portion of the schedule, how many wins do you think the Gophers will have during the regular season BIG stretch of games?

gopherhole.com

This one? I had them at 6-7 wins. It sure looks like a lot of people who thinks he should be fired (but won't be in my case) were not far off if off at all.

 

[bga1]

Good post. Ben Johnson may or may not be renewed here but you can't have it both ways. You can't say: "He's the worst coach in the league and won't beat anybody" and then still say he's the worst coach in the league if he finishes above 5 or 6 teams.

Of course, that rule assumes that people will have honesty, objectivity, and integrity and most of these people have none of those. Most of them aren't very bright either.

What Big Ten coach does he have a better 4 year record than? That would be objective and honest, I think.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

So, what's left? How he dresses on the sideline? His presence on social media and how well he uses it to connect with fans and keep them up to date on things? His ability to explain and articulate matters of interest to fans and observers of the program in his post-game remarks and weekly radio show? What other measures of performance have I left out?

High fives and butt slaps!

 

[USAF]

You will find their win predictions to be on par with the reaction to Davis. Let's just say they were & are terrible wrong in both instances. My favorite is USAF's zero win prediction. And he is not alone in vastly underestimating this team and coaching staff.

Not only are you an idiot, you're a liar.

I didn't predict 0.

In fact, only 8 of over 100 predicted 0-1. And I wasn't one of thr 8.

 

[DarthGopher]

Both NIL and facilities have been addressed here. NIL isn’t as bad as you’d like to believe and facilities here are top notch. Players don’t care that fans pee in a trough.

I had a chance to see Athlete's Village recently. The practice facilities are top notch. The whole complex is very, very nice. The athletes can get everything there - food, medical, training, tutoring, etc.

Maybe that is why they are struggling at home. They practice in modern facilities, so when they go to other modern facilities, they have familiarity. They go to The Barn and are thrown off by the nostalgia.

 

[Arealgopherfan]

Not only are you an idiot, you're a liar.

I didn't predict 0.

In fact, only 8 of over 100 predicted 0-1. And I wasn't one of thr 8.

It's true that on the December 6 "Total Wins During Conference Season" thread you used your superior, all-knowing basketball knowledge to predict 2-3 wins.

But later on January 17th, in responding under the "When will Gophers men's basketball team get its first Big Ten win?", you wrote, and I quote, "January 2026". Or, to put it another way, ZERO wins.

Now it could well be that your January 2026 response was a joke. And when I think more about that possibility, it makes total sense, because all of your posts on here are a joke.

In fact, I'm laughing right now at your total lacking of basketball knowledge.

 

[jamiche]

The first part of Davis' comment is not true. Ben has not done a "fantastic job" and hasn't done enough to keep his job. The second part of the statement is true. It's one of the worst P5 jobs and probably the worst job in the B1G.

For all the DEI folks, let it go. Nobody you wanted was coming. Johnson was a reasonable risk at the time and under the old rules. And. He. Fit. The. Budget. The pickings were slim. A $5M hire wasn't happening.

The guys who transferred out last year are not killing it. JOJ, Payne, Carrington and Hawkins are performing at or below last year's numbers, except for their bank accounts--presumably.

It would amuse me to see Coyle hire another black coach who would then hire an all female staff. The DEI's heads would explode. (Sarcasm alert.)

 

[Gophers7633]

It's true that on the December 6 "Total Wins During Conference Season" thread you used your superior, all-knowing basketball knowledge to predict 2-3 wins.

But later on January 17th, in responding under the "When will Gophers men's basketball team get its first Big Ten win?", you wrote, and I quote, "January 2026". Or, to put it another way, ZERO wins.

Now it could well be that your January 2026 response was a joke. And when I think more about that possibility, it makes total sense, because all of your posts on here are a joke.

In fact, I'm laughing right now at your total lacking of basketball knowledge.

What's your prediction on the Wisconsin and Rutgers games and how far will we go in the B1G Tournament (assuming we make it) great basketball savant.

 

[disco]

I certainly believe that hockey doesn't generate the TV money that basketball does but I don't think it's so unlikely that there are more college hockey fans than gopher basketball fans in this state. Hockey is the one sport where all of the larger state universities field D1 teams so it provides for significant in-state rivalries. This state also produces more D1 hockey players than any other (according to a publication I read about two years ago). Do you know the values of NIL for hockey vs. men's basketball?

Hockey did do well TV-wise when they had their own contract with then Fox Sports North. The WCHA schedule was like clockwork - they played Friday and Saturday nights at the same time almost every week. You could go into any random bar with TV's and there was a good chance you'd see Gopher Hockey on a Fri or Sat. Like it or not, the B1G messed that part up, even if attendance has finally come back.

But overall, people in this state don't really recognize that college hockey is a very niche, very regional sport. Like baseball and softball in the SE and California, and lacrosse in the NE and Mid-Atlantic, there really isn't a lot of national interest in college hockey. Attendance figures bear this out. ND, Wisconsin and Minnesota are really the only teams that draw significantly.

 

[Arealgopherfan]

What's your prediction on the Wisconsin and Rutgers games and how far will we go in the B1G Tournament (assuming we make it) great basketball savant.

Why do I have the impression you were one of the 52 out of 108 people responding who predicted the Gophers would win 3 or fewer Big Ten games?

As to the Wisconsin and Rutgers games, a lot depends on Garcia's ankle, but I expect the team will lose both. I hope I am wrong, unlike many others on here, who silently hope for the Gophers to lose so that there will be more pressure to fire Johnson.

The bottom line on this thread is we are given a choice: (1) agree with Seth Davis's assessment of Johnson as a coach, or (2) come down on the side of the FBG crowd.

For me, I will go with the with the assessment of the guy who is paid to analysis basketball and talent on a national level, as opposed to a bunch of local posters who believe hiring a new, unnamed head coach is the one and only answer. Likewise, I not willing to support spending $2.9 million in buyout dollars based on local posters' pie in the sky views on a coaching change magically making the Gophers a top tier team.

Finally, will you please share your prediction for Big Ten wins back in December when the question was posed. I would hate for the board to think you were one the 8 who predicted 0 wins.

 

[goldenboy]

Johnson’s comparable is Iowa’s Todd Lickliter (the one name that stands out above all other Big Ten coaches as the poster boy for bad coaching). They had the same number of conference wins in their first three seasons. Can’t go beyond that because Iowa was smart enough to cut bait after three seasons (as should have we). The Iowa fanbase had to be much like the Gopherhole is now. Give him more time or give him the boot? Our program has never been worse, or we’ll never be any better than this. Now I’m certainly not a fan of Fran McCaffrey, but it was clear that moving on from a historical program worst coach paid off. It boggles my mind that this is even debatable after our four-year program worst stretch.

 

[Gophers7633]

Why do I have the impression you were one of the 52 out of 108 people responding who predicted the Gophers would win 3 or fewer Big Ten games?

As to the Wisconsin and Rutgers games, a lot depends on Garcia's ankle, but I expect the team will lose both. I hope I am wrong, unlike many others on here, who silently hope for the Gophers to lose so that there will be more pressure to fire Johnson.

The bottom line on this thread is we are given a choice: (1) agree with Seth Davis's assessment of Johnson as a coach, or (2) come down on the side of the FBG crowd.

For me, I will go with the with the assessment of the guy who is paid to analysis basketball and talent on a national level, as opposed to a bunch of local posters who believe hiring a new, unnamed head coach is the one and only answer. Likewise, I not willing to support spending $2.9 million in buyout dollars based on local posters' pie in the sky views on a coaching change magically making the Gophers a top tier team.

Finally, will you please share your prediction for Big Ten wins back in December when the question was posed. I would hate for the board to think you were one the 8 who predicted 0 wins.

Your impression would be incorrect.

I've never rooted against the Gophers. I even said earlier in this thread I expect CBJ back. I am glad we have 7 B1G wins. I wish it meant something in terms of NCAA tournament aspirations but CBJ can't schedule and have this team perform well enough in OOC for it to matter.

I would certainly disagree with his assessment that CBJ is an elite coach. His results clearly show that.

$2.9 million dollars is nothing compared to what some of these other schools have paid to get rid of coaches. Hell didn't IU spend like $20 million to get rid of their football coach after 2023.

And IIRC, I had them winning 5/6 B1G games.

 

[USAF]

Why do I have the impression you were one of the 52 out of 108 people responding who predicted the Gophers would win 3 or fewer Big Ten games?

As to the Wisconsin and Rutgers games, a lot depends on Garcia's ankle, but I expect the team will lose both. I hope I am wrong, unlike many others on here, who silently hope for the Gophers to lose so that there will be more pressure to fire Johnson.

The bottom line on this thread is we are given a choice: (1) agree with Seth Davis's assessment of Johnson as a coach, or (2) come down on the side of the FBG crowd.

For me, I will go with the with the assessment of the guy who is paid to analysis basketball and talent on a national level, as opposed to a bunch of local posters who believe hiring a new, unnamed head coach is the one and only answer. Likewise, I not willing to support spending $2.9 million in buyout dollars based on local posters' pie in the sky views on a coaching change magically making the Gophers a top tier team.

Finally, will you please share your prediction for Big Ten wins back in December when the question was posed. I would hate for the board to think you were one the 8 who predicted 0 wins.

I think i figured this out...youre CBJ's mom, aintcha?

 

[GopherPoke]

Note: Skip this post if you don't want to read a stream of consciousness rant.

Seth Davis is a fool. If you think he's watched more than a short highlight of Gophers bball this season, you've lost some of your mind. He hasn't. He's playing a good guy with this baloney and probably didn't know the extent of his foolishness with that post because guys like him say things without thinking sometimes and it went along with a highlight of the day.

I'm a fan of Gophers sports in general. I like watching FB and BB on tv regularly and in person when I can get to town. I follow baseball as much as possible, but they aren't covered as much as I'd like. I'm not a fan who predicts W/L because I just don't care to. I follow the season and get as much joy out of it as possible.

That said, and don't @ me, but I'm one of the silent folks out here since mid Feb that find myself okay with losing out this season. Can't say I'm "hoping" for losses, but you know what I mean. I want new bball leadership. Now, I watch all the games and cheer and find myself happy when they play well and win, but that hasn't changed my underlying feelings with this staff. They are not a fun team to watch. I can't stand seeing the coach do very little on the sideline (I loathe the types who are complete opposite fools on the sideline, though, can't there be a happy medium?). Every once in a while, a coach needs to lose his shit with the refs when calls continue to evade your side (Seems like this happens a lot, no?), but our guy just makes silly faces and does nothing. I can't stand the lack of offensive minded bball, poor inbounds plays, etc. I don't see him improving this side of things. Really, none of it has changed/improved since he arrived (imo, it was equally as bad with the guy prior). It's said by a few that our incoming freshman are decent. Love it. That won't change our complete lack of offensive identity under this staff. We continue to be a 5-out offense with no ability to drive to the hoop or hit a guy posting up (yeah, Payne was open A LOT, and not much posting up occurs this year). His recruiting doesn't do it for me. Garcia, fell in lap, but he still gets credit for him. Amazing pick up, but who is replacing him? I don't think he gets lucky again.

I don't have any eye popping suggestions on who to look at next, but it's time. I don't know if Wicks would leave UW, but he definitely has some ability. He coaches non-stop and fights for his guys. He is Wyo native, so that might be tough (actually a Triple CSer, which is troublesome. Look it up and thank me later). Not set on him and probably would not be my first choice, but I like his style. I only mention him because hey, I'm also a Cowboys fan. He coaches a team the way I like and I really think there might be others out there that do the same.

Bottom line, I don't see this ride getting any better. I hate the fire threads as much as anyone, but thought I'd add my two cents.

I know it's not as simple as it might seem, plenty of things involved that I won't get into because I don't know a lick them ($$$).

Sorry for edit, but I left my main, original point out. It happens in a streaming of you know what of a post.
I'm in this for the entertainment. I love watching basketball. I love the Gophers. I want to watch a fun team, hopefully successful team, a team going places, a team that I can watch in the dance. I don't think that is selfish or out of the question. It's happened before in MN. As good of dude as we have, I don't see him getting MN bball to where I want it. That's all.

It's time to move on.

 

[Spaulding!No!]

Why do I have the impression you were one of the 52 out of 108 people responding who predicted the Gophers would win 3 or fewer Big Ten games?

As to the Wisconsin and Rutgers games, a lot depends on Garcia's ankle, but I expect the team will lose both. I hope I am wrong, unlike many others on here, who silently hope for the Gophers to lose so that there will be more pressure to fire Johnson.

The bottom line on this thread is we are given a choice: (1) agree with Seth Davis's assessment of Johnson as a coach, or (2) come down on the side of the FBG crowd.

For me, I will go with the with the assessment of the guy who is paid to analysis basketball and talent on a national level, as opposed to a bunch of local posters who believe hiring a new, unnamed head coach is the one and only answer. Likewise, I not willing to support spending $2.9 million in buyout dollars based on local posters' pie in the sky views on a coaching change magically making the Gophers a top tier team.

Finally, will you please share your prediction for Big Ten wins back in December when the question was posed. I would hate for the board to think you were one the 8 who predicted 0 wins.

Now do me! How many conf wins did I predict and what first conf win did I predict.