Sid: Gophers football schedule for next season is so much softer than it was in 2015

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Sid:

• As I’ve noted before, the Gophers football schedule for next season is so much softer than it was in 2015. It opens with three nonconference home games, against Oregon State, Indiana State and Colorado State. Big Ten play alternates between home and road games, and it begins at Penn State, followed by Iowa at home, at Maryland, Rutgers at home, at Illinois, Purdue at home, at Nebraska, Northwestern at home and end the season at Wisconsin. It’s the first year of the nine-game Big Ten schedule.

http://www.startribune.com/twins-park-knows-how-to-speak-language-of-baseball/374383071/

Go Gophers!!
 

W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W

It's not crazy to believe this year.

If we struggle with the first 3 like we did last season that's the canary in the coal mine. Let us imagine, though, that the lines solidify and miraculously avoid injuries, the secondary matures quickly, the receivers use two hands, and the QB channels 1998 Randall Cunningham.

Penn State will be breaking in a new QB.
Iowa at home should be a W even though I really like that Beathard kid.
Maryland, Rutgers will be interesting as I know next to nothing about them. Seem to be average teams. W and W amiright?
Illinois will be very interesting but they aren't going to be world beaters overnight.
Purdue is a mess.
Nebraska will be tough but has questions, and a coach the fans already hate. The honeymoon didn't make it out of the airport.
Northwestern at home. Has to be a W.
Wisconsin because it is time. They have some questions and lost some big contributors.

So there you have, our first ever 12 win season.
 

I love your optimism PE. Sure, why not.

Edit: And they're due to beat OSU when they play them in Indy. The only question is Peach or Fiesta. Then Tampa, here I come. I see it now.
 

Mike Riley is hated? Not disagreeing with you, I was just unaware.

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk
 

Pompous Elitist said:
W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W

It's not crazy to believe this year.

If we struggle with the first 3 like we did last season that's the canary in the coal mine. Let us imagine, though, that the lines solidify and miraculously avoid injuries, the secondary matures quickly, the receivers use two hands, and the QB channels 1998 Randall Cunningham.

Penn State will be breaking in a new QB.
Iowa at home should be a W even though I really like that Beathard kid.
Maryland, Rutgers will be interesting as I know next to nothing about them. Seem to be average teams. W and W amiright?
Illinois will be very interesting but they aren't going to be world beaters overnight.
Purdue is a mess.
Nebraska will be tough but has questions, and a coach the fans already hate. The honeymoon didn't make it out of the airport.
Northwestern at home. Has to be a W.
Wisconsin because it is time. They have some questions and lost some big contributors.

So there you have, our first ever 12 win season.
Click to expand...

If there was ever a year that laid out well for at least the possibility of going undefeated this would probably be it. Realistically, anything less than 8 wins (3-0 nc, 5-4 c) would be a massive disappointment and really 9-10 wins is pretty realistic with that schedule assuming the defense doesn't take a massive step back and the offense finally takes a step forward under the new direction.

Lot will hinge on those first 2 Big Ten games because after Penn State and Iowa there is a nice 4 game stretch in there to really get some momentum going for the end of the season. The one thing that can't happen next year is a loss in any of those first 3 games as they are all against extremely beatable opponents and at home.

If things break right we could be in line for a similar season to what Iowa had this past year.
 




BleedGopher said:
per Sid:

• As I’ve noted before, the Gophers football schedule for next season is so much softer than it was in 2015. It opens with three nonconference home games, against Oregon State, Indiana State and Colorado State. Big Ten play alternates between home and road games, and it begins at Penn State, followed by Iowa at home, at Maryland, Rutgers at home, at Illinois, Purdue at home, at Nebraska, Northwestern at home and end the season at Wisconsin. It’s the first year of the nine-game Big Ten schedule.

http://www.startribune.com/twins-park-knows-how-to-speak-language-of-baseball/374383071/

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Thanks captain obvious
 

Sigh... going into last season I saw lots of W's too....
 




I was optimistic about last year. I'm excited for this year, just going to be more reserved until we are 6-0 then I'll start dreaming big again.
 

Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0 said:
I love your optimism PE. Sure, why not.

Edit: And they're due to beat OSU when they play them in Indy. The only question is Peach or Fiesta. Then Tampa, here I come. I see it now.
Click to expand...

I was half tongue in cheek, as we have as many question marks as anyone.

However, look at the two teams most likely to defeat us next season, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Nebraska lost 4 starters from their offensive line. Tommy Armstrong is under duress as the starter. Their pass defense was suspect. A 6-7 season will generate questions.

Wisconsin loses Mike Caputo, Joe Schobert, Alex Erickson, Stave, Mcavoy, and various other pieces. Biggest of all was losing Aranda. I don't know if the new coordinator will come in and blow everything up, or stick to Aranda's blueprint. His defenses at USC were awful (for the talent level) and that gives me optimism.

TCU found out key losses on defense can have a butterfly effect, even if the new guys are supposed to be bigger and faster athletes.

It's the silly season, we can pretend our replacements will be an upgrade, while opponents struggle. The beauty of college football is that we really don't know. Until we see the product on the field we won't be able to make any real projections.
 

It also bears mentioning that Wisconsin has a meat grinder schedule. Take a look. They may be down to the 3 and 4 deeps at spots by the time we meet. Wisconsin has to play a legit schedule...maybe will shut up some of their over-exuberant fans.
 



Pompous Elitist said:
I was half tongue in cheek, as we have as many question marks as anyone.

However, look at the two teams most likely to defeat us next season, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Nebraska lost 4 starters from their offensive line. Tommy Armstrong is under duress as the starter. Their pass defense was suspect. A 6-7 season will generate questions.

Wisconsin loses Mike Caputo, Joe Schobert, Alex Erickson, Stave, Mcavoy, and various other pieces. Biggest of all was losing Aranda. I don't know if the new coordinator will come in and blow everything up, or stick to Aranda's blueprint. His defenses at USC were awful (for the talent level) and that gives me optimism.

TCU found out key losses on defense can have a butterfly effect, even if the new guys are supposed to be bigger and faster athletes.

It's the silly season, we can pretend our replacements will be an upgrade, while opponents struggle. The beauty of college football is that we really don't know. Until we see the product on the field we won't be able to make any real projections.
Click to expand...

Not sure how you can not include Iowa in that list. I know it is a home game but they should be very good again next year and on paper look like the team to beat in the West heading into the season at least.

Agree 100% with your last statement. This is that magical time of year where every fanbase thinks their team is poised for a great season. That said I do stand by the early comment that less than 8 wins with our schedule would be extremely disappointing. Have to capitalize when the schedule gods cut us a break finally. Wisconsin will get a nice taste of what a brutal schedule looks like next season.
 

We are still a team a bunch of other teams would rather play most weeks. I'm still a homer though , so I say 9 wins!
 

I don't think Iowa is that good. They weren't that good last year and we played them very tough in their stadium. The only piece at Iowa that scares me is Beathard. And that might be enough. He is the primary reason they were able to put together that run last year.

Tat said, we should absolutely beat Iowa at home.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
I don't think Iowa is that good. They weren't that good last year and we played them very tough in their stadium. The only piece at Iowa that scares me is Beathard. And that might be enough. He is the primary reason they were able to put together that run last year.

Tat said, we should absolutely beat Iowa at home.
Click to expand...

Why? They were 12-2 and made it to the Rose Bowl. We were 6-7 and barely beat CSU, Ohio, and Kent St.
 

It's been rehashed, but their schedule was ridiculous, they pulled off near-miracles at Wisconsin, Pitt; vs Iowa State it was close to the very end. The Gophs played well enough to win despite being a skeleton crew...Just a very, very lucky (but solid) team last year. They are not a dynamic team and it was predictable, having watched a lot of PAC-12 football, they would be lit up by Stanford and McCaffrey. They had no answers and they were exposed for what they were: horribly overrated. Solid, but not a great team.
 

I'm old-school when it comes to predictions. You can't win a game before you play it. So many things can happen during a season - penalties, turnovers, injuries, off-field incidents, or kids just not playing well. Any long-time fan could rattle off a list of games that we thought were "sure wins" going in, and wound up going the other way.

Now, let me be clear - I am optimistic about the upcoming season, but the Gophers have a lot of question marks right now - new OC, new O-Line coach, major changes in O-Line, need to replace top WR, need to replace two best DB's, etc.

I would be very happy with 8 wins or more - but I could envision scenarios where this team winds up with anywhere from 6 wins to 10 wins. I would rather aim low and be pleasantly surprised, as opposed to aiming too high and being disappointed.
 

Well said, SON.

Nobody knows what will happen, except Purdue will still stink, and James Franklin will still be a used care salesman. Other than that, it's a crapshoot.
 

Lest we forget

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lP7QYQi3s7w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

I enjoyed their senior safety Jordan Lomax breaking his ankles on that Hogan TD run. That's not a good sign.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, W

It's not crazy to believe this year.

If we struggle with the first 3 like we did last season that's the canary in the coal mine. Let us imagine, though, that the lines solidify and miraculously avoid injuries, the secondary matures quickly, the receivers use two hands, and the QB channels 1998 Randall Cunningham.

Penn State will be breaking in a new QB.
Iowa at home should be a W even though I really like that Beathard kid.
Maryland, Rutgers will be interesting as I know next to nothing about them. Seem to be average teams. W and W amiright?
Illinois will be very interesting but they aren't going to be world beaters overnight.
Purdue is a mess.
Nebraska will be tough but has questions, and a coach the fans already hate. The honeymoon didn't make it out of the airport.
Northwestern at home. Has to be a W.
Wisconsin because it is time. They have some questions and lost some big contributors.

So there you have, our first ever 12 win season.
Click to expand...
Beathard looks like Eric Stolz from Mask.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 


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