Simply The Best QBs In Big Ten?

[ruralgopher]

I can't believe the other gholers missed this...

First...

67-0

Then...

Yep, and the Gopher program deserves credit for those just like anyone. This argument was about QB's and next year's game. Whenever there is a civil debate about the current state of the programs, Minnesota fans always resort to the glory days of WII and the Great Depression and making Iowa jokes. I know it feels good to make fun of Iowans but in the end it must get tiring to have to resort to jokes when Iowa continues to beat Minnesota regularly on the field. I hope Minnesota can put a better product on the field because it will be better for the rivalry and better for the conference.

What exactly does 67-0 have to do with next years game? Had you said 12-0 I could have gone along a little bit, but the 55-0 disaster was two completely different teams, even people with the most basic understanding of college football knows that. So by bringing up 55-0 really is about next years game??? No more so than Iowa's finest in our bathrooms or the fact that over the history of, what we would all have believed from listening to Iowa fans is the greatest and most storied program in college football, Iowa has yet to win a national title.

 

[Stargenes]

Well, during the Ferentz tenure to date. Iowa has bowl victories against Florida (outback), LSU (Capital One), South Carolina (outback), Texas Tech (Alamo) and Georgia Tech (orange). His bowl losses came against USC (orange), Florida (outback), and Texas (alamo). Not to mention, he has won big 10 coach of the year 3 times and shared the big10 title 2 times. 5 seasons with 9 wins or more. In Ferentz's 4th season at Iowa, the hawks went 8-0 in big10 play and appeared in the orange bowl. Adam Rittenberg ranked Iowa as the 2nd best team of the last decade behind Ohio State. Considering Minnesota has 0 big10 titles in 40+ years and one 10 win season I would be shocked to see Minnesota have the success this decade that Iowa had last decade.

Ferentz is 3-0 v. Tim Brewster.

This will be Brewster's year to really establish himself. Unfortunately, the schedule is difficult and Minnesota has 2 returners on defense and many question marks with regard to who will be the major offensive threat. If Brewster can match what Ferentz did in his 4th season, then I will gladly meet up with you, purchase you a beer or beverage of your choice and allow you to gloat endlessly at my expense.

I'll pass on the invitation to gloat as you seem to have cornered the market on doing so. However, your recitation of your team's purported successes is a bit short on championships you should note. Maybe you should show a little more respect to a team that has actually won National Championships knowing your team has won none. It is why they play the game, you know. Lets see what happens this year. Now if you want to discuss or gloat about how many championships our teams have compiled, thore we all can agree are a bit more noteworthy.

 

[SonOfTheVarsity]

I'll pass on the invitation to gloat as you seem to have cornered the market on doing so. However, your recitation of your team's purported successes is a bit short on championships you should note. Maybe you should show a little more respect to a team that has actually won National Championships knowing your team has won none. It is why they play the game, you know. Lets see what happens this year. Now if you want to discuss or gloat about how many championships our teams have compiled, thore we all can agree are a bit more noteworthy.

Cue generic, wordy PapaHawk response about the last 40 years in 3, 2, 1...

 

[monk10]

I'm more concerned that when I take my kid into the restroom there won't be some gross Iowa sex happening. Any update on that front yet?

 

[PapaHawk21]

I'll pass on the invitation to gloat as you seem to have cornered the market on doing so. However, your recitation of your team's purported successes is a bit short on championships you should note. Maybe you should show a little more respect to a team that has actually won National Championships knowing your team has won none. It is why they play the game, you know. Lets see what happens this year. Now if you want to discuss or gloat about how many championships our teams have compiled, thore we all can agree are a bit more noteworthy.

I was responding to your point about the possibility that Brewster will surpass Ferentz. It has nothing to do with national championships. Brewster will be lucky to have his job in two seasons.

 

[PapaHawk21]

I can't believe the other gholers missed this...

First...


Then...


What exactly does 67-0 have to do with next years game? Had you said 12-0 I could have gone along a little bit, but the 55-0 disaster was two completely different teams, even people with the most basic understanding of college football knows that. So by bringing up 55-0 really is about next years game??? No more so than Iowa's finest in our bathrooms or the fact that over the history of, what we would all have believed from listening to Iowa fans is the greatest and most storied program in college football, Iowa has yet to win a national title.

I have never made a post that claims Iowa is the "most storied" or "greatest" program in college football. Minnesota's offense will probably sit at the bottom of the big10 this season and the defense only returns two starters (one who recently got a DWI and the other recently broke his leg). Iowa returns 8 starters on defense and 6 on offense. Kirk Ferentz is a much better coach than Tim Brewster. Iowa should beat the gophers, despite the game being in "The Bank." I'll leave you to the bathroom jokes. It must get tiring when you have to resort to childish jokes instead of being able to talk about winning the game on the field.

 

[ruralgopher]

I have never made a post that claims Iowa is the "most storied" or "greatest" program in college football. Minnesota's offense will probably sit at the bottom of the big10 this season and the defense only returns two starters (one who recently got a DWI and the other recently broke his leg). Iowa returns 8 starters on defense and 6 on offense. Kirk Ferentz is a much better coach than Tim Brewster. Iowa should beat the gophers, despite the game being in "The Bank." I'll leave you to the bathroom jokes. It must get tiring when you have to resort to childish jokes instead of being able to talk about winning the game on the field.

Still doesn't explain you spouting off '67-0' and then trying to backtrack when people brought up 6-0 by saying that the conversation is about this year.

 

[PapaHawk21]

Still doesn't explain you spouting off '67-0' and then trying to backtrack when people brought up 6-0 by saying that the conversation is about this year.

The point is that Minnesota has not scored on Iowa in two seasons. Minnesota's offense will most likely be just as poor this year as it was last season and the second half of 2008. There is nothing on paper that indicates there will be much of a difference. When Decker was injured, the Minnesota offense was absolutely abysmal. If you can explain to me how the offense will be better, then I will gladly listen. The response was a reaction to the stupid Iowa bathroom jokes, which seems to be the best all you Minnesota fans have when it comes to the last few years of football between Minnesota and Iowa.

 

[Stargenes]

I was responding to your point about the possibility that Brewster will surpass Ferentz. It has nothing to do with national championships. Brewster will be lucky to have his job in two seasons.

Oh, I disagree. It is always about championships. And my comment was intended to alert you of that fact. Will Iowas win a championship with who you claim to be the best QB in the Big Ten and the alleged best defense? If you do, I will meet you and buy you a beverage and listen to your then well founded gloating.

 

[SonOfTheVarsity]

It must get tiring when you have to resort to childish jokes instead of being able to talk about winning the game on the field.

You really have no sense of humor, do you? You even somehow found a way to be serious in the East Carolina thread. One thing that does get tiring, though, is you coming on here and writing like you're trying to impress your hot grad TA.

 

[AhliBobwa]

Minnesota's offense will most likely be just as poor this year as it was last season and the second half of 2008. There is nothing on paper that indicates there will be much of a difference. When Decker was injured, the Minnesota offense was absolutely abysmal. If you can explain to me how the offense will be better, then I will gladly listen.

I watched the Gophers in both their open scrimmage and the spring game. The offensive line showed in both these instances that they are much better than they were last year. They showed the ability to get impressive push off the line of scrimmage. The pass blocking was even better than the run blocking. Individually, Wills was always talented, he improved as last year went on, and should be worlds better now that he's not morbidly obese. Ed Olson is a phenomenally talented young linemen and was a monster in spring ball. He will quickly supplant the one true weak link on the Gophers O line (Bunders). The other linemen are all healthier and have experience this year. They are stronger and all are playing at full speed (for reasons I will detail below).

This FBT article references a WSJ article about the positive correlation between an O-line's experience and the results they produce on the field. More so than at other positions, experienced linemen get better results.

Also, it should be noted that the Gopher defense in incredibly athletic across its defense, and is both big and athletic in the front four (due largely to the standout recruiting classes of 2008 and 2009 17th and middle 30s respectively). So it's not as if the O-linemen were proving themselves against inferior competition this spring.

The whole offense will also function better with a pared down playbook. One of the biggest reasons for the Gophers horrific Offensive play last season was due to the fact we had a first time coordinator trying to run a complex pro-offense with a college team. Horton has simplified the playbook which means this year the Gophers will always be going full speed on O. Anyone watching the Gophers last year knows that often the Gopher O appeared to have no idea what they were doing. No where was this truer than the offensive line. Finally, Horton is known as a guy who gets the most of of his QBs regardless of the situation (Brooks Bollinger, Stafford, STocco, etc.). You can bet he will continue that trend in 2010 with Weber and/or Gray.

The Gopher offense will be better for those reasons. It will also be better because the Defense will easily be the most athletic group the Gophers have fielded in my lifetime. The Gopher D being able to get off the field on 3rd down will make it much easier for the Offense to establish continuity. More opportunities will lead to increased success.

Also, remember that the Gophers gave Iowa quite a run last year. The Gophers had too many TOs in Iowa territory, and that perfectly thrown pass/in the breadbasket dropped TD catch by McKnight in the 1st quarter allowed Iowa to control a tie game through defensive prowess alone. Based on spring performance, I don't think McKnight will again drop multiple balls against Iowa this year.

Iowa will be favored, but the game will be a coin flip. Rivalry games between talented teams often are. You can take that to the Bank (if you are able to find a ticket to the game). Remember, for the first time in my lifetime the Gophers have a true Home Field Advantage over Iowa this year. In college football that means a lot.

 

[ruralgopher]

The point is that Minnesota has not scored on Iowa in two seasons. Minnesota's offense will most likely be just as poor this year as it was last season and the second half of 2008. There is nothing on paper that indicates there will be much of a difference. When Decker was injured, the Minnesota offense was absolutely abysmal. If you can explain to me how the offense will be better, then I will gladly listen. The response was a reaction to the stupid Iowa bathroom jokes, which seems to be the best all you Minnesota fans have when it comes to the last few years of football between Minnesota and Iowa.

First the bold part- You, nor I, nor weber, horton, or brewster know what the offense will look like in 2010. For the underlined part, feel free to make fun of when gopher fans were arrested for similar behavior with complete strangers down in kinick, but please link your source.

 

[PapaHawk21]

I watched the Gophers in both their open scrimmage and the spring game. The offensive line showed in both these instances that they are much better than they were last year. They showed the ability to get impressive push off the line of scrimmage. The pass blocking was even better than the run blocking. Individually, Wills was always talented, he improved as last year went on, and should be worlds better now that he's not morbidly obese. Ed Olson is a phenomenally talented young linemen and was a monster in spring ball. He will quickly supplant the one true weak link on the Gophers O line (Bunders). The other linemen are all healthier and have experience this year. They are stronger and all are playing at full speed (for reasons I will detail below).

This FBT article references a WSJ article about the positive correlation between an O-line's experience and the results they produce on the field. More so than at other positions, experienced linemen get better results.

Also, it should be noted that the Gopher defense in incredibly athletic across its defense, and is both big and athletic in the front four (due largely to the standout recruiting classes of 2008 and 2009 17th and middle 30s respectively). So it's not as if the O-linemen were proving themselves against inferior competition this spring.

The whole offense will also function better with a pared down playbook. One of the biggest reasons for the Gophers horrific Offensive play last season was due to the fact we had a first time coordinator trying to run a complex pro-offense with a college team. Horton has simplified the playbook which means this year the Gophers will always be going full speed on O. Anyone watching the Gophers last year knows that often the Gopher O appeared to have no idea what they were doing. No where was this truer than the offensive line. Finally, Horton is known as a guy who gets the most of of his QBs regardless of the situation (Brooks Bollinger, Stafford, STocco, etc.). You can bet he will continue that trend in 2010 with Weber and/or Gray.

The Gopher offense will be better for those reasons. It will also be better because the Defense will easily be the most athletic group the Gophers have fielded in my lifetime. The Gopher D being able to get off the field on 3rd down will make it much easier for the Offense to establish continuity. More opportunities will lead to increased success.

Also, remember that the Gophers gave Iowa quite a run last year. The Gophers had too many TOs in Iowa territory, and that perfectly thrown pass/in the breadbasket dropped TD catch by McKnight in the 1st quarter allowed Iowa to control a tie game through defensive prowess alone. Based on spring performance, I don't think McKnight will again drop multiple balls against Iowa this year.

Iowa will be favored, but the game will be a coin flip. Rivalry games between talented teams often are. You can take that to the Bank (if you are able to find a ticket to the game). Remember, for the first time in my lifetime the Gophers have a true Home Field Advantage over Iowa this year. In college football that means a lot.

I work for multiple Iowa student media outlets so I will have a press pass for the game.

Remember, Iowa was without Ricky Stanzi....Vandenberg was making his second true start at QB. Adam Robinson has 72 yards on 12 carries before leaving the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter. Wegher had battled flu symptoms the week before at OSU and struggled to practice the week building up to Minnesota. Iowa's offense far from full-strength. The Gopher defense was impressive and actually gave your offense opportunities. With a healthy running back group and Stanzi, Iowa may have won by more of a sizable margin. Granted, Minnesota may have actually scored if Decker was healthy.

Minnesota may be athletic on defense, but that does not equate to success (I know this is all speculation for the time being). In 2007 Florida had an extremely athletic defense but struggled to keep disciplined offenses out of the endzone because they were inexperienced. Offensively, the gophers have to develop a running game, which I see as a huge problem.

Iowa has 3 running backs (Hampton, Robinson and Wegher) behind a re-tooled offensive line that will produce more than last year, guaranteed. DJK, McNutt, Davis, Sandeman and Reisner all have significant experience in the WR/TE group. Stanzi, despite his inconsistency, has been clutch at Iowa.

Yes, Iowa will be favored and yes Minnesota will have some sort of "home-field" advantage-unless the gophers only have 4 wins coming into the game...Iowa fans may find tickets easier than expected if the Gophers are not winning.

Iowa has one of the best defenses in the nation. Arguably the best D-line in the big10 and one of the best secondaries. Based on what the teams look like on paper, Iowa should be a clear 7-10 point favorite at the Bank come November.

 

[PapaHawk21]

First the bold part- You, nor I, nor weber, horton, or brewster know what the offense will look like in 2010. For the underlined part, feel free to make fun of when gopher fans were arrested for similar behavior with complete strangers down in kinick, but please link your source.

What those Iowa fans did was wrong and absolutely unnecessary. I'll just continue to talk about Iowa beating the gophers regularly on the field. Minnesota will have one of the worst offenses in the big 10 unless they can establish a sound running game. Based on what I can see, finding that identity at RB is going to be a huge problem in the 2010 season for Minnesota.

 

[PapaHawk21]

Oh, I disagree. It is always about championships. And my comment was intended to alert you of that fact. Will Iowas win a championship with who you claim to be the best QB in the Big Ten and the alleged best defense? If you do, I will meet you and buy you a beverage and listen to your then well founded gloating.

I knew the fact, considering every debate about the current state of the programs or the last decade result in Gopher fans thumping their chests about the 1930s and 1940s. Iowa will not win a national championship this season but a big10 championship is a distinct possibility. Minnesota will be lucky to finish the season .500 based on their schedule and current roster...and the fact that Coach Brewster is not great at in-game adjustments.

 

[Stargenes]

I knew the fact, considering every debate about the current state of the programs or the last decade result in Gopher fans thumping their chests about the 1930s and 1940s. Iowa will not win a national championship this season but a big10 championship is a distinct possibility. Minnesota will be lucky to finish the season .500 based on their schedule and current roster...and the fact that Coach Brewster is not great at in-game adjustments.

So if you know the fact that it is all about championships, you also know that your volume should be turned down because you r team is lacking in same. And the issue is not about the 30's and 40's, its about the acquisition of championships in a program. We that care about these things and this game respect championships every time they are acquired. If you have them, you can talk and all must listen to some degree. If you have none (Iowas), you should be silent or at least quieter.

From, at least your perspective, Iowas has a chance to get in the conversation this year. We will see.