STrib: Big Ten writers predict last-place finish for Gophers

[Norsk_Gopher]

Something tells me the media wasn't factoring in the non-conference schedule when determining who would win the conference division. I know it's crazy, but that's my guess.

Well, no it doesn't take into account the non-conf schedule as that does not impact the B1G standings. Remember, Iowa finished ahead of us last year in the B1G standings due to a tie-breaker (we lost to them), despite have fewer wins overall.

 

[Norsk_Gopher]

How would it be even possible to lose to Penn State this year?

Yes, it is. I think we can win that came but we better not take it (or any) for granted. Penn State is starting to lose depth but don't forget they finished second last year in their division, behind Ohio State.

 

[Killjoy]

B1GSportsGuy is NOT a Gopher fan, so just ignore his comments. He is a D-Bag who needs to get a life and go support whatever team he roots for on their board. Leave us alone, you pathetic ass-stain.

Thanks GopherHomer. You expressed it so much more eloquently than I would have.

 

[GophersInIowa]

I saw enough during the Michigan game last year to convince me otherwise at this point.

In just 2 seasons HC Jerry Kill already owns 4 of the most embarrassing defeats in program history.

beat by New Mexico St. at home
blown out by NDSU at home
beat 58-0 at Michigan
beat 45-17 by an equally terrible Purdue team (Purdue could have scored 70 if they wanted)

HC Jerry Kill has a lot of ground to make up just to be an average B1G coach at this point.

A "big" Gophers fan like you would surely know that the Michigan game was two years ago, right?

 

[justthefacts]

Well, no it doesn't take into account the non-conf schedule as that does not impact the B1G standings. Remember, Iowa finished ahead of us last year in the B1G standings due to a tie-breaker (we lost to them), despite have fewer wins overall.

Did you even look at the post I quoted? Or the one that was quoted in the post about 'NC'?

 

[Ole]

With the state of media these days it's likely these beat writers put absolutely no effort or thought into this poll.
That said, we simply haven't made waves lately and that's how a non headliner school gets picked for higher expectations.

Other things to expect. B1G media days Coach Kill will get absolutely no press and be pretty bored aside from the occasional beat writer getting snippet sounds bites or one paragraph quotes on the state of the program.
We'll be underrated all year, picked to lose most of our games until maybe our 4th or 5th win, and likely shock whatever talking head when we end up upsetting someone of note.

The thing is, that's probably how Kill wants it right now.
Under Kill the team has responded horribly to hype and buzz. See NMSU 2 years ago and Iowa last year.
Keep plugging away, building depth, playing mistake free football and we'll end up in a position to not be off the radar next year.
IMO Iowa implodes this season and NW overtakes MSU and Nebraska. We end up ahead of Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, and tied with PSU.

 

[RunGopherRun]

I saw enough during the Michigan game last year to convince me otherwise at this point.

In just 2 seasons HC Jerry Kill already owns 4 of the most embarrassing defeats in program history.

beat by New Mexico St. at home
blown out by NDSU at home
beat 58-0 at Michigan
beat 45-17 by an equally terrible Purdue team (Purdue could have scored 70 if they wanted)

HC Jerry Kill has a lot of ground to make up just to be an average B1G coach at this point.

All embarrassing to say the least. But also notice that those were games 2, 4, 5, and 6 of the Kill era at the U. Even though they are a collective 8-11 since then, and even though they didn't play very well in some of the games last year (Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin come to mind), Gopher fans have been able to see the team improve and should have some optimism about this year and the future. I would love to see a better record this year, but I think that more importantly I would like us to be competitive in the games we lose. That would really bring some more optimism about the years to come. Show the big dogs that we can be competitive and that we won't be a doormat in the future. We've seen glimpses of this, but being competitive on a consistent basis could ignite some more excitement from the casual fanbase.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

How would it be even possible to lose to Penn State this year?

It's a rivalry game. Anything's possible. So much emotion surrounding the Assistant Comptroller's Victory Gong.

 

[Norsk_Gopher]

Did you even look at the post I quoted? Or the one that was quoted in the post about 'NC'?

I did but I misinterpreted it. My mistake. Based on some other posts (not yours) I took NC to stand for North Carolina vs. non-conference. Sorry.

 

[Deleted_User]

I see the defense and offense being better. I threw my rose colored glasses away.

 

[scools12]

All embarrassing to say the least. But also notice that those were games 2, 4, 5, and 6 of the Kill era at the U. Even though they are a collective 8-11 since then, and even though they didn't play very well in some of the games last year (Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin come to mind), Gopher fans have been able to see the team improve and should have some optimism about this year and the future. I would love to see a better record this year, but I think that more importantly I would like us to be competitive in the games we lose. That would really bring some more optimism about the years to come. Show the big dogs that we can be competitive and that we won't be a doormat in the future. We've seen glimpses of this, but being competitive on a consistent basis could ignite some more excitement from the casual fanbase.

Being competitive in the games that are lost in conference is key. I know there is the thought that Iowa, Penn St and Indiana are basically for sure wins but it is going be hard for this team to get 2 conference wins. It will be tough for this team to get back to a bowl game this year even with one of the easiest non-conference schedules in the country but that does not mean there isn't improvement within the program.

 

[CentralGopher]

Being competitive in the games that are lost in conference is key. I know there is the thought that Iowa, Penn St and Indiana are basically for sure wins but it is going be hard for this team to get 2 conference wins. It will be tough for this team to get back to a bowl game this year even with one of the easiest non-conference schedules in the country but that does not mean there isn't improvement within the program.

That's been brought up before and the people who thought it were told they weren't fans and were idiots and told to leave the board and never come back. Why bring it up again?

 

[imthewalrus]

Yes, some people here act rather nasty when they are reminded that the number of...

That's been brought up before and the people who thought it were told they weren't fans and were idiots and told to leave the board and never come back. Why bring it up again?

Conference wins vs. the number of Conference losses is the true indicator of the current state of the football program in comparison to all the rest of the conference members. And, I DO firmly believe that it is better to lose a heartbreaker than to suffer a blow-out loss to a conference foe.

And, I have been treated somewhat poorly by a few of the Gopherholers...they DO know who they are. Personally, I don't think enough of any of them to mention their monikers. Yet, it is far better to have said what needs to be said and be treated rather poorly than to have not said what needs to be said on this Golden Gopher Football Message Board just for fear of making a few people uncomfortable. My Gophers need wins...any kind of win...every kind of win but my Gophers ESPECIALLY need conference wins. And, they do Need to win invitations to bowl games...ANY kind of bowl game...every kind of bowl game MOST seasons. It makes other conference foes nervous when my Gophers get to any kind of bowl game. It is also interesting to see how many Gopher Hole Posters find a way to beg, borrow or steal a trip to cheer for my Gophers when they do get an invitation to a bowl game. All too often even here on Gopher Hole some posters call the invitation an invitation to a "worthless" bowl game.

I don't think these posters and other Gopher Fans have a clue about just how difficult it is to move a B1G Program from the bottom tiers of the conference to even the middle tiers of the Conference. The years of invitations to ANY kind of bowl game most years is SO key to the incredibly HEAVY LIFTING that must be done to improve a B1G (still Big Ten to me) Program's standing within the conference.

Good luck Coach Kill and Staff! We NEED that bowl invitation. We need to win the ooc games and we need to beg, borrow and steal enough Conference Games to go bowling at the end of the 2013 season. I have got to think that we can get this done. The schedule doesn't get easier the next two years. Find a way to do it in 2013!

; 0 )

 

[Rosemountian]

I wonder what we will be picked next year?
I also wonder who the coach will be.


I think we win 4-5 games this year. That'll be right in the border between hired back and gone. Especially if 3-4 of the wins are out of conference.

 

[mplsbadger]

A "big" Gophers fan like you would surely know that the Michigan game was two years ago, right?

I think he was referring to the fake fg @ TCF last year. I have to agree, it was a low point for JK. It seemed he lost faith. To me it's an aberration. At least offset by Iowa the year before.

 

[Killjoy]

I wonder what we will be picked next year?
I also wonder who the coach will be.


I think we win 4-5 games this year. That'll be right in the border between hired back and gone. Especially if 3-4 of the wins are out of conference.

So you are still mad about the Kill hire. Get a life!

 

[imthewalrus]

Eventually it is alwas the Conference Wins vs. the Conference Losses that will...

I wonder what we will be picked next year?
I also wonder who the coach will be.

determine if a coach stays or goes. The Conference record and the Conference Standings are completely transparent. Too many Conference losses stand out. And, a coach could lose half the ooc games, and if that coach won .67% of his conference games, he would most likely survive at Minnesota for a good, long while.

Our new Norwood probably is on a short leash right now and he knows that he probably can't buy out another major revenue sport coach at least until he has actually proved he CAN talk donors out of their money. He got to buy out Tubby...so...Coach Kill is probably safe from our new Norwood for a couple of years. But, the schedule looks pretty tough going forward. So, I'd say Coach Kill can do himself a lot of good if he wins two or three B1G games in 2013. The going gets tougher in 2014 and 2015.

Let's go bowling in 2013. How many Gopher Hole Fans will buy tickets for a bowl game and make the trip if the Gophers are invited to a bowl game.

I will!

; 0 )

 

[Maximus]

I wonder what we will be picked next year?
I also wonder who the coach will be.

determine if a coach stays or goes. The Conference record and the Conference Standings are completely transparent. Too many Conference losses stand out. And, a coach could lose half the ooc games, and if that coach won .67% of his conference games, he would most likely survive at Minnesota for a good, long while.

Wait, so it's conference wins and losses that are most important? Finally someone had the guts to say it.

 

[imthewalrus]

Too many on this board seem to belong to the...

Wait, so it's conference wins and losses that are most important? Finally someone had the guts to say it.

"...this time LESS is MORE...LESS is BETTER..." club.

AND: in 1999 two 10-2 teams rotated off the schedule, BUT...that schedule DID include a 10-2 Conference Champion (the stinking badgers) and a 10-3 PSU club. Coaches have NOTHING to do with conference schedule rotations. Some of you just don't like to remember the way things were. And now some of you like to go with this "less is more in the present time..." kind of nonsense.

That is why the Conference record is so vitally important to telling us EXACTLY where we do stand today. The major differences between today and 14 years ago would be the fact that today we have a BEAUTIFUL on campus stadium if only the leaders at the U and the present administrators could maximize that on campus presence as a positive...AND Nebraska has been added to the Conference the Gophers play in as an increased difficulty factor.

Have YOU got the guts to take a look at the 2013 ooc record...AND the 2013 Conference record and tell me which presents a better picture of the program as compared to all the other conference members? Just HOW would you evaluate the state of my Golden Gopher Football Program at the end of the 2013 year?

The Conference record will tell us EVERYTHING we need to know about the state of the Football Program in 2013. The Conference record WILL determine IF the team receives a bowl invitation at the end of the 2013 season.

Now YOU tell me how YOU evaluate the state of the program from year to year if you think you have a better way...

; 0 )

 

[wait!what?]

no better than 3rd in the big ten since when again? 1974 or something. these are the dark ages of UofM football.

 

[theTurning]

The comments sting because they have some truth. It's time to win some football games.

+1. I didn't see anything overly egregious. Win some Big Ten games and people will take you seriously. Pretty simple.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

+1. I didn't see anything overly egregious. Win some Big Ten games and people will take you seriously. Pretty simple.

To get to 3-5, we would have to beat somebody real in conference, so I think that would be a good step forward. 7-5 obviously shows improvement, but I would be ok with 6-6 so long as at least three of the wins were in the B1G (especially if one of them came against Becky).