STrib: Gophers' 2015 football schedule is intriguing

Donate To GopherHole
BleedGopher

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
63,074
Reaction score
20,755
Points
113
per Joe:

The 2015 season begins with a team that could end this season, and begin next season, in the top five in TCU.

Then, a trip to Fort Collins, Colo., to face a Colorado State team that was 10-1 and ranked 21st before two season-ending losses.

Not the easiest start.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/287354931.html

Go Gophers!!
 

per Sid:

Tougher schedule

The Gophers football team will find out in a hurry next season how good it is, with perhaps the toughest opening two games of any major conference team in the nation.

They open the 2015 campaign Sept. 3 by playing host to Texas Christian, a team that looks like it should have been given a chance to be selected for college football’s first four-team playoff.

The Gophers’ third game of the 2014 season was a 30-7 loss at TCU, although the visitors competed much better in the second half and were killed by turnovers much like they were in the Citrus Bowl loss to Missouri on Thursday.

That was also a game in which the Gophers were held in check on the ground, rushing for 99 yards. They gained only 106 against the Tigers in Orlando.

The 2015 Horned Frogs figure to be just as strong as they were as Big 12 co-champions in 2014.

The Gophers’ second game this year is at Colorado State on Sept. 12, their only nonconference road game. Colorado State finished 10-3 this season, a season so good it got coach Jim McElwain hired by Florida after the regular season.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/287430601.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Go Gophers!!
 

Next year should be interesting. Not very often you play two top 5 teams two years in a row.

I took a look ahead at our schedule and forgot we play the now Gary Anderson led Oregon St. Beavers in '16 and '17.
 

One word to describe this schedule is "crisis", a terrible disaster or a big opportunity.
 

Yes, the schedule is tougher and we've lost some key players - could be a 7-5 season. Hopefully, Mitch will continue to improve as there is no one else with any experience.
 


To be the best you have to beat the best.
 


ruppertflywheel said:
Might make that trip to Fort Collins. Never been in that area.
Click to expand...

Think I am going also Ruppy. Fort Collins/Boulder/Denver is an awesome area to visit. Beautiful scenery and weather in early September.
 

e.bigelow said:
Think I am going also Ruppy. Fort Collins/Boulder/Denver is an awesome area to visit. Beautiful scenery and weather in early September.
Click to expand...

Home of New Belgium Brewery too.
 



I don't think it looks so much more difficult (other than having a second year of Michigan and Ohio St if that is what people don't like). We play TCU again sure, but this time at home. Colorado St is a step up from some of the other non-conf games we have had, but it's a game we need to be able to win at this point. Nebraska is at home, Michigan will have the new coach but will be at home and Wisc at home. We also have Illinois at home so hopefully we don't repeat this years loss. I don't mind the Ohio St game being away because our odds of winning that are very slim anyway, may as well not waste a home game on it like we did this season. The away games set up to be all winnable - Purdue, Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern. If we were a bad team I would prefer to play the bad teams at home and the good teams away, increases the odds of getting a few wins. Now that we can contend I like the way this sets up with most of the good teams at home and bad teams away.
 

e.bigelow said:
Think I am going also Ruppy. Fort Collins/Boulder/Denver is an awesome area to visit. Beautiful scenery and weather in early September.
Click to expand...

I've already got the week off at work for this road trip.
 

SKOOKM said:
I don't think it looks so much more difficult (other than having a second year of Michigan and Ohio St if that is what people don't like). We play TCU again sure, but this time at home. Colorado St is a step up from some of the other non-conf games we have had, but it's a game we need to be able to win at this point. Nebraska is at home, Michigan will have the new coach but will be at home and Wisc at home. We also have Illinois at home so hopefully we don't repeat this years loss. I don't mind the Ohio St game being away because our odds of winning that are very slim anyway, may as well not waste a home game on it like we did this season. The away games set up to be all winnable - Purdue, Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern. If we were a bad team I would prefer to play the bad teams at home and the good teams away, increases the odds of getting a few wins. Now that we can contend I like the way this sets up with most of the good teams at home and bad teams away.
Click to expand...

I agree fully with this. I like the home/away breakdown better in '15.
 

SKOOKM said:
I don't think it looks so much more difficult (other than having a second year of Michigan and Ohio St if that is what people don't like). We play TCU again sure, but this time at home. Colorado St is a step up from some of the other non-conf games we have had, but it's a game we need to be able to win at this point. Nebraska is at home, Michigan will have the new coach but will be at home and Wisc at home. We also have Illinois at home so hopefully we don't repeat this years loss. I don't mind the Ohio St game being away because our odds of winning that are very slim anyway, may as well not waste a home game on it like we did this season. The away games set up to be all winnable - Purdue, Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern. If we were a bad team I would prefer to play the bad teams at home and the good teams away, increases the odds of getting a few wins. Now that we can contend I like the way this sets up with most of the good teams at home and bad teams away.
Click to expand...

Good points.
 



Also of note, Both Michigan and Ohio State have a bye prior to playing us. So, not only do we draw those two as our crossover matchups, they have their only bye of the season prior to playing us. In fairness, we also have a bye the same week Michigan does, so both teams will have 2 weeks to prepare.
 

Spoofin said:
I agree fully with this. I like the home/away breakdown better in '15.
Click to expand...

Definitely. Back when we were struggling to get to 6 wins, I would have preferred to have the weaker opponents at home because you assumed we weren't going to knock off the stronger opponents anyway, and I wanted the easier games to be as easy ass possible. Now that we are playing better, that has sort of flip-flopped, and you have to assume that you will be able to beat the weaker teams wherever you play them, and we want the past chance to beat the stronger teams as possible.
 

I'm going to CSU next year. Their 10 wins look better than they are... Gophers would probably have 11 of those (and possibly 12) with Utah being the loss (and another loss to some lowly team that they should have smoked). This game should be a win for the Gophers.
 

At some point, if the Gophers want to be a consistent top-25 program, the team (and its fans) have to adopt the attitude that it doesn't matter who you play, when you play them or where you play them - The Gophers are going to win.

I submit that the program - and its fans - are not there yet. In the end, that may be Jerry Kill's biggest challenge - developing a mindset where the Gophers (and their fans) just flat-out expect and believe that they are going to win every game they play.

The teams that are good year-in and year-out look at the schedule, and say "we're going to win that game." At this point, the Gopher fans are still saying "well, maybe we can win if........., or "boy, that game's going to be tough to win......" Hey, that's where I'm at. that is why some people on this board have questioned whether the Gophers can make the jump to a perennial 9-win or 10-win team. when a program has been down for a long time, developing that winning mentality can be more difficult than developing the players' physical abilities.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
At some point, if the Gophers want to be a consistent top-25 program, the team (and its fans) have to adopt the attitude that it doesn't matter who you play, when you play them or where you play them - The Gophers are going to win.

I submit that the program - and its fans - are not there yet. In the end, that may be Jerry Kill's biggest challenge - developing a mindset where the Gophers (and their fans) just flat-out expect and believe that they are going to win every game they play.

The teams that are good year-in and year-out look at the schedule, and say "we're going to win that game." At this point, the Gopher fans are still saying "well, maybe we can win if........., or "boy, that game's going to be tough to win......" Hey, that's where I'm at. that is why some people on this board have questioned whether the Gophers can make the jump to a perennial 9-win or 10-win team. when a program has been down for a long time, developing that winning mentality can be more difficult than developing the players' physical abilities.
Click to expand...

Great points. When I look at the 2015 schedule I see a 10-2 season. Obviously, there are plenty of games where you could say "we only beat Purdue at home by 1", or "Nebraska is always tough", but I think if we play to our ability level, we SHOULD have only 2 losses (TCU and O$U) and be playing in the B1G title game.

Sorry if that makes me a huge homer, but I think we are there as a program.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
At some point, if the Gophers want to be a consistent top-25 program, the team (and its fans) have to adopt the attitude that it doesn't matter who you play, when you play them or where you play them - The Gophers are going to win.

I submit that the program - and its fans - are not there yet. In the end, that may be Jerry Kill's biggest challenge - developing a mindset where the Gophers (and their fans) just flat-out expect and believe that they are going to win every game they play.

The teams that are good year-in and year-out look at the schedule, and say "we're going to win that game." At this point, the Gopher fans are still saying "well, maybe we can win if........., or "boy, that game's going to be tough to win......" Hey, that's where I'm at. that is why some people on this board have questioned whether the Gophers can make the jump to a perennial 9-win or 10-win team. when a program has been down for a long time, developing that winning mentality can be more difficult than developing the players' physical abilities.
Click to expand...

Great post. I don't feel like I hear OSU getting too worked up over who they draw in their crossover games with the west.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
Might make that trip to Fort Collins. Never been in that area.
Click to expand...
The wife and I are headed that way also. If you have never been to Rocky Mountain National Park, you might want to head up to that are for a few day and stay in the town of Estes Park. This is some of the most spectacular scenery in the country.
 


fryguy22 said:
Great points. When I look at the 2015 schedule I see a 10-2 season. Obviously, there are plenty of games where you could say "we only beat Purdue at home by 1", or "Nebraska is always tough", but I think if we play to our ability level, we SHOULD have only 2 losses (TCU and O$U) and be playing in the B1G title game.

Sorry if that makes me a huge homer, but I think we are there as a program.
Click to expand...

I don't know about 10-2 but I also don't agree with those that talk about taking a step back record wise and that being ok. If Kill truly has this thing going in the right direction then this is when things should really start to take off. The players are his, the systems have been in place for multiple seasons, they really can't blame anything on the previous regime at this point. We should absolutely expect to be a contender in the West next year, anything short of that would be a major disappointment.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
Definitely. Back when we were struggling to get to 6 wins, I would have preferred to have the weaker opponents at home because you assumed we weren't going to knock off the stronger opponents anyway, and I wanted the easier games to be as easy ass possible. Now that we are playing better, that has sort of flip-flopped, and you have to assume that you will be able to beat the weaker teams wherever you play them, and we want the past chance to beat the stronger teams as possible.
Click to expand...

Good assessment. If we can take another step forward next year (as we have done each year under Kill), the schedule could work out great for us, I could see us going 10-2 if everything goes our way. However if we struggle to get better or even take a step back, it could turn out to be rather disastrous.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom