STrib: Gophers emphasize opportunity, not failures, in Big Ten

[BleedGopher]

per Joe:

The Big Ten’s hopes of sending a team to the College Football Playoff seemed all but dashed last week when Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan lost marquee nonconference games, while several others lost or won ugly.

But while national college analysts were busy writing the Big Ten’s obituary, the Gophers had a decidedly different mood. They, too, were dissatisfied with the first two weeks, even at 2-0, but there were seedlings of hope.

“We look around the Big Ten right now, and it’s just — ” Gophers linebacker Jack Lynn said, cutting himself off, pondering the possibilities. “We’re really taking the bull by the horns and taking this challenge because we believe we can do something special here.”

The Big Ten West looks so wide open, the Gophers figure, “Why not us?”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/274845421.html

Go Gophers!!

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

Ohio State and Michigan no longer carry the clout it looked like before the season. Let's suppose we go into Madison unbeaten (I know big stretch) and lose a heart breaker and the go on to Indy and beat MSU(hopefully that's the opponent). Would that be enough for the committee to chose us in the FF pairing?

Thoughts.

 

[Jeshurun]

I think the only chance the Gophers would have would be to go undefeated. At this point I think a 2 loss SEC team gets in over a 1 loss B1G team. Perception matters, and our conference is perceived right now as the weakest of the Power 5.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

I think the only chance the Gophers would have would be to go undefeated. At this point I think a 2 loss SEC team gets in over a 1 loss B1G team. Perception matters, and our conference is perceived right now as the weakest of the Power 5.

After the last two weeks, I don't think its just perception. We've got to start capitalizing on more of these big OOC games (though I don't mind seeing Wisconsin choke on a win that should have been in the bag in the fourth quarter against LSU).