The biggest flaw for every Big Ten team entering the 2023 season (Minnesota: Running Back)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Per Luke:

Minnesota: Running back​

Recording-setting battering ram Mohamed Ibrahim finally aged out of college ball and Trey Potts defected to Penn State, leaving PJ Fleck professing an intent to get more pass-happy in 2023.

But the Gophers’ identity has been all about clock-eating ball control recently, a style that probably makes the defense look a bit better than it actually is. Even if new starting QB Athan Kaliakmanis is up to the task, not having a security blanket behind him will show. Short-yardage conversions were almost automatic with Ibrahim, and there’s no guarantee transfer Sean Tyler (Western Michigan) or returnees Zach Evans and Bryce Williams can replace that.

If they can’t, there will be ripple effects.

saturdaytradition.com

The biggest flaw for every Big Ten team entering the 2023 season

Finding fault. Ah, that autumn rite of passage for the college football fan. Here's a conversation starter for each Big Ten program.
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Go Gophers!!
 

Can’t see it. Tyler and Williams bring experience. Evans and Taylor have more potential (and higher ratings) than most of the RBs in recent memory. There’s a reason Potts left (he knew he wasn’t going to get many snaps).
 



highwayman said:
Wow. Once again, lazy writing.
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Very much looking forward to the balanced attack and putting to bed the lazy view that Gopher defense has been good statistically just because offense has controlled the clock. Silly horse droppings.
 


goldenboy said:
Can’t see it. Tyler and Williams bring experience. Evans and Taylor have more potential (and higher ratings) than most of the RBs in recent memory. There’s a reason Potts left (he knew he wasn’t going to get many snaps).
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It's not like he's going to find more carries at Penn State
 






MNVCGUY said:
Flaw is a bad choice of words by the writer. Question mark would have made more sense in this context.
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This is exactly what I was going to post.
 

LOL. We have plenty of talent at RB. We have some question at corner back, but I think that will be fine. Trouble if 8 gets hurt our quarterback room is thin and our O line has some questions. Otherwise, we’re rock solid.
 


Gopherchase said:
LOL. We have plenty of talent at RB. We have some question at corner back, but I think that will be fine. Trouble if 8 gets hurt our quarterback room is thin and our O line has some questions. Otherwise, we’re rock solid.
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Pass rush, OL, and CB are above RB on my list of concerns.
 



I sorta agree--big question mark.

Tyler does not look physical enough to me on film. Hope I'm wrong!
 

Governor Sibley said:
I sorta agree--big question mark.

Tyler does not look physical enough to me on film. Hope I'm wrong!
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He’s not going to be taking 30 Carries a game… the RBs likely will be used pretty evenly in my book - Williams a lot on 3rd downs, splitting other downs up pretty evenly between Evans, Taylor, and Tyler…
 

An awful lot of outrage at an observation if true or false will be made clear by midnight Thursday night.
 

Call me surprised that the writer didn't say QB since another lazy publication had AK as one of the worst starters in the conference...

Honestly, as someone mentioned above, I'd probably say sacks as the biggest weakness, though I acknowledge that some of that is Rossi's emphasis on gap discipline and containment.
 

The fact that I struggle to come up with a glaring weakness this year (so far) is credit to Fleck. He's built some nice depth and balance.

The past two years, it was obvious that Wide Receiver was a weakness especially once CrAB was hurt. The WR corps was downright awful at times.
 


Punting. No more 23 yard shanks please.
 

Plato said:
An awful lot of outrage at an observation if true or false will be made clear by midnight Thursday night.
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Yep, 8 people disagreeing with the writer, 3 people commenting without criticizing and 1 person agreeing with the writer. It is just an all out meltdown on this board. I wish our creepy trolls were at least funny or clever. Nope. We're stuck with Plato. All creep, no brains.

The truth is, if RB is our biggest issue next season, we will be a pretty good team. That would mean the following groups (that are more worrisome for me) are better than the RB room - DL, OL, and CB.

The RB position group is likely our best recruited position. We have a 5th year guy who has been a meaningful contributor and we added one of the better RBs in the MAC. We'll see on Thursday, but if that's our weakest group, I'm pretty pumped up for the season.
 

Panthadad2 said:
Call me surprised that the writer didn't say QB since another lazy publication had AK as one of the worst starters in the conference...

Honestly, as someone mentioned above, I'd probably say sacks as the biggest weakness, though I acknowledge that some of that is Rossi's emphasis on gap discipline and containment.
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The big difference is that AK isn't replacing historic levels of production. If our passing game is average next season, it's a pretty big step up.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
The big difference is that AK isn't replacing historic levels of production. If our passing game is average next season, it's a pretty big step up.
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True. What I expect to see is an offense more akin to 2019 with talent in both the skill positions (both passing and running) and in the o-line, but likely with some different twists based on current skill strengths. I don't see PJ abandoning Tressel ball.
 

Unless you are a hard-core Gopher fan, the one Gopher player that most people knew about was Mo.

so it's natural to question how he will be replaced. you can quibble about the use of the word "flaw" versus "question mark" or "issue." but it amounts to the same thing.

and the writer does make a valid point. The Gophers' defense has benefitted from not having to be on the field as much when the offense was controlling the ball and eating clock. If - and I say if - the time of possession goes down a little bit, that puts a bigger load on the defense.

I admit I will be very curious to see how the Gophers do on short-yardage situations - does a back emerge, or do they put Athan in a pass/run option on short-yardage?
 

short ornery norwegian said:
...I admit I will be very curious to see how the Gophers do on short-yardage situations - does a back emerge, or do they put Athan in a pass/run option on short-yardage?
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A question mark for me too. Will they still try to bulldoze the defense like they have the past five years? Will they try to spread it out? I'm looking forward to watching the question marks this season.
 

Panthadad2 said:
True. What I expect to see is an offense more akin to 2019 with talent in both the skill positions (both passing and running) and in the o-line, but likely with some different twists based on current skill strengths. I don't see PJ abandoning Tressel ball.
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Tressel ball means allowing the defense to stack the box and defend a small area of the field. Fleck will abandon that this year.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Unless you are a hard-core Gopher fan, the one Gopher player that most people knew about was Mo.

so it's natural to question how he will be replaced. you can quibble about the use of the word "flaw" versus "question mark" or "issue." but it amounts to the same thing.

and the writer does make a valid point. The Gophers' defense has benefitted from not having to be on the field as much when the offense was controlling the ball and eating clock. If - and I say if - the time of possession goes down a little bit, that puts a bigger load on the defense.

I admit I will be very curious to see how the Gophers do on short-yardage situations - does a back emerge, or do they put Athan in a pass/run option on short-yardage?
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Why would you shy away from putting a bigger load on one of the elite defenses in the country?
 

Panthadad2 said:
A question mark for me too. Will they still try to bulldoze the defense like they have the past five years? Will they try to spread it out? I'm looking forward to watching the question marks this season.
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You will see some of all of the above. And the defense will have to guess too.
 

Dakota2 said:
Tressel ball means allowing the defense to stack the box and defend a small area of the field. Fleck will abandon that this year.
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We disagree with what Tressel-ball means, but yeah, I think the offense will be more balanced based on the skillset on the field.
 

Dakota2 said:
Tressel ball means allowing the defense to stack the box and defend a small area of the field. Fleck will abandon that this year.
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On offense it is a conservative approach, grinding it out and eating up the clock.
 

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