The Gophers shouldn't apologize for 7-2 record...

[scools12]

Gophers have given themselves an opportunity in November to play for the B1G West division title. When the season started people would've taken that.

Go into Madison for a winner take all game and the casual fan will be watching.

 

[MGGopher]

Nothing wrong with being skeptical due to who we've played so far. But nothing wrong with being excited about the opportunity ahead either.

Ding, ding, ding...we have a winner, folks.

 

[BarnBurner]

Based on what? We have 4 Big Ten wins against teams with a combined record of 5-19 in the conference. Of those 5 wins, 3 came when they played each other and somebody had to win, the other 2 were against the dumpster fire that is Michigan State this season.

I guess it boils down to expectations, clearly there are a lot of fans that are content to do the minimum, beat bad teams and feel like that is an accomplishment because we got bowl eligible. If we weren't sitting here on November 7th with 7 wins it would have been really disappointing because it would have meant we lost to a bad team.

The good news is that the potential for a very good/great season is still sitting there, but based on what we have done so far all we have really proven is that we aren't a bad team, which counts for something but doesn't put us in the class of teams where most of us want to be.

So? A W is a W, no matter who you play, when you play them. THEY ALL COUNT THE SAME.

When other Big team thrashed MN when MN totally stunk, did the wins count less?

Good grief. Enjoy the wins.

And no, I am not content to beat the lowest Big teams.......

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

So? A W is a W, no matter who you play, when you play them. THEY ALL COUNT THE SAME.

When other Big team thrashed MN when MN totally stunk, did the wins count less?

Good grief. Enjoy the wins.

And no, I am not content to beat the lowest Big teams.......

Well did they count more or less as far as Ws or Ls go?

 

[RickDornsby]

Maryland and Illinois on the road could have been games that would trip us up...until their quarterbacks went down (with horrendously bad backups). Otherwise, we've beaten Purdue and Rutgers. I'm happy we're here but I have no ability to praise this run.

 

[Tackle4loss]

lots of empty seats for a Nov home game against Ohio State too a few years ago when I sold my lower bowl ticket for $20

HAHA! you think you have to win every into argument! Regarding the OH state game---word on the street was you did not attend.

 

[MNVCGUY]

So? A W is a W, no matter who you play, when you play them. THEY ALL COUNT THE SAME.

When other Big team thrashed MN when MN totally stunk, did the wins count less?

Good grief. Enjoy the wins.

And no, I am not content to beat the lowest Big teams.......

Did you read my whole post? The wins/record are great but it has been built on beating bad teams. Doesn't make it count any less but there are a lot of fans that respond to anyone who brings up concerns about what they see on the field with "we're 7-2, all is well" line of thinking. We are firmly in the middle of the pack right now, which is far better then where the teams we have beaten are currently sitting but it is not where most of us would like to see the team either.

I'm enjoying the season and I am glad the team is 7-2 but I also don't view the fact that we are 7-2 right now as some sort of accomplishment to be celebrated. It has been built by beating bad teams, which is fine and what we should all expect to happen but it shouldn't satisfy anyone either. In 3 weeks if we are sitting here at 7-5 I truly hope there are not fans that will look at that and be content with the results of the season simply because we are bowl eligible and won 4 Big Ten games over the bottom feeders in the conference.

Obviously we all hope that in three weeks we are looking at a far better scenario. As I said the potential for a good/great season is there but we haven't really proved anything yet other than that we are better then the bad teams.

 

[saintpauljeff]

HAHA! you think you have to win every into argument! Regarding the OH state game---word on the street was you did not attend.

Of course I didn't attend, I just told you I sold the ticket for $20. If the demand were high for Nov games it would have sold for much more, maybe even give me my face money back ($60). Who's arguing?

 

[BarnBoy]

Those disgusted in our "bad wins" are projecting onto the rest of the season. Seasons are fluid. Things change. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse.

For whatever reason, I feel Kill/Claeys teams still have a reputation of playing to their competition, sometimes up, sometimes down. We squeak by Kent State last year, but then hang 26 pts and 426 yards on Michigan and come within a QB sneak. The sky is falling crowd after Kent State would not have predicted that. Now the comeback would be "we still lost" but those that look objectively at Kent State and Michigan would have to say the performances were night and day.

Now, if we finish up 7-6, that feeling that something is "just not right" with this team will be validated. For now, I'll enjoy the wins, because historically a lot of these "ugly" games have gone against us.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Based on what? We have 4 Big Ten wins against teams with a combined record of 5-19 in the conference. Of those 5 wins, 3 came when they played each other and somebody had to win, the other 2 were against the dumpster fire that is Michigan State this season.

I guess it boils down to expectations, clearly there are a lot of fans that are content to do the minimum, beat bad teams and feel like that is an accomplishment because we got bowl eligible. If we weren't sitting here on November 7th with 7 wins it would have been really disappointing because it would have meant we lost to a bad team.

The good news is that the potential for a very good/great season is still sitting there, but based on what we have done so far all we have really proven is that we aren't a bad team, which counts for something but doesn't put us in the class of teams where most of us want to be.

I thought the post was very clear and pretty self-explanatory...

 

[BarnBurner]

Did you read my whole post? The wins/record are great but it has been built on beating bad teams. Doesn't make it count any less but there are a lot of fans that respond to anyone who brings up concerns about what they see on the field with "we're 7-2, all is well" line of thinking. We are firmly in the middle of the pack right now, which is far better then where the teams we have beaten are currently sitting but it is not where most of us would like to see the team either.

I'm enjoying the season and I am glad the team is 7-2 but I also don't view the fact that we are 7-2 right now as some sort of accomplishment to be celebrated. It has been built by beating bad teams, which is fine and what we should all expect to happen but it shouldn't satisfy anyone either. In 3 weeks if we are sitting here at 7-5 I truly hope there are not fans that will look at that and be content with the results of the season simply because we are bowl eligible and won 4 Big Ten games over the bottom feeders in the conference.

Obviously we all hope that in three weeks we are looking at a far better scenario. As I said the potential for a good/great season is there but we haven't really proved anything yet other than that we are better then the bad teams.

These are the teams on the schedule for 2016. Would you like to change schedules as the season progresses? What is your solution to playing the teams on the schedule for 2016?

I would venture not many fans are content with 7-5. The more wins the better, every year, no mater who MN plays.

What is your solution to beat Wisky, OSU, Michigan, and the like more consistently?

 

[MNVCGUY]

These are the teams on the schedule for 2016. Would you like to change schedules as the season progresses? What is your solution to playing the teams on the schedule for 2016?

I would venture not many fans are content with 7-5. The more wins the better, every year, no mater who MN plays.

What is your solution to beat Wisky, OSU, Michigan, and the like more consistently?

As I said, no reason to apologize for beating the teams we have, just don't try and make into some monumental accomplishment. We caught a break this year schedule wise (finally) and to the teams credit they are taking advantage of it for the most part by beating the bad teams. I am in no way shape or form upset about the 7 wins we have I just don't think we have accomplished much to get there. Win 2 or 3 of the final 3 games and things will look much different in terms of how the season should be viewed.

As for beating Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan more consistently.....if I could solve that equation I wouldn't be sitting here. The obvious answer is recruit better players but that over simplifies things.

 

[MNBadgerGuy]

I think it's a lot like Iowa in 2015 to an extent. There were a lot of posters on GH downplaying Iowa's season due entirely to their schedule. Nothing to apologize about for beating the dregs of the Big Ten, but need to beat a top team to move the needle on the season. If the Gophers can finish 2-1 in these final 3 that's a solid season. It's really hard to win 9+ games in CFB.

 

[PMWinSTP]

I think it's a lot like Iowa in 2015 to an extent. There were a lot of posters on GH downplaying Iowa's season due entirely to their schedule. Nothing to apologize about for beating the dregs of the Big Ten, but need to beat a top team to move the needle on the season. If the Gophers can finish 2-1 in these final 3 that's a solid season. It's really hard to win 9+ games in CFB.

That would be more than solid in my book. Add a win on NYD and it will be a fabulous season.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

Maryland and Illinois on the road could have been games that would trip us up...until their quarterbacks went down (with horrendously bad backups). Otherwise, we've beaten Purdue and Rutgers. I'm happy we're here but I have no ability to praise this run.

We happened to beat that Maryland team rather convincingly on the road with our backup qb as well. I reiterate, thru 6 conference games we have demonstrated that we're better than 4 of those teams. That doesn't happen often.

I don't like moral victories either but that PSU loss is looking better as the season wears on. Enjoy the season. Football is fun.

 

[Stan]

Great podcast Nadine and Sean! I really enjoy it.

 

[RickDornsby]

We happened to beat that Maryland team rather convincingly on the road with our backup qb as well. I reiterate, thru 6 conference games we have demonstrated that we're better than 4 of those teams. That doesn't happen often.

I don't like moral victories either but that PSU loss is looking better as the season wears on. Enjoy the season. Football is fun.

The rest of our team definitely was better than Maryland's...but that QB situation of theirs was so bad early that when we got up 7-0 it was over. Not saying we'd have lost, but if Hills can move the ball for Maryland early, then we'd have actually have had to use our backup QB. Instead, we just ran it 100 times and it was over.

I am enjoying the season. I'm just saying that this is a historic run of games for us where it ends up being loser-proof. Maybe we can parlay that with some big performances down the stretch for a great season.

 

[Some guy]

Gophers shouldn't apologize for 7-2, nor should they be lauded for 8-4