What are we afraid of?

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AF_Howie_2180

AF_Howie_2180

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Everyone keeps saying oh we missed our chance at that spot in the B1G Title game this year, sure is going to get harder with the likes of USC and UCLA joining in 2024.....Well not sure what everyone is afraid of with them joining up? Anything can happen at any point during the season, USC for one is beatable just look at what happened to them playing Tulane last night in the Cotton Bowl, kick returner makes a stupid play with about 3 and half minutes left. Couple plays later there is a safety and look out here comes the Green Wave with a miracle finish. At the end of the day a W is a W no matter how you get it and there is no reason the Gophers can't do some of that themselves moving forward.
 


Yes. The issue is we've benefitted from being in one of if not the weakest division in P5 football. Without that, our road gets tougher. Doesn't mean we can't win the B1G, just means PJ is going to have to change his best significantly in recruiting and coaching to maintain where we are right now.
 





I get a kick out of the whole "BT West is the weakest P5 division." Yeah, this year it sucked in terms of its perennial contenders, Wisconsin and Iowa, being irrelevant and us failing to take advantage of that, but it's consistently a tough division year in and year out and Minnesota, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Iowa have proven their worth with significant wins against cross division opponents or P5 opponents in the noncon schedule or in bowls for years now. I don't really buy it.
 

Being a more-pass team?

What if 4-star Athan Kaliakmanis turns out to be a really good QB.

And the team just bolstered WR.

And what if Minnesota does not have "the one" running back.

I think that scares a lot of Big Ten traditionalists. It looks like a failed plan.

The sooner USC, UCLA, and the warm sunny weather join the Big Ten, then, the better.

247sports.com

Athan Kaliakmanis, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Quarterback

Athan Kaliakmanis is a Quarterback from Antioch, IL.
247sports.com 247sports.com
 




PMWinSTP said:
Have the Gophs won the B1G or gone to the Rose Bowl since either joined?
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You just made the point by accident. It isn’t that we need to play weaker teams, it’s that we need to keep getting better. Don’t limit your potential like you limit Gopher football potential. Believe and achieve. Don’t settle for being average. That said the Gophers are taking the next step now.
 

One could argue it’s more impressive to finish 11-2 and top 10 without winning a division than go 8-5 and be conference champions because of divisions and a championship game.
 

2019 was our last chance for a special season.

Then 2021 was our last chance.

Then 2022........
 




Many have said they are fine with where we are at. That my friend is the recipe for mediocrity.
 


What measure or mark will say the season was a success?
The divisions will be gone, and UCLA and USC have coaches, resources, and recruits that most BIG teams do not have.
The traditional rivalry games will still be there.
NE and WI have made significant upgrades in their coaching staffs.
I would say success would be winning rivalry games and getting into the 12-team CFP.
Anything else would be a disappointing year.
 


mngg11 said:
I get a kick out of the whole "BT West is the weakest P5 division." Yeah, this year it sucked in terms of its perennial contenders, Wisconsin and Iowa, being irrelevant and us failing to take advantage of that, but it's consistently a tough division year in and year out and Minnesota, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Iowa have proven their worth with significant wins against cross division opponents or P5 opponents in the noncon schedule or in bowls for years now. I don't really buy it.
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It is extremely weak. It may be competitive among the teams but the overall strength of the B1G West is very poor.
 

SamSquatch said:
It is extremely weak. It may be competitive among the teams but the overall strength of the B1G West is very poor.
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Yes, it's comparatively weak but Sagarin ranks the PAC-12 South and ACC Coastal as weaker among P5 divisions. The Big Ten West had two teams with losing records. The ACC Coastal had 4 (of 7 teams) and the PAC-12 South had 3 (of 6 teams).

The West had mostly decent teams. It just lacked any great or even really good teams.
 

OddStack said:
Luke Fickell and what he'll do with Bucky!
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Fickell is a good coach no question, but I don't know that he's any more proven than PJ is, and we have enough resources to compete with Wisconsin. I certainly think he was a great hire for them, but I'm not sure that I'm "afraid" pf Bucky so to speak.
 


mnsportsgeek said:
It won’t be harder because of UCLA and USC. Okay maybe a little. It’ll because we either won’t have divisions or the divisions won’t be stacked such that UM, PSU, and OSU are in the same division again.
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This.

To get to the Big Ten Championship game, we will have to have a better record than all, or all but one, of USC, UCLA, Neb, Iowa, Wisc, Mich, Mich St, Ohio St, and Penn State.

That will be a much rarer occurrence than just needing to beat out Iowa, Wisc, and historically down Neb that won't last forever.

That simple.
 

I think there is confusion between scared/afraid and logical. I am not scared or afraid of USC/OSU/MICH but its also not logical to say these additions (and potential doing away with divisions) won't make it harder.

This year the team that finished 1st in the B1G west lost 3 conf games and just got their doors blown off in a bowl game. Add in 2 very good programs and that makes things tougher.

Ask yourself what is tougher: going 6-3 against Pur/NW/Neb/Mich/Iowa/WI/Ill/MSU/IND or going 8-1 against USC/OSU/Mich/Pur/IA/WI/MD/PSU/ILL again its not being scared or saying its impossible, but use logic, its tougher.

I doubt Gonzaga is scared of Texas/Tenn/Duke/UK etc in basketball, but they have yet to win a title becasue turns out its harder to beat them in basketball then it is Pacific/Seattle U/Loyola.
 

Gophers_4life said:
This.

To get to the Big Ten Championship game, we will have to have a better record than all, or all but one, of USC, UCLA, Neb, Iowa, Wisc, Mich, Mich St, Ohio St, and Penn State.

That will be a much rarer occurrence than just needing to beat out Iowa, Wisc, and historically down Neb that won't last forever.

That simple.
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I'm actually fine with that (top 2 teams in the Championship). The odds of an above average 2 to 4 loss West team winning against a much superior 0 to 1 loss team from the East is so low it doesn't matter. There were a handful of years where the West produced a real contender, but couldn't get it done. Minnesota could have been a real contender in 2019 but peed down their legs at the end.
 

With a 12-team playoff, the goal of making the playoff will fully replace the goal of being conference champion. The days of the true old Big Ten where multiple teams could tie and claim a championship with a shorter conference schedule are long gone.
 


For some people here, the answer is "any large urban area".
 
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Gophers1992 said:
Fickell is a good coach no question, but I don't know that he's any more proven than PJ is, and we have enough resources to compete with Wisconsin. I certainly think he was a great hire for them, but I'm not sure that I'm "afraid" pf Bucky so to speak.
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Fickle was in the cfp 2 years ago... Wi got drastically better with him....
Nebby got drastically better with Rhule...
Illinois with Burt b is a better team...


Afraid no.... But p.j. better improve his best.. otherwise we will never sniff anything resembling a good bowl game....
 


Off-GridTNgopher said:
Fickle was in the cfp 2 years ago... Wi got drastically better with him....
Nebby got drastically better with Rhule...
Illinois with Burt b is a better team...


Afraid no.... But p.j. better improve his best.. otherwise we will never sniff anything resembling a good bowl game....
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I agreed that WI got better with him, my point was PJ's resume is as good as his and/or Rhule's, but those guys are apparently vastly superior coaches in the eyes of many. It's the shiny new toy effect.
 

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