What grade do you give the 2016 Gophers regular season?

What grade do you give the 2016 Gophers regular season?

  • A

    Votes: 5 3.0%

  • B

    Votes: 46 27.7%

  • C

    Votes: 81 48.8%

  • D

    Votes: 23 13.9%

  • F

    Votes: 11 6.6%
  • Total voters
    166
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dpodoll68 said:
Speaking of spamming, I hear a lot of dittoheads spamming this nonsense. What does this mean?
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Beat who you should beat, lose to who you should lose to. It's really not that complicated...
 




Gopher04 said:
If it happens consistently like our program then yes.
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Ok, so now the definition has changed - it's consistently beating the teams that you're supposed to beat, as well as consistently losing to the teams you're supposed to lose to. I'm assuming that's your definition of mediocrity. How does the "accepting" part enter into the definition?
 


dpodoll68 said:
Ok, so now the definition has changed - it's consistently beating the teams that you're supposed to beat, as well as consistently losing to the teams you're supposed to lose to. I'm assuming that's your definition of mediocrity. How does the "accepting" part enter into the definition?
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You say that we should not move on from a coaching staff that cannot beat the good teams but can beat up on the little guys. By my definition of mediocrity, you are "accepting" mediocrity. The definition has not changed at all, you're just to blind or ignorant to read it. Ohio state and Michigan don't accept "mediocrity", look at Michigan when they fired Hoke.
 

Gopher04 said:
You say that we should not move on from a coaching staff that cannot beat the good teams but can beat up on the little guys. By my definition of mediocrity, you are "accepting" mediocrity. The definition has not changed at all, you're just to blind or ignorant to read it. Ohio state and Michigan don't accept "mediocrity", look at Michigan when they fired Hoke.
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Who says they cannot beat them? You're giving them one chance and that's it? They "cannot" do it on the basis of a sample size of one? If you fail a driving test on the first try, does that mean that you "cannot" pass it?

I'm not "to blind" to read anything - your words are nonsense and you can't back them up with any rational argument. The phrase "accepting mediocrity" is nonsense.
 

it's the difference being "good enough" and "great." For some people, being good enough is good enough for them.

Other people dream of something better. This program has won national championships in the past - but it's so far in the past that I'm 61 years old, and I really can't remember the last team the Gophers were considered one of the best programs in the conference - let along the nation. I do remember '67 when the Gophs tied for the Conf title, but another team got to go to the Rose Bowl because the Gophers had been to the Rose Bowl more recently.

So the whole "accepting mediocrity" idea means that fans have accepted that the Gophers are a mid-level program, and will never be anything more than a mid-level program, and they're OK with that as long as the Gophs can squeak out 6, 7 or 8 wins and make it to some kind of a bowl game. (but not the really good bowl games).
 

short ornery norwegian said:
it's the difference being "good enough" and "great." For some people, being good enough is good enough for them.

Other people dream of something better. This program has won national championships in the past - but it's so far in the past that I'm 61 years old, and I really can't remember the last team the Gophers were considered one of the best programs in the conference - let along the nation. I do remember '67 when the Gophs tied for the Conf title, but another team got to go to the Rose Bowl because the Gophers had been to the Rose Bowl more recently.

So the whole "accepting mediocrity" idea means that fans have accepted that the Gophers are a mid-level program, and will never be anything more than a mid-level program, and they're OK with that as long as the Gophs can squeak out 6, 7 or 8 wins and make it to some kind of a bowl game. (but not the really good bowl games).
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+1
 



dpodoll68 said:
So when this happens for Ohio St. or Michigan, that means they're mediocre?
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YEP.

I don't need to go look at Michigan's board to know they have a large piece of the fan base calling this an average season after losing to Iowa and Ohio St. Want to bet?
 

dpodoll68 said:
Who says they cannot beat them? You're giving them one chance and that's it? They "cannot" do it on the basis of a sample size of one? If you fail a driving test on the first try, does that mean that you "cannot" pass it?

I'm not "to blind" to read anything - your words are nonsense and you can't back them up with any rational argument. The phrase "accepting mediocrity" is nonsense.
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Isn't the last 3 years enough proof. Lost all rivalry trophies. 0 wins against top 25 teams. That enough proof for ya? The fact is that they had some good teams and the only thing they have to show for it is the quick stain bowl.
 

I said D.

Beating horrible, and I mean horrible teams like Purdue and Illinois doesn't do much for me.

"Beating" Rutgers.... that game alone is almost "F" worthy.

The fact we lost to Penn State makes PSU look like a top 10 team because of their fluke win over OSU.
Penn State shouldn't be in the top 15.
 

Gopher04 said:
Isn't the last 3 years enough proof. Lost all rivalry trophies. 0 wins against top 25 teams. That enough proof for ya? The fact is that they had some good teams and the only thing they have to show for it is the quick stain bowl.
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Why the last 3 years? Claeys has been the head coach for one full regular season.
 



Wow. We beat teams we are supposed to beat because we are better than them. That's makes us an above average team. I don't understand how you can give less than a C+. I give it a B/B-.

I don't understand why any recruit would want to come play for us given how terrible our fan base is and their complete lack of appreciation of a decent season.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

dpodoll68 said:
Why the last 3 years? Claeys has been the head coach for one full regular season.
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Alright let's talk this year. How many top 25 teams did we beat? Where did we finish in the West? How many leads did we blow?
 

Gopher04 said:
Alright let's talk this year. How many top 25 teams did we beat? Where did we finish in the West? How many leads did we blow?
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And that takes me back to my previous post - you give somebody one chance and that proves that they "cannot" do something?
 

I, along with everyone else, was disappointed with this season because of our high expectations. These expectations were due in large part to our experienced senior, 1st round predicted QB and how he was going to take us to the promise land with our one, two punch of a running attack. Heck, even Claeys himself said we'd have 10 wins this year so just speaking for myself, I expected more. That being said, 8 wins is 8 wins and with a new QB at the helm of an even better running attack, the future is, well, uncertain/bright. My grade is a solid B-/C+
 

Ruggers said:
I, along with everyone else, was disappointed with this season because of our high expectations. These expectations were due in large part to our experienced senior, 1st round predicted QB and how he was going to take us to the promise land with our one, two punch of a running attack. Heck, even Claeys himself said we'd have 10 wins this year so just speaking for myself, I expected more. That being said, 8 wins is 8 wins and with a new QB at the helm of an even better running attack, the future is, well, uncertain/bright. My grade is a solid B-/C+
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Yeah, Claeys was caught between a rock and hard place. He wanted to build enthusiasm in the program after Kill's retirement and last year. He needed to do so for ticket sales and donations. So he chalks last year up to injuries and schedule and says this year will be the best team during the Kill/Claeys era.

Of course, the price of all that was that fans' expectations were set higher than just replicating previous levels of success. Overall I think it's fair to say, "well, Claeys is the one who set the higher expectations," but it's also fair to say, "what the hell is Claeys supposed to say?"

What's interesting is how this thread has basically all the same arguments as were being made before the season? Basically the season was right in the middle of the expected range of outcomes: http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/bo...iPress-Tracy-Claeys-sees-8-to-10-wins-in-2016
 


I voted C, would've went with C+ had that been an option.

Winning ugly games against crap teams still counts for something. How many seasons have we had where we didn't drop at least 1 game to a bad team?
 

C/C- at no point did I ever say to myself "that was impressive"
 

dpodoll68 said:
And that takes me back to my previous post - you give somebody one chance and that proves that they "cannot" do something?
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Claeys had 3 chances this year to beat ranked teams, he came up 0-3. Dating back to last year interim he beat 0 ranked teams. But this isn't really the point of what I was stating in the first place. You continue to say that we should be grateful to Claeys that he has beat the teams he should and lost to the ones he shouldn't. Whether you like it or not, some of us fans think that this programs ceiling is higher than 8 wins. Ohio state and Michigan have different standards than we do, if Ohio State were to continue to be a say 10-2 team, their coach would be fired because that's just not good enough for their standards. You believe that we should keep are standards low because 8-4 0-12. OF COURSE IT IS, but why don't we shoot for 9-3 and then 10-2 and so on. The fans like you are exactly what's been plaguing this university for years, the loser mentality. Im all for Claeys if he shows he can get the job done next season, but this season should not be something we beat our chest about.
 

Gopher04 said:
Claeys had 3 chances this year to beat ranked teams, he came up 0-3. Dating back to last year interim he beat 0 ranked teams. But this isn't really the point of what I was stating in the first place. You continue to say that we should be grateful to Claeys that he has beat the teams he should and lost to the ones he shouldn't. Whether you like it or not, some of us fans think that this programs ceiling is higher than 8 wins. Ohio state and Michigan have different standards than we do, if Ohio State were to continue to be a say 10-2 team, their coach would be fired because that's just not good enough for their standards. You believe that we should keep are standards low because 8-4 0-12. OF COURSE IT IS, but why don't we shoot for 9-3 and then 10-2 and so on. The fans like you are exactly what's been plaguing this university for years, the loser mentality. Im all for Claeys if he shows he can get the job done next season, but this season should not be something we beat our chest about.
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I've said nothing that you've ascribed to me here, but those are some wonderful straw men that you've constructed. I believe that the Gophers can win division and conference titles and am very hopeful that it will happen, but I'm also realistic enough to realize that it's not going to happen in the first year of any coach's tenure (even if it were Nick Saban or Urban Meyer, let alone Tracy Claeys) and that it's a process which takes time. Firing coaches after one year in the hopes that the next one is better is a fool's errand. Suffice it to say that Mark Coyle agrees with me, and he's the only person whose opinion really matters on the topic. "Accepting mediocrity" is a silly nonsense phrase devoid of meaning.
 

Gopher04 said:
Alright let's talk this year. How many top 25 teams did we beat?
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Exactly one less than Oklahoma and Colorado, the #7 and #9 teams in the CFP.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Easiest schedule of all time and they pissed it down their leg. C at best.
 

B, but a bland B. Would have traded a bad loss somewhere to beat Wisconsin or PSU
 

B-, 8 wins in regular season, no matter the aesthetics, 8 Ws is 8 Ws!

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I give them a solid C.

As much as I'm fine with 8 wins, no trophy or particularly big wins keeps the team in the C range.

Nothing great, nothing terrible. Plenty of room to move up.
 

This is a clear D or F. This team absolutely should have performed better with a 4-year QB and a very strong defense. The team got an F from the QB and Offense line positions which dragged the team down to below a passing grade.

If this program wants to move up from a bottom/middle team in the Big 10 they need to take advantage of opportunities when they come by. This season was an opportunity given the weak schedule, facing multiple teams with 2nd/3rd string QB's, and the experience on the roster. They absolutely blew it and fans should be disappointed. We need to stop celebrating mediocrity.
 

Aside from the few Pollyannas, I mean true fans, who claimed that our eight wins was a success, everyone else knows our season was a big MEH. One knucklehead, I mean true fan, even suggested as proof to how great a season it was did so by noting that in 100-years of “golden” gopher football, only one time have we won more than eight games. Here's the reaction to that fabulous stat by our skunk and hog-eye friends:


I don’t even want to know how many times the skunks and hog-eyes have won nine or more games in a season.* It’s depressing to think that some folks are celebrating this season as something special which only speaks to how pathetic our program is.* Remember, eight wins in skunk and hog-eye land is a rebuilding year and nine wins can get you fired at Nebraska.
 

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