Where Are We Headed

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Denver_Gopher

Denver_Gopher

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PJ brought in a spark that in 2019 created a flame. We finished 10-2 after that great win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. All was going in the right direction. 2020, in mind, doesn't count, but we followed up with two 9-4 seasons. All was good in Gopher land. Last year could be explained as a "down year", but what does that make this year? I, as the always hopeful Gopher fan, still think we can have a decent season, but am slowly moving towards the get rid of PJ group. He needs to change his best or get the hell out of dodge. My PJ fun meter is going down
 

What were the expectations this year? The season is still young. We will most likely be 2-4 then get our next win at UCLA. Games after that we’ll see, I’ll judge the body of work at the end of the season. I’m not ready to give up on PJ, I want to see how this latest recruiting class with Perich and others pan out. If heads are gonna roll I’d like to see Coyle find extra money for experienced coordinator’s
 


I think this season is especially damning in our program direction. We are upper-classman heavy with a lot of positions this group recruited. DL, LB, WR, and OL are all underwhelming. And I’m not convinced it’s due to talent. The game management and adjustments seem to be a net negative. Special teams is a joke with high school level return and punting games. The B1G is completely beatable this year and games against teams like IA, UCLA, Rutgers, Mary, Illinois, etc should all have been winnable.

I have been pro-PJ for a long time but this season is a massive dud. We are heading the wrong direction. Specifically the offensive philosophy has to fundamentally change if the head coach is not changed.
 

again, 2019 was great - but that was in the "good old days" - before NIL, unlimited transfers and major conference realignment.

the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" just keeps getting wider.

to win, you need talent. to acquire talent, you need money.

sure, really strong coaching can help negate some of the gap for a "have-not," but in the end, the team with the better athletes is going to win most of the time, and the team with the most money is going to have the better athletes.

I am NOT saying the Gophers are doomed. I am saying that expectations need to be adjusted. a really good season for the Gophers, going forward, is going to be 7 or 8 wins (unless you get an odd year with a very favorable schedule).
 


short ornery norwegian said:
I am NOT saying the Gophers are doomed. I am saying that expectations need to be adjusted. a really good season for the Gophers, going forward, is going to be 7 or 8 wins (unless you get an odd year with a very favorable schedule).
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That would be depressing. 2019 showed we could have national relevance (I understand CFB is different now). If we are resigned to never making the playoffs in the modern CFB, I'm not sure how I could continue watching with any enthusiasm. Or convince friends and family to watch as well.
 

As great as 2019 was they still choked away a chance to play in the big ten championship game by losing 2 of the last 3 with both of them being trophy games. I am a 38 year old man with maybe 40 more years and I don’t think the gophers ever finish above .500 in the new big ten or play in the big ten championship game. I have a hard time getting excited to finish 10th to 18th in the new big ten.
 

Nowhere. Hope hope hope had alwsys been the cry. Next year, oh boy, the recruit. Fleck was not a bad hire at the time and firing Cleays at the point they did was a mistake. Fleck was hot so I guess hot was better than coaching ability. Nobody knows where the team would be today had Fleck not been hired. 8 years of Fleck , we do know where we are, same old shit, different decade. Cannot beat our rivals. Our rivals dominate us and it won't stop until it is a priority. Beating your rivals is the foundation in many ways to success.
 

Denver_Gopher said:
PJ brought in a spark that in 2019 created a flame. We finished 10-2 after that great win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. All was going in the right direction. 2020, in mind, doesn't count, but we followed up with two 9-4 seasons. All was good in Gopher land. Last year could be explained as a "down year", but what does that make this year? I, as the always hopeful Gopher fan, still think we can have a decent season, but am slowly moving towards the get rid of PJ group. He needs to change his best or get the hell out of dodge. My PJ fun meter is going down
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Thought it was obvious -

 




Gopher Ally said:
What were the expectations this year? The season is still young. We will most likely be 2-4 then get our next win at UCLA. Games after that we’ll see, I’ll judge the body of work at the end of the season. I’m not ready to give up on PJ, I want to see how this latest recruiting class with Perich and others pan out. If heads are gonna roll I’d like to see Coyle find extra money for experienced coordinator’s
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Yup
 

From the Parkinglot said:
As great as 2019 was they still choked away a chance to play in the big ten championship game by losing 2 of the last 3 with both of them being trophy games. I am a 38 year old man with maybe 40 more years and I don’t think the gophers ever finish above .500 in the new big ten or play in the big ten championship game. I have a hard time getting excited to finish 10th to 18th in the new big ten.
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Second one maybe

Beat these clowns and we are 5-4 this year

UCLA
WISCONSIN
Maryland
Rutgers


One of
Illinois/USC/michigan/penn state

Hotly shit we might go over .500 this year

We lose to Iowa who is a preseason 4-8 in the conference and the sky is falling
 

Some guy said:
Second one maybe

Beat these clowns and we are 5-4 this year

UCLA
WISCONSIN
Maryland
Rutgers


One of
Illinois/USC/michigan/penn state

Hotly shit we might go over .500 this year

We lose to Iowa who is a preseason 4-8 in the conference and the sky is falling
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I’m honestly more upset they lost to a very bad North Carolina team while only scoring 17 points at home.
 




Some guy said:
Second one maybe

Beat these clowns and we are 5-4 this year

UCLA
WISCONSIN
Maryland
Rutgers


One of
Illinois/USC/michigan/penn state

Hotly shit we might go over .500 this year

We lose to Iowa who is a preseason 4-8 in the conference and the sky is falling
Click to expand...
This is dreaming, are you expecting to win these games 10-7? The only way we even come close to this is if Fleck somehow is able to re-establish a running game. But he’s given up on that because he has no clue how to run an offense. This offense is in disarray and it’s not changing anytime soon.
 

Some Day...Maybe said:
This is dreaming, are you expecting to win these games 10-7? The only way we even come close to this is if Fleck somehow is able to re-establish a running game. But he’s given up on that because he has no clue how to run an offense. This offense is in disarray and it’s not changing anytime soon.
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The offense is completely different than two years ago

I agree it isn’t very good but to say it isn’t changing outs you as not very knowledgeable
 

Nax5 said:
That would be depressing. 2019 showed we could have national relevance (I understand CFB is different now). If we are resigned to never making the playoffs in the modern CFB, I'm not sure how I could continue watching with any enthusiasm. Or convince friends and family to watch as well.
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Yeah, that is a tough thing to say.

It just feels like the sport the way it is, only teams that spend way more money than we have access to are realistic contenders.


Will be interesting to see what some of the teams that make the CFP bracket now at 12 are going to be like.

Obviously we're never going to leave the Big Ten, so long as its still a thing. Not suggesting we do.
 



From the Parkinglot said:
As great as 2019 was they still choked away a chance to play in the big ten championship game by losing 2 of the last 3 with both of them being trophy games. I am a 38 year old man with maybe 40 more years and I don’t think the gophers ever finish above .500 in the new big ten or play in the big ten championship game. I have a hard time getting excited to finish 10th to 18th in the new big ten.
Click to expand...
I am a decade older and feel the same way. Prior to NIL and the transfer portal, there was always the chance we could have a developed a super star at QB or something that could make for a magical 2-3 year run. Now, if we were able to develop that guy - they will leave for more exposure and cash for a better ranked program. Thus, I tend to agree - it will be the very rare occasion where we finish above 0.500 in B1G play.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
again, 2019 was great - but that was in the "good old days" - before NIL, unlimited transfers and major conference realignment.

the gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" just keeps getting wider.
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The top 25 doesn't look that much different than it did in 2019 (aside from Wisconsin/Iowa going from top 14 to out).

Traditional powers along with Missouri, Iowa State, UNLV, Kansas State, Boise State ranked. Washington State, Indiana, Boston College, UCF narrowly missing out.
 

We are headed for two difficult seasons. I’m in the “seat should be warm” camp. He’s gonna be at the helm this year and next, and I need to see him win coin flip games and finish strong defensively.
We lose a lot of senior leadership next year, and that isn’t gonna help.
 

csom_1991 said:
I am a decade older and feel the same way. Prior to NIL and the transfer portal, there was always the chance we could have a developed a super star at QB or something that could make for a magical 2-3 year run. Now, if we were able to develop that guy - they will leave for more exposure and cash for a better ranked program. Thus, I tend to agree - it will be the very rare occasion where we finish above 0.500 in B1G play.
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At some point there will be more parity as this thing is forced to adopt NFL inspired paradigms that support parity. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
 

I just don’t get it. We haven’t had much star power taken from us in the portal (Bucky Irving comes to mind but even then he mostly blew up once he was already at Oregon) and our NIL, for the scope of our program, is doing fairly well. We had a great recruiting class last year, have pulled good transfers and overall off the field it seems as if we are navigating this new era of college football in at least the top 50th percentile. Obviously we’re not having a 2019-like season every year under PJ but that was never going to happen at this program. Being a middle-of-the-pack to below average B1G team a lot of years is going to happen regardless of who the head coach is just because of the kind of program we are. For how negative a lot of people on here are feeling, I think that ironically need to temper their expectations. I think we can still have a good season and I trust PJ and the players to right the ship and improve as the season progresses.
 

Some guy said:
Second one maybe

Beat these clowns and we are 5-4 this year

UCLA
WISCONSIN
Maryland
Rutgers


One of
Illinois/USC/michigan/penn state

Hotly shit we might go over .500 this year

We lose to Iowa who is a preseason 4-8 in the conference and the sky is falling
Click to expand...
Now fans are pounding their chest over a potential 5-4 mark.
 

csom_1991 said:
I am a decade older and feel the same way. Prior to NIL and the transfer portal, there was always the chance we could have a developed a super star at QB or something that could make for a magical 2-3 year run. Now, if we were able to develop that guy - they will leave for more exposure and cash for a better ranked program. Thus, I tend to agree - it will be the very rare occasion where we finish above 0.500 in B1G play.
Click to expand...
Based on our history, the current set up seems to be better for us to get a super star QB IMO. The program hasn't had a QB drafted in decades because coach after coach has not been able to recruit and develop a QB to that level. I think there's a greater chance they grab a transfer from the lower levels that ends up being a stud than there is developing one out of HS.
 

What is the Gophers' current identity as a team? There are identities you forge, and identities that are forced upon you. I know the Gophs are trying to forge a positive identity for the team, and the players are trying hard. You can tell. But the identity being forced upon the Gophers is that of a team that cannot compete (or perhaps chooses to "turtle") in the 2nd half of games. A team that, once half-time adjustments are made, almost always comes out on the short end. Here are the 2ND HALF scoring stats in the Gophers' past 12 Power 5/4 contests--comprising the entire 2023 season and 2024 to date. It ain't pretty.

2024:
Loss to Iowa, 0-24
Loss to UNC, 3-12
2023:
Loss to Wisconsin, 0-14
Loss to Ohio State, 3-24
Loss to Purdue, 10-21
Loss to Illinois, 9-13
Win over Michigan State, 17-6
Win over Iowa, 9-0
Loss to Michigan, 0-28
Loss to Northwestern, 3-27 (worse than 2024 Iowa collapse, given opponent)
Loss to UNC, 3-10
Win over Nebraska, 10-10

I have no idea what adjustments the Gophers are making at half-time. Obviously, they are making adjustments. But the developing trend is that the Gophers are generally competitive in the first half and then give up substantial ground, and sometimes implode, in the 2nd half. Don't want to pretend that I have any ideas how to shake this developing "identity." Just pointing out the trend--which bodes poorly for the season. And is the principal challenge for our Coordinators, if we hope to win some B1G games in 2024.
 



Can a program like Minnesota afford to have 2 bad seasons back to back in the new CFB landscape? You can wait on this year's recruiting class if you'd like, but are you assuming those players are going to be here in 2 years? Perich, DT, Lindsey...why are they going to stick around & lose when other programs are most certainly going to come knocking with $$$ and the chance to win. This season heading south is happening at the worst time possible.
 

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