Sports Illustrated Big ten Preview (Real tough year for Gophers apparently)

chri1673

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Sorry if this is a repost.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/ncaa/08/19/big-ten-report/index.html

How They'll Finish
Ohio State 7-1 11-1
Wisconsin 6-2 10-2
Iowa 6-2 9-3
Penn St. 5-3 8-4
Michigan St. 4-4 8-4
Northwestern 4-4 8-4
Purdue 4-4 7-5
Michigan 3-5 6-6
Illinois 3-5 5-7
Indiana 1-7 5-7
Minnesota 1-7 2-10

Note: Writer is a Northwestern grad

So the gophers are gonna finish at 2-10 overall and 1-7 in conference play, finishing last place in the big ten. I dont see this happening i see a minimum of 5 wins. I see 3-1 in non conference, and beating two of the following:mad:Purdue, @Illinois, Northwestern, @ Michigan st. more of a stretch. And potentially knowcking off one of the big dogs at home IMO most likely Penn. st.

so that lands us at 5-7 wins. but come on 2.....
 



In summary, no one in the national media thinks the Gophers have a snowball's chance in hell of beating MTSU.
 

In summary, no one in the national media thinks the Gophers have a snowball's chance in hell of beating MTSU.

Nor Northern Illinois

I have seen a bunch of 2-10 1-7 predictions

That means the only non-conference win will be South Dakota.
 


This is a great opportunity to have one of those years where you blow the expectations out of the window. When this happens, we just have to make sure that those who made such dire predictions give us credit, because they should surely bash us in a year where we performed under expectations.

Expectations are now so ridiculously low that it would be nearly impossible not to meet them. Only non-conference win vs. USD? If so, would we expect to even win one conference game? All based on unknowns.
 

So is the bar set so low that a 6-6 season looks like a fantastic feat, saving Brewster's job?

I think it does. Looking at it right now, I think that anything over 6 wins would be an absolute homerun.
 

So is the bar set so low that a 6-6 season looks like a fantastic feat, saving Brewster's job?

I think it does. Looking at it right now, I think that anything over 6 wins would be an absolute homerun.

wow...so next year Brew wins 8-9 games. What has changed from Mason?
 







8 or 9 wins wasn't a typical year with Mason. In 10 years, he won 8 games twice, and 10 games once. The Gophers win 8 games in 99, 8 in 02 and 10 in 03.

You are right, but they need to take that next step, something Mason did not do.
 



It's a little early to say, but 1 win isn't a typical Brewster season either.
 

I'd be shocked if it happened, but what are the consequences of a 2-10 season. Most of the National Reporting services are predicting 2-10. Are we looking for a new AD and Football coach in that scenario.
 

wow...so next year Brew wins 8-9 games. What has changed from Mason?

Goals, attitude and scheduling, to name three.

I don't want to turn this into another Brewster vs. Mason debate, but you asked the question. I'm not convinced that Brewster is the answer, like some are. But Brewster has given us a Division I nonconference schedule and at least talk of Rose Bowls to go with his Insight Bowls. Mason gave us, "this is Minnesota, what do you expect?" with his.

To me, that's an enormous change -- and a welcome one.
 

I can not believe the players can long believe in the talk without the results. If this is a "winning coach", let him win the games. You can't just keep talking. That is why I believe the NU game will be the most important game in the first six unless we have a horrid NC run. I can see the guys handling losses against MTSU, SC and/or at Wisconsin, but some of those and a loss at home to NU would be hard.
 

I can not believe the players can long believe in the talk without the results. If this is a "winning coach", let him win the games. You can't just keep talking. That is why I believe the NU game will be the most important game in the first six unless we have a horrid NC run. I can see the guys handling losses against MTSU, SC and/or at Wisconsin, but some of those and a loss at home to NU would be hard.

That is true, of course. But I think most of the players are smart enough to see that the results have to begin to show now ... not necessarily two years ago. Not including the JUCOs that Brewster recruited to plug holes (mostly) in a seriously bad defense, Brewster's oldest recruits are a few juniors to go with redshirt sophomores. They have been "believing the talk" without getting much of a chance to participate in the results.
 

"Without getting much of a chance to participate" is, perhaps" too strong. They have had the chance before now, just not the ability to push the older guys aside. We would have all loved to have seen more frosh, red shirt frosh, soph or red shirt sophs push aside veterans before now.
 

I know there is nothing else to discuss, so we might as well analyze predictions...

but no one ever predicted Northwestern to go to the Rose Bowl in '95....they were 3-8 in 1992, 2-9 in 1993, and 3-7-1 in 1994...I'm sure they were predicted to do the same in 1995...but they decided to go 10-2 and head to Pasadena....anything can happen.

I'm ok with the bad previews/predictions, maybe we'll get some hungry players with a chip on their shoulder.

After a late FG to beat MTSU, and a 28-20 shocker over the Trojans everybody can tear up their predictions.
 




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