Let's manage our expectations better....

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sonnygarcia

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while the boys played their @sses off and the coaches called a great game yesterday we need to reel in expectations a bit here. Yes the team is making improvements and it is fun to see but yesterday we were able to have a chance to win that game because a major weakness/problem of ours (physicality along the defensive front/stopping the run) matched perfectly with Mich St's most glaring weakness (running the ball).

I've seen a lot of posts indicating people think we have a shot to pull the upset against Wisconsin. While I'm hoping for a good game, let's temper the expectations a little bit so the let down isn't as major next weekend. Wisconsin's o-line is the most physical in the entire country and our extremely under-weight and under-experienced defensive line is going to have major trouble matching their physical nature. If this game is within the spread, which I assume will come out as something like 28.5, I will consider it a he!! of an effort and the offense will probably have had a nice day again.

jBaby steps.....
 

No argument here. We really can't measure this season in wins and losses. It would be great to upset Wisconsin (and it would be an upset), but who'd a thunk Northwestern could beat Nebraska in Lincoln. Stranger things have happened than us beating Wisconsin next week, but that's not to say it wouldn't be a strange thing to beat them.
 

sonnygarcia said:
I've seen a lot of posts indicating people think we have a shot to pull the upset against Wisconsin.
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We should be thinking we have a shot to upset the Badgers. We can't assume that we will win, or be upset if we don't, but we do have a shot. Last I checked, the score as 0-0.
 

sonnygarcia said:
while the boys played their @sses off and the coaches called a great game yesterday we need to reel in expectations a bit here. Yes the team is making improvements and it is fun to see but yesterday we were able to have a chance to win that game because a major weakness/problem of ours (physicality along the defensive front/stopping the run) matched perfectly with Mich St's most glaring weakness (running the ball).

I've seen a lot of posts indicating people think we have a shot to pull the upset against Wisconsin. While I'm hoping for a good game, let's temper the expectations a little bit so the let down isn't as major next weekend. Wisconsin's o-line is the most physical in the entire country and our extremely under-weight and under-experienced defensive line is going to have major trouble matching their physical nature. If this game is within the spread, which I assume will come out as something like 28.5, I will consider it a he!! of an effort and the offense will probably have had a nice day again.

jBaby steps.....
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i agree. i have been waiting all year for games like iowa and mich st. i have been hard on kill but the last 2 games have shown the team is getting better and more comfortable with what they are to do. i have been impressed with our dline the last 2 games. they have been standing up the oline and making the qb get rid of the ball earlier. im not going to say we will knock off wisky, they have a very good run game and a very good qb, i am hoping to see more improvement from our dline and oline but im not in the group that thinks we are going to be in this game come 4th quarter.

my only criticism from yesterdays game is how often we roll Q to the left and have him throw across his body. for how much better Q has looked these last 2 weeks i just dont understand why we would call a play to hurt a drive or his confidence? but other than that i am very happy even with the loss. go gophers
 





Ski U Mah Gopher said:
If Wisconsin is favored by 28.5 and the Gophers win, that is an upset.

There is always a chance, that's why they play the game.
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I think you're putting a comma in his post that isn't there, reading it as:

"No way, they are favored by 28.5" as in, "No way the Gophers win, Wisconsin is favored by 28.5." when I think what he meant was

"No way they are favored by 28.5" as in, "There is no way that the Badgers will be favored by 28.5 in this game."

That's how I read it anyway. I'm getting really excited for this game!
 

Wisconsin opened up as 28.5 pt favorites, all this should tell you is that I gamble on CFB way too much.
 




WOW this post is so - GLASS HALF EMPTY! Any given Saturday.
 


I think you are confusing the word expectations?

Saying we can upset Wisconsin doesn't mean anyone expects them to beat Wisconsin.

I certainly don't expect it. I wouldn't be shocked if it was close though. And if it's close anything can happen.
 



Nope, not confusing the word whatsoever. There has been plenty of talk of an upset and almost like many expect a close game because of the last two. I don't think this game has a chance of being within 3 TDs. Wisconsin disposes of teams that don't have physical defenses. Hope I'm wrong.
 

This thread has gotten a bit of track but the original point was a very good one. No matter what has happened to this point in the season or what may happen over the remainder of the season we all need to avoid the temptation to make rush judgements or blanket statements about the state of the program.

We have seen both extremes this year from a team that looked like the worst team in all of college football, to a team that beat one rival and was very competitive on the road against quality opponents on two separate occasions.

Where we will end up for the rest of this year or the years to come there is really no way of knowing. Kill and his staff could prove to be the group we have been waiting for all these years or they could flame out and disappear like most of the staffs that have come through here over the past 40 years.

The bottom line is that at least over the past few weeks the team and coaches have stopped looking like the train wreck we saw in the early part of the season. As to the Wisconsin game it will all be decided in the first few series. If we come out and execute like we did against Michigan State and keep the game close you never know what can happen. If Wisconsin gets any sort of momentum going, look out because they will pile it on in a hurry and not give it a second thought.
 

The line has already moved to Minn -27
 

sonnygarcia said:
Nope, not confusing the word whatsoever. There has been plenty of talk of an upset and almost like many expect a close game because of the last two. I don't think this game has a chance of being within 3 TDs. Wisconsin disposes of teams that don't have physical defenses. Hope I'm wrong.
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Does anybody really expect a close game? I think it'll probably be a 2-3 score game. But I wouldn't be shocked if it was a 6 point game and I wouldn't be shocked if it was a 60 point game.


Expectations implies people will be surprised if it goes differently. I don't think anyone on the planet would be totally shocked if Minnesota got beat 63-3.
 

I do generally agree with the OP that it will be difficult for us to keep this game close, I do disagree with him that MSU was an easier matchup for us in terms of the strengths of the two teams.

First off, I think our two biggest areas that are thin and need development are our secondary and our offensive line and their isn't a team in the Big 10 that will test those guys more than MSU.

Going into the MSU game, I was having a hard time imagining our offensive line being able to hold their own at all in this game and they were fantastic. Furthermore, MSU has a few REALLY talented WRs.

I do agree that Wisconsin is a tough matchup for us with their OL, their DL is not as good as MSU's and I don't think their WRs are either (though Toon and Abradaris are GOOD).

So (for me) MSU's style was just as much problematic before the game as Sconny's.
 

Why can't people have whatever expectations they want?
 

One error in your logic -- Wilson is much more consistent passer than Cousins and is a dynamic runner too. There's a reason that Wilson is in, or was in, the Heisman talk and it's not because he's handing off to Ball.

Bob_Loblaw said:
I do generally agree with the OP that it will be difficult for us to keep this game close, I do disagree with him that MSU was an easier matchup for us in terms of the strengths of the two teams.

First off, I think our two biggest areas that are thin and need development are our secondary and our offensive line and their isn't a team in the Big 10 that will test those guys more than MSU.

Going into the MSU game, I was having a hard time imagining our offensive line being able to hold their own at all in this game and they were fantastic. Furthermore, MSU has a few REALLY talented WRs.

I do agree that Wisconsin is a tough matchup for us with their OL, their DL is not as good as MSU's and I don't think their WRs are either (though Toon and Abradaris are GOOD).

So (for me) MSU's style was just as much problematic before the game as Sconny's.
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Rosemountian said:
Does anybody really expect a close game?
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What I was reading immediately following the MSU game is that people expect a close game against Wisconsin and a chance to pull off the upset, which is why I wrote the post. Just trying to get another point of view out there so reign such a thought in to help minimize a potential melt-down next Sat if Wisc hangs 60+ on us, which is what Wisc seems to do to weaker opponents. If you want to keep bickering back and forth abount semantics have at it.....

If we are within 21 points at the end I will consider it a heck of an effort by the Gophers.
 

sonnygarcia said:
What I was reading immediately following the MSU game is that people expect a close game against Wisconsin and a chance to pull off the upset, which is why I wrote the post. Just trying to get another point of view out there so reign such a thought in to help minimize a potential melt-down next Sat if Wisc hangs 60+ on us, which is what Wisc seems to do to weaker opponents. If you want to keep bickering back and forth abount semantics have at it.....

If we are within 21 points at the end I will consider it a heck of an effort by the Gophers.
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Common sense says the Gophers will lose.

IMO, I want the guys to play well, make plays, and eliminate the DUH's which give opponents easy points. We could loose by 21 and play good or bad. I think the guys realize that they could have beat MSU if they had played better across the board and kept their moxy going for four quarters. I hope they aren't like many fans and satisfied with their performance. They lost as we didn't play well enough but I hope they can build on that game.

Its important to maintain momentum and show improvement going into our last three games and be in the position to grab a victory or maybe two along the way.
 

If it is unreasonable to think that the Gophers can pull the upset, then the only alternative is to think that the Gophers can not win. That's not managed expectations, that's none at all. You can think that winning is unlikely, yet think that they can win.
 

RodentRampage said:
If it is unreasonable to think that the Gophers can pull the upset, then the only alternative is to think that the Gophers can not win. That's not managed expectations, that's none at all. You can think that winning is unlikely, yet think that they can win.
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I expect the Gophers to lose by between 28-31 pts, anything below that expectation I will consider another positive step towards rebuilding the Gophers to where we want to be. Anything on or over that I will consider it a minor step back and we will have to get back on the horse and give NW he!! the next week. Small improvements each week, sustain any set backs and move forward the following week.

I've just seen Wisc dismantle too many inferior opponents this year to set my expectations any higher.
 

I thought MSU would win by 20-25. I think UW-Madison will win by 20+. I do not bet on these games and there is a reason for that. I'll be there in my MN gear cheering but I am prepared to get razzed by WI fans. they good -we not not so much.
 

50PoundHead said:
No argument here. We really can't measure this season in wins and losses. It would be great to upset Wisconsin (and it would be an upset), but who'd a thunk Northwestern could beat Nebraska in Lincoln. Stranger things have happened than us beating Wisconsin next week, but that's not to say it wouldn't be a strange thing to beat them.
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My thoughts exactly. HOPING for a win (as always), but EXPECTING to continue to make progress, continue to develop, play them tough, etc. If we do that and keep the game close, then, who knows? See: Iowa :) We need an axe to cut that swine! Lol.
 

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