Gophers have played 3rd most difficult B1G schedule so far

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SelectionSunday

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Based on current conference records. Obviously, Rutgers "helps" their cause for toughest by losing to everyone. Conference record & winning percentage of opponents in parentheses.

So far what these numbers tell me is (1) the Gophers are solid at 3-3 having played 4 road games, (2) ditto for 3-2 Nebraska which has played 3 of 5 on the road, (3) Indiana's in trouble if it struggles on the road, and (4) the Badgers have played one team with a .500 or better conference record (@ 4-2 Purdue).

For the record, (1) I think Purdue and Wisconsin are a cut above the rest in the B1G, and (2) I'm not yet sold on Maryland and, to a lesser extent, Michigan State. Still in wait & see mode with those young squads.

TOUGHEST TO EASIEST
1 Rutgers (20-13, .606) -- 2 home, 4 road
2 Michigan (19-13, .594) -- 3 home, 3 road
3 GOPHERS (20-14, .588) -- 2 home, 4 road
4 Ohio State (17-12, .586) -- 2 home, 3 road
5 Nebraska (15-13, .536) -- 2 home, 3 road
6 Illinois (17-15, .531) -- 3 home, 3 road
7 Iowa (17-18, .486) -- 3 home, 3 road
8 Indiana (13-14, .481) -- 4 home, 1 road
9 Northwestern (16-18, .471) -- 2 home, 4 road
10 Purdue (16-18, .471) -- 4 home, 2 road
11 Penn State (13-17, .433) -- 3 home, 2 road (Palestra a home game)
12 Michigan State (14-20, .412) -- 3 home, 3 road (Palestra a road game)
13 Maryland (11-17, .393) -- 3 home, 2 road
14 Wisconsin (9-19, .321) -- 3 home, 2 road
 

SelectionSunday said:
Based on current conference records. Obviously, Rutgers "helps" their cause for toughest by losing to everyone. Conference record & winning percentage of opponents in parentheses.

So far what these numbers tell me is (1) the Gophers are solid at 3-3 having played 4 road games, (2) ditto for 3-2 Nebraska which has played 3 of 5 on the road, (3) Indiana's in trouble if it struggles on the road, and (4) the Badgers have played one team with a .500 or better conference record (@ 4-2 Purdue).

For the record, (1) I think Purdue and Wisconsin are a cut above the rest in the B1G, and (2) I'm not yet sold on Maryland and, to a lesser extent, Michigan State. Still in wait & see mode with those young squads.

TOUGHEST TO EASIEST
1 Rutgers (20-13, .606) -- 2 home, 4 road
2 Michigan (19-13, .594) -- 3 home, 3 road
3 GOPHERS (20-14, .588) -- 2 home, 4 road
4 Ohio State (17-12, .586) -- 2 home, 3 road
5 Nebraska (15-13, .536) -- 2 home, 3 road
6 Illinois (17-15, .531) -- 3 home, 3 road
7 Iowa (17-18, .486) -- 3 home, 3 road
8 Indiana (13-14, .481) -- 4 home, 1 road
9 Northwestern (16-18, .471) -- 2 home, 4 road
10 Purdue (16-18, .471) -- 4 home, 2 road
11 Penn State (13-17, .433) -- 3 home, 2 road (Palestra a home game)
12 Michigan State (14-20, .412) -- 3 home, 3 road (Palestra a road game)
13 Maryland (11-17, .393) -- 3 home, 2 road
14 Wisconsin (9-19, .321) -- 3 home, 2 road
Click to expand...

Our next three games won't do much to lessen our SOS, with WI, OSU and Maryland at 9-6 collectively. I would love to be 5-4 after these next two games, but even at 4-5, we would be in good shape considering the schedule softens a bit. Folks would be jumping off bandwagon at 4-5 but big picture, we would be okay.
 

Anyone who abandons (NCAA at-large hopeful) ship if Gophers are 4-5 is a fool. 4-5 at the halfway point was a more than reasonable record to target heading into the B1G season, and it remains so despite the Gophers' last 2 stinkers.

If Gophers win 1 of the next 3, they're in great position to make hay toward a NCAA bid in second half. Absolutely must avoid 0-3, though. I'm seeing L, L, and W in the next 3, with the win over Maryland being the turning point of the season.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Anyone who abandons (NCAA at-large hopeful) ship if Gophers are 4-5 is a fool. 4-5 at the halfway point was a more than reasonable record to target heading into the B1G season, and it remains so despite the Gophers' last 2 stinkers.

If Gophers win 1 of the next 3, they're in great position to make hay toward a NCAA bid in second half. Absolutely must avoid 0-3, though. I'm seeing L, L, and W in the next 3, with the win over Maryland being the turning point of the season.
Click to expand...

If this goes the way you are predicting a 4 game losing streak going into the Maryland game isn't going to give fans a whole lot of confidence about where this team is at regardless if 3-5 up to that point was a reasonable expectation.
 

Not concerned about what fans' confidence level is in the Gophers, especially ones who jump off and on the truck depending on which way the wind is blowing. Point is, if you gave me a 4-5 record for the Gophers right now, I'd take it. Can't lose next 3. I'll take any 1 of the 3, but Saturday would be my first choice.
 


That game @Illinois at that point is really scaring me as well. Does 4-6 worry you much?
 

tmvander said:
That game @Illinois at that point is really scaring me as well. Does 4-6 worry you much?
Click to expand...

Agree about the Illinois game, but no, 4-6 with the schedule Gophers would have left would not be Code Red for me. 3-7, yes.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Not concerned about what fans' confidence level is in the Gophers, especially ones who jump off and on the truck depending on which way the wind is blowing. Point is, if you gave me a 4-5 record for the Gophers right now, I'd take it. Can't lose next 3. I'll take any 1 of the 3, but Saturday would be my first choice.
Click to expand...

Maryland game could actually be tougher than Wisky. They are quietly turning into the best team in the Big Ten. Everyone thought they were too young to be really good.. guess we we're wrong.
 

Get hot at the end of the season as expected and the beginning of the season could become quite trivial. Hopefully the Purdue win is a big boost to our seeding in the NCAAs and not just our only bartering chip to get in to the tourney.
 



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