Gopher07
Captain of Awesome
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2008
- Messages
- 9,008
- Reaction score
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- Points
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Good news, everyone! After this past weekend, there are now three conference games in the "should win" column - Maryland, Illinois and Nebraska are looking all in our favor following last weekend's results, and as a result, we should feel somewhat confident in bowl eligibility for the first time this year.
Of course, we want more than that - and toss-ups against Purdue, MSU, Iowa, and Northwestern could be the difference between simply a bowl trip and an unforgettable season.
Following last weekend's result, the biggest shifts were for two teams in particular - Maryland went from a toss-up to a huge spread, and rightfully so as they were thrashed at home against UCF and are potentially down to their third-string QB. Nebraska also lost ground with a lackluster performance at home against dreadful Rutgers - the computer didn't like how close the Scarlet Knights kept it in Lincoln and punished them accordingly.
Small shifts in Minnesota's favor for Purdue and MSU, though both remain firmly in unknown territory. If the Gophers manage to blast Maryland we might see that Purdue line shift a bit more in our favor, but expect it'll be around there if there's a W against the Terps as the Boilers have the week off. And MSU - well, they have a bit of a tough schedule between now and 10/14 (vs Iowa, @ Michigan) so they could slip quickly.
Looking forward to kicking off conference play this weekend - hope the Gophers can bring home the win!
A reminder on how I arrive here, I take Jeff Sagarin's predictor ratings (found here), and calculate what the computer says the spread should be, for now through the end of the season. Negative numbers favor the Gophers, positive favor the opponent.
vs Buffalo W (Predicted -22; Actual -10)
@ Oregon State W (Predicted -4.5; Actual -34)
vs Middle Tennessee W (Predicted -14.5; Actual -31)
vs Maryland -11
@ Purdue -4
vs Michigan State -3.5
vs Illinois -16
@ Iowa +2.5
@ Michigan +12
vs Nebraska -7.5
@ Northwestern +1
vs Wisconsin +11
Final record: 8-4 (5-4)
Likely in the W column (>7-point advantage to Minnesota): vs Maryland, vs Illinois, vs Nebraska
Toss ups (no team with a greater than 7-point advantage): @ Purdue, vs Michigan State, @ Iowa, @ Northwestern
Likely in the L column (>7-point advantage to opponent): @ Michigan, vs Wisconsin
Previous weeks:
Preseason
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Of course, we want more than that - and toss-ups against Purdue, MSU, Iowa, and Northwestern could be the difference between simply a bowl trip and an unforgettable season.
Following last weekend's result, the biggest shifts were for two teams in particular - Maryland went from a toss-up to a huge spread, and rightfully so as they were thrashed at home against UCF and are potentially down to their third-string QB. Nebraska also lost ground with a lackluster performance at home against dreadful Rutgers - the computer didn't like how close the Scarlet Knights kept it in Lincoln and punished them accordingly.
Small shifts in Minnesota's favor for Purdue and MSU, though both remain firmly in unknown territory. If the Gophers manage to blast Maryland we might see that Purdue line shift a bit more in our favor, but expect it'll be around there if there's a W against the Terps as the Boilers have the week off. And MSU - well, they have a bit of a tough schedule between now and 10/14 (vs Iowa, @ Michigan) so they could slip quickly.
Looking forward to kicking off conference play this weekend - hope the Gophers can bring home the win!
A reminder on how I arrive here, I take Jeff Sagarin's predictor ratings (found here), and calculate what the computer says the spread should be, for now through the end of the season. Negative numbers favor the Gophers, positive favor the opponent.
vs Buffalo W (Predicted -22; Actual -10)
@ Oregon State W (Predicted -4.5; Actual -34)
vs Middle Tennessee W (Predicted -14.5; Actual -31)
vs Maryland -11
@ Purdue -4
vs Michigan State -3.5
vs Illinois -16
@ Iowa +2.5
@ Michigan +12
vs Nebraska -7.5
@ Northwestern +1
vs Wisconsin +11
Final record: 8-4 (5-4)
Likely in the W column (>7-point advantage to Minnesota): vs Maryland, vs Illinois, vs Nebraska
Toss ups (no team with a greater than 7-point advantage): @ Purdue, vs Michigan State, @ Iowa, @ Northwestern
Likely in the L column (>7-point advantage to opponent): @ Michigan, vs Wisconsin
Previous weeks:
Preseason
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four