Media Prediction Thread: Maryland at Minnesota

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swingman said:
don't forget how difficult a trip this is for the Terps.

they will have to overcome some real obstacles just to get here, like Gophs did going to Oregon

they have to get the team to Baltimore (which can be a traffic nightmare), fly over 1,100 miles, may have to deal with heavy MSP traffic to get to TCF as 35W and tons of other streets are under repair, they have to deal with a time change

Maryland has no familiarity with the city or stadium, first time ever playing here. Maryland will have very limited fan support.

as PJ said, people don't realize how difficult these long trips can be.
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No doubt, gives us an advantage. Howard Griffith specifically was talking about it on B1G network how difficult of a trip it was for Minnesota to OSU due to the distance, game time, 2 time zone changes, etc. Also, it is 813 nm from MSP to Baltimore and over 1,200 miles from MSP to Portland, depending on the route taken, these could vary slightly, but nowhere close to being equal.

*Edit - Just realized you are probably referring to statute miles, which would be 1,057 from MSP to Baltimore and 1,610 from MSP to Portland.
 

Funny as I took it as an Onion bit but maybe swingman was serious. Midwesteen teams or eastern teams playing a late night game on the west coast has some statistical validity as far as not covering spreads but the effect diminishes for a one hour change, particularly a morning game.

Perhaps we can argue about factors of home field advantage. I suppose if your QB has a phobia of flying, can't sleep, is self-medicating then it certainly could. I think it's more the twelfth man factor rather than the travel itself in most cases
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Funny as I took it as an Onion bit but maybe swingman was serious. Midwesteen teams or eastern teams playing a late night game on the west coast has some statistical validity as far as not covering spreads but the effect diminishes for a one hour change, particularly a morning game.

Perhaps we can argue about factors of home field advantage. I suppose if your QB has a phobia of flying, can't sleep, is self-medicating then it certainly could. I think it's more the twelfth man factor rather than the travel itself in most cases
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So did I. I was just being a pain in the a$%.
 

Testudo Times - SB Nation Maryland Site

Three things to watch:

1. What does Maryland get from its quarterback(s)? Bortenschlager is the guy. Caleb Henderson, the UNC transfer who took first-team reps all spring but has been sidelined almost ever since, will be the backup, with Ryan Brand next in line. This is the first time Maryland has spent a whole week tailoring a game plan to Bortenschlager’s strengths, so although his first seven quarters of extended action haven’t looked too promising, there’s reason to expect a step forward on Saturday.

2. How creative will the offense be? Maryland thrived on big plays in its first two contests, and when the Terps couldn’t gain yardage in big chunks against UCF, the offense ultimately stagnated. Minnesota’s defense ranks 7th in defensive IsoPPP, which means it isn’t surrendering those explosive plays. Bortenschlager isn’t exactly the type to create those gains, so don’t be surprised if Walt Bell brings back the wildcat formation or rolls out something we haven’t seen from the Terps yet this year.

3. Can the Terps stop Minnesota’s ground game? They couldn’t last year, when the Gophers totaled 229 rushing yards and Smith scored twice in a 31-10 win. Maryland’s run defense looked formidable against Texas and Towson, but far from it against UCF, as the Knights ran for 250 yards on 39 attempts. If the Terps can slow down the running backs and make Rhoda beat them, they’ll have given themselves a chance.

Predictions:

S&P+: Minnesota 29, Maryland 22

Me: Minnesota 27, Maryland 17

https://www.testudotimes.com/maryla...view-big-ten-play-injuries-max-bortenschlager
 

Bleacher Report

Maryland (2-1) at Minnesota (3-0), noon ET

Last meeting: Minnesota beat Maryland 31-10 last October.

Tyrrell Pigrome is out for the season due to a knee injury. Kasim Hill was carted to the locker room in a 38-10 loss. Things are looking bleak for Maryland at quarterback, and that's a major problem opposite a considerably improved Minnesota defense. The Terps don't have the personnel to put up a fight on the road unless the turnover margin heavily favors them.

Prediction: Minnesota 30, Maryland 17

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2735061-college-football-picks-week-5-predictions-for-every-game
 








Greder chimes in:

GAME PREDICTION — As 13-point favorites, the Gophers will continue to not face a stiff test as the season moves into Big Ten play. The same recipe that produced a 3-0 start will produce results against Maryland: a strong defense and reliable running game will be more than enough. Gophers, 28-16

http://www.twincities.com/2017/09/29/how-do-the-gophers-stack-up-against-maryland/

Go Gophers!!
 

swingman said:
don't forget how difficult a trip this is for the Terps.

they will have to overcome some real obstacles just to get here, like Gophs did going to Oregon

they have to get the team to Baltimore (which can be a traffic nightmare), fly over 1,100 miles, may have to deal with heavy MSP traffic to get to TCF as 35W and tons of other streets are under repair, they have to deal with a time change

Maryland has no familiarity with the city or stadium, first time ever playing here. Maryland will have very limited fan support.

as PJ said, people don't realize how difficult these long trips can be.
Click to expand...

No kidding about limited fan support. There was nobody at the airport tonight.
 

Eddie Timanus chimes in:

Minnesota will move to 4-0 Saturday under first-year head coach P.J. Fleck, but we still won’t know how good the Golden Gophers really are.

The Gophers’ 2017 slate began with a 17-7 decision against Buffalo in which they didn’t delve too deeply into the playbook. They followed that by rolling past a not-very-good Oregon State outfit on the road, then returned home to down Middle Tennessee, which was missing injured quarterback Brent Stockstill. Minnesota opens Big Ten play Saturday hosting an even more wounded Maryland team. The Terrapins got a huge win at Texas to begin the campaign but lost QB Tyrrell Pigrome to a season-ending injury. His replacement, freshman Kasim Hill, looked to be a star in the making. But then Hill went down early in last week’s game against Central Florida, and Maryland couldn’t recover in a 38-10 setback. With Hill also out for the year, the Terrapins are down to third-stringer Max Bortenschlager.

So Minnesota’s defense hasn’t really been challenged yet, and it isn’t likely to be again on Saturday. The unit has certainly done its job, holding its three opponents to a total of 24 points. Conor Rhoda, meanwhile, has run the offense efficiently and has a legitimate deep threat in Tyler Johnson.

It might still be another month, however, before we can get a true read on the Gophers. Minnesota’s next three games are quite winnable as well, at Purdue then home against Michigan State and Illinois. It’s conceivable they could row the boat all the way to 7-0 before their Oct. 28 visit to Iowa. Things get more challenging in the back half of the schedule, but their fans should enjoy the ride for now.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...washington-state-georgia-tennessee/712866001/

Go Gophers!!
 

BlackHeartsGoldPants chimes in:

Maryland at Minnesota - 11am on FS1
Max: I don’t have a whole lot of faith in the Gophers, but Maryland is on their ninth quarterback this season and I think are starting an offensive tackle there this week. Minnesota 23, Maryland 6.

JP Scott: The Gophers had the week off and will likely keep improving early on under their new head coach. Maryland is down two quarterbacks. This is gonna get ugly. Gophers stay unbeaten, 38-6.

Hello Jerry: Depending on where you look, Minnesota is around a 13-point favorite in this game. I’m pouncing all over that. Lay the points and rake in the money. RTB 34-14.

Matt: 24-21, Minnesota. ROW THE BOAT! I don’t think either of these teams are that good, but Maryland is on its 4th QB? Yeesh.

JPinIC: Not sure if you guys have heard or not, but I am actually the new starting QB at Maryland. Well, maybe not me, but someone just like me. A 9th string QB who has no business starting a college game is about to do so. Such a shame too, because I actually really liked what Maryland was putting together. Minnesota isn’t as good as I’m seeing some people say, but even with their two QBs = 0 QBs, they have much more QB than Maryland. Minnesota 24, Maryland 20.

BoilerHawk: Minnesota is going against someone with a quarterback I couldn’t even name. I mean, I didn’t know Maryland’s first, second, or third-string quarterback but the point remains. Minnesota 20 - Maryland 17

Ben: Goofers

Jordan: Hot take: Game of Thrones is boring and I have no idea why people freak out over it. Minnesota.

Rob Donaldson: Row the boat! Minnesota 31, Maryland 24.

https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com...owa-hawkeyes-michigan-state-ohio-state-rutger

Go Gophers!!
 



Hawkeye Nation chimes in:

Maryland (+12.5) at Minnesota
Rob: This line surprised me. I know Maryland got stomped at home by UCF last week, but it also won at Texas. I think the Gophers win this game but I don’t think their offense is good enough to cover 12.5 points. I’ll take the Terps to keep it within the number.
Jon: Maryland is down to their third string quarterback. That said, I am not yet sold that Minnesota can cover this big of a number in a Big Ten game yet. I’ll take the +12.5 and the Terps, but expect the Gophers to win.
Sean: So far, these two teams are hard to read. Despite losing 38-10 to Central Florida last week, I still think Maryland is an improved team — I saw it in week 1 when they beat Texas in Austin. On the other side, the Golden Gophers are holding teams to 8 PPG, but they also have yet to play any team with a pulse. Unfortunately for Maryland they have now lost their 2 top QBs to ACL tears with Tyrrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill. That is tough for any team to recover from. My bet is the Gophers defense stacks the box and makes the Terrapins throw the ball. Minnesota wins this easily at home, 31-10.
David: 12.5 is a lot of points to pass up, but this is a hard game to pick. The Gophers are 3-0 but without a quality win. Maryland got knocked around at home to Central Florida. I’ll take Minnesota and lay the points, but I’m glad this is for fun and not for real money.
Mitch: The hopes of a successful season for the Terps may have been dashed last week with another QB injury. PJ Fleck and his Gophers will score early and often, and easily cover their 12.5 point spread.

https://www.hawkeyenation.com/football/hn-staffs-six-pack-college-football-picks-week-5

Go Gophers!!
 

FS1 guys: Robert Smith and Wandstedt both take MN. Total dink and NFL bust Matt Leinart takes MD.
 


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