Take Two: Can Fleck turn Minnesota into a contender?

Donate To GopherHole
BleedGopher

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,716
Reaction score
15,966
Points
113
per Rivals:

THE STORYLINE
Minnesota narrowly missed a bowl appearance in coach P.J. Fleck’s first season, but he did not necessarily finish all that well with a 39-0 loss to Northwestern followed by a 31-0 defeat to Wisconsin to wrap up the regular season.

But there were signs of hope. The Golden Gophers started 3-0, battled Michigan State close, only lost by 7 to Iowa and beat Nebraska by 33 points.

Recruiting has also seen a dramatic uptick in the last week, as Minnesota added more than 1,000 pounds of beef to its offensive line with commitments from JUCO Jason Dickson, a former UCLA commit, and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standouts Curtis Dunlap, formerly a Florida pledge, and Daniel Faalele. The Golden Gophers have also recently landed JUCO QB Vic Viramontes, who started his career at Cal.

Minnesota currently holds the sixth-best recruiting class in the Big Ten, tops in the West Division.

Can Fleck, who turned around a moribund Western Michigan program into a 13-1 juggernaut, make Minnesota a meaningful contender in the Big Ten West? Or are the Golden Gophers destined to always be an also-ran in a conference loaded with superior teams?

SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“I don’t see the Golden Gophers as an emerging power. They don’t have the recruiting base or the tradition. At least with Nebraska, you have the tradition to sell. From all accounts, my assumption is that Dunlap was dropped by Florida. Faalele didn’t have a ton of options, as far as major options down South. They did a good job of getting two high-profile offensive linemen, both of whom are very, very big - but I don’t think it’s a symbol they’re going to start recruiting IMG consistently or that they’re going to start recruiting the state of Florida and landing four-stars every year.

“With the disadvantage they have geographically and the lack of a winning tradition, it’s going to be tough for them to push through and win the West. I don’t know how long Fleck’s going to stay. He might be there forever. I don’t know if anyone really knows. He was a hot coach that was looking for a Power Five job, and he got that. There’s nothing to say anybody is going to go out there and try to steal him away. He has to prove he can be a winner at this level now before we can think about him taking another job.”

https://n.rivals.com/news/take-two-can-fleck-turn-minnesota-into-a-contender-

Go Gophers!!
 

Narrowly missed? They had two chances to lock up a bowl and whiffed by 30 plus points each time.
 

I think Mike Farrell is an idiot that knows nothing about the Gophers other than extreme surface material.
 


My first thought was that I had no idea Captain B.J. Hunnicut had turned into a recruiting aficionado.
I googled Mike Farrell and his Twitter bio states he is the self proclaimed Godfather of recruiting. Tom Lemming may want to challenge that.
Farrell is not impressed. Big deal.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 


TruDat said:
What did he write that was inaccurate?
Click to expand...

The whole thing is subjective. So it can’t be inaccurate.
In summary, he is saying that this year’s recruiting class will be the best one Minnesota has as long as Fleck is the HC here.

That doesn’t seem right to me. But I guess we’ll see.
 

Meh, it's one guy's opinion. Nothing to see here.

I get the recruiting base angle in that MN isn't Georgia or Texas or Florida....I also get that some kids may not adore -10 in January.....but anything can happen. WI is working with the same recruiting base, the same weather, and they are a perennial contender. It takes a special person to start a perennial contender followed by consistency....and it can happen anywhere.
 

PJ has the best recruiting class in the West so far this year. If he can close this way and perennially be at the top of the West in recruiting, within the next few years we should be competing for the West title.
 

Just make sure to tell the Hayo Carpenters to stay away.
 



Pretty sure he won't stay here forever if he doesn't win the west.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Rivals:

THE STORYLINE
Minnesota narrowly missed a bowl appearance in coach P.J. Fleck’s first season, but he did not necessarily finish all that well with a 39-0 loss to Northwestern followed by a 31-0 defeat to Wisconsin to wrap up the regular season.

But there were signs of hope. The Golden Gophers started 3-0, battled Michigan State close, only lost by 7 to Iowa and beat Nebraska by 33 points.

Recruiting has also seen a dramatic uptick in the last week, as Minnesota added more than 1,000 pounds of beef to its offensive line with commitments from JUCO Jason Dickson, a former UCLA commit, and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standouts Curtis Dunlap, formerly a Florida pledge, and Daniel Faalele. The Golden Gophers have also recently landed JUCO QB Vic Viramontes, who started his career at Cal.

Minnesota currently holds the sixth-best recruiting class in the Big Ten, tops in the West Division.

Can Fleck, who turned around a moribund Western Michigan program into a 13-1 juggernaut, make Minnesota a meaningful contender in the Big Ten West? Or are the Golden Gophers destined to always be an also-ran in a conference loaded with superior teams?

SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“I don’t see the Golden Gophers as an emerging power. They don’t have the recruiting base or the tradition. At least with Nebraska, you have the tradition to sell. From all accounts, my assumption is that Dunlap was dropped by Florida. Faalele didn’t have a ton of options, as far as major options down South. They did a good job of getting two high-profile offensive linemen, both of whom are very, very big - but I don’t think it’s a symbol they’re going to start recruiting IMG consistently or that they’re going to start recruiting the state of Florida and landing four-stars every year.

“With the disadvantage they have geographically and the lack of a winning tradition, it’s going to be tough for them to push through and win the West. I don’t know how long Fleck’s going to stay. He might be there forever. I don’t know if anyone really knows. He was a hot coach that was looking for a Power Five job, and he got that. There’s nothing to say anybody is going to go out there and try to steal him away. He has to prove he can be a winner at this level now before we can think about him taking another job.”

https://n.rivals.com/news/take-two-can-fleck-turn-minnesota-into-a-contender-

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Am I the only one that thought it was ironic that an EMERGING power should have an EXISTING winning tradition?

Seems like an either or proposition.
 

TruDat said:
What did he write that was inaccurate?
Click to expand...

Well, lets talk about that. As far as kids that are being recruited today there is really know difference at all in the traditions of winning between Nebraska and Minnesota and we have beaten them 3 of the last five years. I think athletes village combined with TCF somewhat offset the geographical challenges that Farrell mentions. You could even make a case to these southern kids that practice in August is often in 80 degree weather rather than 100 degree weather. Minnesota has had two opportunities in the past five years to win the west division going into their last game if the year.

Again, I don't think Farrell took any time to scratch below the surface in his remarks and he certainly doesn't have a crystal ball to predict the future of IMG recruiting or future four star recruiting in Florida. There is no reason to think Fleck couldn't continue his success in Florida in the future either.
 

TruDat said:
What did he write that was inaccurate?
Click to expand...

"At least with Nebraska, you have the tradition to sell."
Minnesota has 7 National Championships vs. 5 for NE. Minnesota holds a decided edge in overall record vs. NE 32-24-2. Tradition doesn't have a time limit, unless you're from wisconsin.

"Faalele didn’t have a ton of options, as far as major options down South."
If you trust 247, he had scholarship offers from Alabama, FSU, Miami, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, etc. etc. etc.

"...and the lack of a winning tradition..."
See first point.

And as pointed out by others, opinions don't equal facts used to back your own opinion.
 



I really care a lot about what Mike Farrell says about Gopher Football.

So much that in many cases, I don't watch the games, I just ask him how we will do and trust his opinion.
 


In the last 48 years the Gophers have had a winning record in the Big Ten 7 times. That is pathetic. So, yes, Fleck could turn things around because there is a huge upward slope available. If he's a good recruiter and a good coach, he should have success, which for Minnesota would mean contending in the West every year, occasionally winning the B10 title game - and going to a bowl every year. National championships, probably not. But not having won a conference title in 50 years or been to a Rose Bowl in 49, the above would be a real accomplishment. Another question is: if winners, can the Gophers - in a pro sports environment - fill the stadium and cut into the popularity of the Vikings?
 

Great Plains Gopher said:
In the last 48 years the Gophers have had a winning record in the Big Ten 7 times. That is pathetic. So, yes, Fleck could turn things around because there is a huge upward slope available. If he's a good recruiter and a good coach, he should have success, which for Minnesota would mean contending in the West every year, occasionally winning the B10 title game - and going to a bowl every year. National championships, probably not. But not having won a conference title in 50 years or been to a Rose Bowl in 49, the above would be a real accomplishment. Another question is: if winners, can the Gophers - in a pro sports environment - fill the stadium and cut into the popularity of the Vikings?
Click to expand...

I think this is a very interesting post. The Vikings haven't done crap in years. They have NEVER won a championship unless you count their NFL title when they lost to the AFL in the Super Bowl. They haven't even won the NFC in what? 40 years. However, they are competitive and have been to the NFC title games several times and people LOVE the Vikings. I think the Gopher could do the same. Win the B1G west a few times and actually play in the B1G title game and fans will start to notice.

I don't think Vikings/Gophers is an either/or kind of thing. I think that if the Gophers prove they can win consistently it will take care of itself.
 

Farrell didn’t go beyond geography/tradition (i.e. it’s hopeless) or pointing out theoretical downsides on a couple specific 2018 recruits. There wasn’t much of a case made against Fleck other than it hasn’t happened before here.
 

I would love to see the column this reporter would have written about Wisconsin in 1990 after Alvarez went 1-10 in his first season.
 

For 50 years Minnesota has been a pretender. I mostly blame a University culture outside of athletics for that position. I'm not sure if anyone, including Fleck, can topple a cultural regime that seems intent on making sports irrelevant. If Fleck is going to change culture, it will have to be a campus wide cultural change, not just a football program. Good luck to him though. We can certainly use a change.
 

I choose to ignore the negative nannies like Farrell. He sees things through a biased lense and doesn't see the tradition we have here. While not being a national power has been the norm for a while there is much history and tradition here. Geographically speaking he sees the area as a negative without realizing all that the tc metro has to offer. Realistically being in the tc should be a selling point to recruits. As far as the recent linemen they have a very good offer list and it is debatable whether florida moved on or he did. He can spin it how he likes but it's obvious he is biased to start with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom