Media Prediction Thread: Northwestern at Minnesota

BleedGopher

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Athlon is first out of the gate:

Final Analysis

No matter what head coach Pat Fitzgerald says, this has all the makings of a trap game for Northwestern — and no one would be the least surprised.

It's easy for him say his team will be up for the game. But after such a high last week in Iowa, there's nowhere to go but down — at least until the Wildcats play in the Big Ten Championship Game.

On the other side, Minnesota is a young team that needs to learn how to ride the wave — or row the boat, if you will.

Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said it best in his weekly press conference.

"We're just too inconsistent."

Time to put that problem to rest — at least for one week.

Prediction: Minnesota 26, Northwestern 23 (OT)

https://athlonsports.com/college-fo...innesota-golden-gophers-prediction-picks-2018

Go Gophers!!
 

Athlon is first out of the gate:

Final Analysis

No matter what head coach Pat Fitzgerald says, this has all the makings of a trap game for Northwestern — and no one would be the least surprised.

It's easy for him say his team will be up for the game. But after such a high last week in Iowa, there's nowhere to go but down — at least until the Wildcats play in the Big Ten Championship Game.

On the other side, Minnesota is a young team that needs to learn how to ride the wave — or row the boat, if you will.

Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said it best in his weekly press conference.

"We're just too inconsistent."

Time to put that problem to rest — at least for one week.

Prediction: Minnesota 26, Northwestern 23 (OT)

https://athlonsports.com/college-fo...innesota-golden-gophers-prediction-picks-2018

Go Gophers!!

Does this really qualify as a trap game for Northwestern? More of a letdown game since they don't really have anything at stake after clinching the division and their spot in the championship game. A trap game was what happened to Purdue last week (heavy favorite, coming off big wins and looking ahead to Wisconsin game the following week).
 

Would be a fun way for the seniors to go out at home, with the first-ever overtime game at TCF.
 

Does this really qualify as a trap game for Northwestern? More of a letdown game since they don't really have anything at stake after clinching the division and their spot in the championship game. A trap game was what happened to Purdue last week (heavy favorite, coming off big wins and looking ahead to Wisconsin game the following week).

NW has plenty at stake. The more games they win, the better their bowl.
 

Not a fan of this “if the Gophers win it was because NW had already clinched” narrative.
 
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Inside College Football on CBS Sports Network:

Randy Cross: Northwestern
Aaron Taylor: Northwestern
Rick Neuheisel: Northwestern
Brian Jones: Minnesota
 

Not a fan of this “if the Gophers win it was because NW had already clinched” narrative.

Honestly, as long as we end up winning I really don't care what it gets attributed to. Them having clinched does play in our favor as they likely won't have the same level of focus as they usually do.
 

Not a fan of this “if the Gophers win it was because NW had already clinched” narrative.

Regardless of what the pundits say...if the gophers win it is because Northwestern is just as average as the gophers are.
 

If you have to come from behind to beat Rutgers you are average. The games against Northwestern here are usually close and I expect this to be as well. The temp at 11 am on Saturday will be what around a 18 or so. I just don't see us losing.

Go Gophers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 



If we can get the win, 3-2, on a last-second field goal, I'll be delighted, and won't care about the reasoning
 


CFN chimes in:

What’s Going To Happen
Minnesota really, really needs this, and Northwestern doesn’t.

Lost in its run to the Big Ten West title – and doing it with two games left to play – is that Northwestern isn’t all that great. There’s a razor-thin margin with this team, and no, that edge just won’t be there against a Gopher team pushing for bowl eligibility in its final home game of the year.

The energy level will be there from the start as the jacked up Gophers pull off a second straight great good win. Clayton Thorson will make it tight late by bombing away, and then the Minnesota running game will take over to survive.

Fearless Prediction & Line
Minnesota 31, Northwestern 27

https://collegefootballnews.com/2018/11/northwestern-vs-minnesota-fearless-prediction-game-preview

Go Gophers!!
 

Over the long course of an NFL season, with 4 preseason games and 16 regular season games, teams can mentally check out at times. Once playoff slots are confirmed, players are often rested and injuries avoided. The players incomes are all tied to their health and many of them are in their 30's.

I think people have this in the back of their minds when they say "Northwestern has nothing to play for."

The college game is totally different. With mostly 18-23 year olds, motivation is typically not an issue. For teams good enough to get to bowls, each additional win means a better bowl. It is way more Rah Rah in this atmosphere where there are only 12 regular season games and no preseason games. I don't see Northwestern trying at any different level to win this game than they have for any of their other games this year.

If the Gophers do win, you KNOW that will be story on Sunday: Northwestern didn't care. Another negative of playing in an NFL town.
 



Over the long course of an NFL season, with 4 preseason games and 16 regular season games, teams can mentally check out at times. Once playoff slots are confirmed, players are often rested and injuries avoided. The players incomes are all tied to their health and many of them are in their 30's.

I think people have this in the back of their minds when they say "Northwestern has nothing to play for."

The college game is totally different. With mostly 18-23 year olds, motivation is typically not an issue. For teams good enough to get to bowls, each additional win means a better bowl. It is way more Rah Rah in this atmosphere where there are only 12 regular season games and no preseason games. I don't see Northwestern trying at any different level to win this game than they have for any of their other games this year.

If the Gophers do win, you KNOW that will be story on Sunday: Northwestern didn't care. Another negative of playing in an NFL town.

I agree with you in large part but we see it in college sports all the time where a particular team just doesn't seem up for a game. Fitzgerald is a good coach and I am sure he will do whatever he can to combat this but it is natural to expect a bit of a letdown for Northwestern just due to human nature.

I have no doubt the players will want to win and will play hard, but with the division locked up it will be tougher for them to generate that sense of urgency that you need at times when things get tight. If Minnesota comes out firing and gets up early I could see Northwestern pack it in to a certain degree.
 


There are fewer dinks than I thought there would be.
 



SB Nation

Minnesota (-1.5) 28, No. 22 Northwestern 21 (Nov. 17, 12:00 PM ET, BTN)
 

I agree with you in large part but we see it in college sports all the time where a particular team just doesn't seem up for a game. Fitzgerald is a good coach and I am sure he will do whatever he can to combat this but it is natural to expect a bit of a letdown for Northwestern just due to human nature.

I have no doubt the players will want to win and will play hard, but with the division locked up it will be tougher for them to generate that sense of urgency that you need at times when things get tight. If Minnesota comes out firing and gets up early I could see Northwestern pack it in to a certain degree.

We saw that just last week. Purdue had no interest in playing that game and it showed...
 


3 ways Northwestern can beat Minnesota on Saturday - Chicago Tribune

1. Hide the hats.

In Iowa City, Northwestern players and coaches proudly donned caps proclaiming the Wildcats as Big Ten West champions. Now they have to pretend those lids don’t exist. This game does not matter in the standings, but Pat Fitzgerald & Co. insist they will have a “pedal-down mentality,” saying: “Champions win football games.” The Wildcats will be motivated to extend two streaks. They enter having won 10 straight against Big Ten West foes and a program-best seven straight road games. And if they lose in Indianapolis and fail to qualify for the Rose Bowl, a better record will boost their bowl selection

2. Deal with a snarling defense.

Has a defense ever looked so bad one week and so good the next? Illinois trucked the Gophers two weeks ago, piling up 646 yards in a 55-31 spanking. Coach P.J. Fleck then fired coordinator Robb Smith, and the Gophers shut down Purdue. The Boilermakers’ 233 yards were less than half their average, and they went 0-for-12 on third down. Minnesota senior linebacker Blake Cashman was all over the field. Northwestern was all throw, no run in victories over Michigan State and Nebraska. Now the rushing attack is prospering, and the passing game has gone limp at times.

3. Keep tabs on Tyler Johnson.

The junior from Minneapolis quietly leads the Big Ten with 948 receiving yards. And at a leaping 6-foot-2, he can be lethal on end-zone fade routes. Northwestern will be without top cornerback Montre Hartage (hamstring), and fellow defensive backs Trae Williams and Jared McGee are injured. Minnesota’s quarterback is Tanner Morgan, a redshirt freshman who replaced struggling freshman Zack Annexstad in Week 7.

Teddy Greenstein’s pick: A letdown is inevitable, and the Wildcats will have a hard time winning without Hartage — and with a suspect kicking game. Minnesota 24, Northwestern 21.


https://www.chicagotribune.com/spor...hwestern-minnesota-3-keys-20181115-story.html
 

If you were told at the beginning of the season that the Gophers would be getting picked by some to beat a team headed to the B1G Championship game.... one would think we would be better than a 5-5 team that's 2-5 in the B1G.
 

If you were told at the beginning of the season that the Gophers would be getting picked by some to beat a team headed to the B1G Championship game.... one would think we would be better than a 5-5 team that's 2-5 in the B1G.

Yep. Rough year in the West.

JTG
 

Everybody keeps talking about the weather as if the cold is a good thing for us. This week I don’t think it is. Northwestern runs the ball and is very good at stopping the run. Their pass defense seems vulnerable with so many guys out in the secondary, and Thorson is inconsistent.

We need to pass the ball. If it’s cold, let’s hope for a calm day, no wind.
 

I don't expect to see the same Gopher team I saw last weekend. The rollercoaster this season has been gives me no assurance that the Gophers will show up on senior day. They may or they may not. This team is an enigma.
 


Everybody keeps talking about the weather as if the cold is a good thing for us. This week I don’t think it is. Northwestern runs the ball and is very good at stopping the run. Their pass defense seems vulnerable with so many guys out in the secondary, and Thorson is inconsistent.

We need to pass the ball. If it’s cold, let’s hope for a calm day, no wind.

What Northwestern team are you watching? Northwestern is comfortably dead last in the Big Ten in rushing yards and averages 2.8 yards per carry. They're 5th in passing with 250.4 yards per game while rushing for 102.1 yards per game.
 

What Northwestern team are you watching? Northwestern is comfortably dead last in the Big Ten in rushing yards and averages 2.8 yards per carry. They're 5th in passing with 250.4 yards per game while rushing for 102.1 yards per game.

Looks like they ran the ball OK against Iowa according to the box score but outside of that they have not been good on the ground all year.
 

Everybody keeps talking about the weather as if the cold is a good thing for us. This week I don’t think it is. Northwestern runs the ball and is very good at stopping the run. Their pass defense seems vulnerable with so many guys out in the secondary, and Thorson is inconsistent.

We need to pass the ball. If it’s cold, let’s hope for a calm day, no wind.

They've lost 3 of their top 4 RBs with injuries. On a side note, other teams have injuries too. #wonthewestwithinjuries
 




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