Looking back Minnesota becoming bowl eligible is even more impressive than we thought

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Dustin:

The last three weeks seemed to be a sneak peek into Fleck’s vision of the program. The first building blocks for a program dedicated to constructing a contender. There’s still a bowl game remaining, but people can’t help but think about 2019.

Looking ahead is all well-and-good, but what shouldn’t get lost is the significance of this season and the kind of turnaround this team needed to even get into the postseason conversation.

From an outsider’s perspective, this might look like a typical 6-6 campaign. Minnesota lost some games it should’ve won, and won some games it should’ve lost. In the end, it all evened out. But 2018 was anything but normal. Fleck and Co. might’ve kept their oars in the water, but the canoe was making circles through the first seven weeks of the season.

How everything got straightened out, and so quickly, is still a bit of a mystery.

This season won’t be remembered as one of the best in Minnesota history. Nobody is running to the bookstore to purchase a T-shirt with a 6-6 record plastered on the front. But that doesn’t minimize what the Gophers accomplished this fall.

It’s appropriate that Minnesota’s season ended by beating the Badgers and reclaiming Paul Bunyan’s Axe. It was a message to Wisconsin and the rest of the B1G that the Gophers are here for the long haul.

And now they have the right tool to clear their path to the top of the B1G West.

https://saturdaytradition.com/minne...coming-bowl-eligible-is-even-more-impressive/

Go Gophers!!
 



I guess it is debatable whether the Bucky win was a game they should have lost, but if they would have won all the games they should have, which a majority of GHer's voted was at least 8, Gophs probably would have been favored going into Madtown...or at least it would have been a toss up.
 

BleedGopher said:
per Dustin:

The last three weeks seemed to be a sneak peek into Fleck’s vision of the program. The first building blocks for a program dedicated to constructing a contender. There’s still a bowl game remaining, but people can’t help but think about 2019.

Looking ahead is all well-and-good, but what shouldn’t get lost is the significance of this season and the kind of turnaround this team needed to even get into the postseason conversation.

From an outsider’s perspective, this might look like a typical 6-6 campaign. Minnesota lost some games it should’ve won, and won some games it should’ve lost. In the end, it all evened out. But 2018 was anything but normal. Fleck and Co. might’ve kept their oars in the water, but the canoe was making circles through the first seven weeks of the season.

How everything got straightened out, and so quickly, is still a bit of a mystery.

This season won’t be remembered as one of the best in Minnesota history. Nobody is running to the bookstore to purchase a T-shirt with a 6-6 record plastered on the front. But that doesn’t minimize what the Gophers accomplished this fall.

It’s appropriate that Minnesota’s season ended by beating the Badgers and reclaiming Paul Bunyan’s Axe. It was a message to Wisconsin and the rest of the B1G that the Gophers are here for the long haul.

And now they have the right tool to clear their path to the top of the B1G West.

https://saturdaytradition.com/minne...coming-bowl-eligible-is-even-more-impressive/

Go Gophers!!
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Seems like a fair take. It was a bumpy road. Things got messy, then got better.

A person can look at it that way, or find something to complain about. I'll take the former.

JTG
 


PMWinSTP said:
I guess it is debatable whether the Bucky win was a game they should have lost, but if they would have won all the games they should have, which a majority of GHer's voted was at least 8, Gophs probably would have been favored going into Madtown...or at least it would have been a toss up.
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Maybe, but considering the losing streak we had going against Wisconsin and the fact that we had not won in Madison since 1994 it would have taken quite a bit for us to feel like that was a game we should win.
 

There was some ugly (mostly early to mid season Big ten on the defensive side), but there is a lot to be excited for. The offense like we have talked about before is definitely trending up and probably more so than I can ever remember as a Gopher football fan. Also very happy that the defense ended on a strong note.
 

If the bookstore makes a tshirt with the axe on it and saturdays date and score I'd buy it. I'd buy 3.
 

I said i'd be happy with 6 wins this year, I didn't think I'd be THIS happy with it. Mostly about promise for the future (although still nervous about OL and defense).... but quite happy.

And honestly we've had some of the most fun home games in a long time, they weren't something you'd put on a banner but dang there were some fun games with great endings / plays.... way more than in past years. Offense makes a big difference.
 



In all fairness, it emphasizes how one game can change the entire perception of a season. If the Gophers had lost to WI, this season would have gone down in the books as a disappointment.

but, because the Gophers beat WI, the season is now being seen as (at least a qualified) success, or at least a positive step in the right direction. I didn't think that was possible after the Illinois game. Which also points out that the last game played leaves a lasting memory. If the WI game had been in mid-season, it would still have been a positive - but getting that win in the final game of the regular season gives it more importance.

Having said that, I still think it's really important for the Gophers to play well in the bowl game. I'm not saying it's a must-win situation, but they need to play well to maintain momentum. I could live with a close loss to a good team. But they can't afford another Illinois-like performance.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
In all fairness, it emphasizes how one game can change the entire perception of a season. If the Gophers had lost to WI, this season would have gone down in the books as a disappointment.

but, because the Gophers beat WI, the season is now being seen as (at least a qualified) success, or at least a positive step in the right direction. I didn't think that was possible after the Illinois game. Which also points out that the last game played leaves a lasting memory. If the WI game had been in mid-season, it would still have been a positive - but getting that win in the final game of the regular season gives it more importance.

Having said that, I still think it's really important for the Gophers to play well in the bowl game. I'm not saying it's a must-win situation, but they need to play well to maintain momentum. I could live with a close loss to a good team. But they can't afford another Illinois-like performance.
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Yeah the bowl game is a big deal.... even if just to keep the player's spirits up and such.
 

This is what mediocre teams look like. They look good and win sometimes and look bad and lose sometimes. And sometimes they can look bad while winning.

There are two odd things, however. First, the fact that we were humiliated by three other mediocre teams and we had two dominating wins of our own. It was really feast or famine. Second, the way things go turned around so quickly after the Illinois game. The defense became competent overnight. (And our relative "feasting" came after Illinois, too.)

Was this season all about ridding ourselves of Robb Smith?
 

I think the roller coaster was more due to having a young team than anything else. I also feel that the defensive coaching issues made defensive personnel look worse than they were. With the changes, there is a feeling the overall ship has finally changed its course. A record of 8-4 or better next year will add proof to this opinion.
 



This means our record is *6 - 6. [emoji6][emoji41]
 



Glen Mason was on with Barriero today. He said, as he understood it, Robb Smith's system tried to match up against every offensive formation and personnel grouping - so if the offense has X formation with Y personnel, the defense has a scheme or a match-up for that. If they go to a different formation, there's a different scheme. and so on for every possible offensive set and personnel group. And, according to Mason, the net result was that the players had so much to think about, that they were thinking and not reacting, and looked slow as a result. When Rossi took over, he simplified the system, put the players in a few base sets, and put them in a position where they didn't have to think - they could just play and react to the offense.

Mason's conclusion was that the Gophers' defensive problems were all schematic - not a personnel issue. It was an interesting segment. (when Barreiro wasn't giving Mason grief about getting back into coaching).
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Glen Mason was on with Barriero today. He said, as he understood it, Robb Smith's system tried to match up against every offensive formation and personnel grouping - so if the offense has X formation with Y personnel, the defense has a scheme or a match-up for that. If they go to a different formation, there's a different scheme. and so on for every possible offensive set and personnel group. And, according to Mason, the net result was that the players had so much to think about, that they were thinking and not reacting, and looked slow as a result. When Rossi took over, he simplified the system, put the players in a few base sets, and put them in a position where they didn't have to think - they could just play and react to the offense.

Mason's conclusion was that the Gophers' defensive problems were all schematic - not a personnel issue. It was an interesting segment. (when Barreiro wasn't giving Mason grief about getting back into coaching).
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Just confirms that the talent was always there which I have always thought. Feel bad for those guys in a way... wasted a handful of games and they got a lot of grief.
 

Everybody knows that Robb Smith's system cause chaos and confusion because he intellectualized it by making it too complicated the players. Time was wasted thinking when they should be reacting.

Rossi understood that.

One thing to note. PJ Fleck had to play people he would've preferred to red shirt out of necessity. Getting to a bowl game is critical for recruiting and general goodwill feeling by the fans. The Wisconsin win lifted me up I could've put a hole in the ceiling. It is tough to rebuild a program with so many people wanting instant success and gratification. They see Jeff Brohm go 7-6 last year. This year they upset Ohio State.

It takes time, and I feel he is doing it the right way.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Just confirms that the talent was always there which I have always thought. Feel bad for those guys in a way... wasted a handful of games and they got a lot of grief.
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They didn't all of sudden become bad players after performing well earlier...had to be poor coaching. Some also received some recognition with awards recently confirming that others thought they could play too.
 

hungan1 said:
Everybody knows that Robb Smith's system cause chaos and confusion because he intellectualized it by making it too complicated the players. Time was wasted thinking when they should be reacting.

Rossi understood that.

One thing to note. PJ Fleck had to play people he would've preferred to red shirt out of necessity. Getting to a bowl game is critical for recruiting and general goodwill feeling by the fans. The Wisconsin win lifted me up I could've put a hole in the ceiling. It is tough to rebuild a program with so many people wanting instant success and gratification. They see Jeff Brohm go 7-6 last year. This year they upset Ohio State.

It takes time, and I feel he is doing it the right way.
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Which guys on defense do you think that happened to?
 

It's one or two players playing out of position or missing assignments in the blowout loses.
 

60's Guy said:
They didn't all of sudden become bad players after performing well earlier...had to be poor coaching. Some also received some recognition with awards recently confirming that others thought they could play too.
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Correct.
 

If you told me we would beat Fresno and Wisc.....and that according to many rankings that the Fresno win would be bigger I would be shocked.
 

Hates Monikers said:
This is what mediocre teams look like. They look good and win sometimes and look bad and lose sometimes. And sometimes they can look bad while winning.

There are two odd things, however. First, the fact that we were humiliated by three other mediocre teams and we had two dominating wins of our own. It was really feast or famine. Second, the way things go turned around so quickly after the Illinois game. The defense became competent overnight. (And our relative "feasting" came after Illinois, too.)

Was this season all about ridding ourselves of Robb Smith?
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I always thought that good teams can look bad while winning. Not sure about the Robb Smith influence, but IMHO too much thinking and playing aggressive defense are incompatible.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Maybe, but considering the losing streak we had going against Wisconsin and the fact that we had not won in Madison since 1994 it would have taken quite a bit for us to feel like that was a game we should win.
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I was more-or-less expecting a win last week (although I wasn't especially confident about it). I was optimistic because:

1) We played two solid defensive games in a row prior to that one;

2) Wisconsin didn't have anything at stake in the game (they already lost the division) while the game was very critical for us; and

3) Wisconsin was a really mediocre 7-4 coming into the game. Their 7 wins came against opponents with a 35% winning percentage (1-11 Rutgers, 3-9 New Mexico, 3-9 Western KY, 4-8 Illinois, 4-8 Nebraska (early in the season when Nebraska was struggling more), 6-6 Purdue; only Iowa had a winning record). Our 6 wins came against opponents with an overall winning percentage a little over 50% (only New Mexico State and Indiana had losing records).
 

Win or lose that last game, compare the offense now with what it looked like a year ago. It's a quantum leap. There's actually more growth and improvement than even the record or bowl eligibility would suggest.
 


It should be crystal clear to even the most die hard recruiting nut that coaching matters. Look at the dramatic turnarounds on the MN defense and at Purdue vs their prior regime for just a few recent examples. How many times this year and last were we told by resident experts (and the HC at times - although he was surely running cover for his buddy) that we didn’t have the personnel to play serviceable defense?
 

Pompous Elitist said:
It should be crystal clear to even the most die hard recruiting nut that coaching matters.
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The lesson from the Smith experiment is that the wrong kind of coaching can actually make you worse.
 

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