Gophs with third easiest schedule in Big Ten

swingman

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https://www.nj.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/01/3e2786e1629324/which-big-ten-football-team-ha.html

rutgers beat guy takes a look at 2019 slates:

"Thoughts: The non-conference slate is tougher than you think. But the Golden Gophers are set to keep rising with a favorable crossover slate that avoids Michigan and Ohio State."

I like that we get Fresno State after we open on a Thursday at home vs an FCS team and they open on the road vs USC on a Saturday. They will go all out to knock off USC, will have to show a lot on film. If they win, possible emotional let down vs us...we get a chance to beat a ranked team. We have to travel, but get two extra days than FSU to recover, prepare.

Wisconsin went out there in 2008 ranked #10 and took on FSU ranked #21...Badgers eked out a 13-10 win (Badgers ended up 7-6, was year Brew almost beat them in Madison)...42,000 in Bulldog Stadium for Bucky game...if they beat USC and Gophers travel as I expect (from here and from surrounding region), could be a similar sized crowd...announced attendance at TCF for FSU game was 38,000
 


On the other hand 3 teams have byes before playing us this year (each team gets two byes due to the calendar this year, so the likelihood of that happening is higher this year).
 

Really like how the conference schedule shapes up in 2019. Of course, there's a ton to happen between now and then, but if I were going to bucket the games:

Likely wins (we should be favored by more than a TD): vs South Dakota State, vs GSU, vs Illinois, at Rutgers
Toss-ups (probably a touchdown either way): at Fresno State, at Purdue, vs Nebraska, vs Maryland, at Northwestern, vs Wisconsin
Likely losses (we might be underdogs by more than a TD): vs Penn State (but only barely - maybe like a 7-10 point favorite since it's at TCF), at Iowa
 

we need MSU, MI, OSU, IN to be good in the East! need PSU, RU, MD to be down

Purdue gets a bye before they play us, but we get that same bye week... going to Nevada to open...Jay Norvell could surprise...Boilers also put Vandy and TCU on their non-con sked....has to go to Happy Valley...gets Indiana every year as locked in rival, gets MD

Northwestern gets U Mass before us...going SEC style with late season cupcake...they do open at Stanford, get Ohio State on a Friday nite in Evanston...gets MSU, at IN, at WI, at NE

Iowa plays Rutgers week 2, goes to Ames, goes to Ann Arbor, then gets Penn State the next week...has to play Friday after Thanksgiving in Lincoln

Bucky with Michigan week 4, MSU week 7, at OSU week 9, at NE

Nebraska does get OSU, at MD, IN...at MN and at Purdue...MN vs NE at TCF could decide Big Ten West
 


Really like how the conference schedule shapes up in 2019. Of course, there's a ton to happen between now and then, but if I were going to bucket the games:

Likely wins (we should be favored by more than a TD): vs South Dakota State, vs GSU, vs Illinois, at Rutgers
Toss-ups (probably a touchdown either way): at Fresno State, at Purdue, vs Nebraska, vs Maryland, at Northwestern, vs Wisconsin
Likely losses (we might be underdogs by more than a TD): vs Penn State (but only barely - maybe like a 7-10 point favorite since it's at TCF), at Iowa

I'm more intimidated by @Northwestern than I am Penn State at home. Gophers have had next to no luck against the Cats recently, even when the Gophs became a buzzsaw at the end of the year. Gophers haven't even scored a point in Evanston in the past 2 meetings. NW's 8-1 B1G record this year wasn't an accident. Right now Northwestern is the team to beat in the West.
 

we need MSU, MI, OSU, IN to be good in the East! need PSU, RU, MD to be down

Purdue gets a bye before they play us, but we get that same bye week... going to Nevada to open...Jay Norvell could surprise...Boilers also put Vandy and TCU on their non-con sked....has to go to Happy Valley...gets Indiana every year as locked in rival, gets MD

Northwestern gets U Mass before us...going SEC style with late season cupcake...they do open at Stanford, get Ohio State on a Friday nite in Evanston...gets MSU, at IN, at WI, at NE

Iowa plays Rutgers week 2, goes to Ames, goes to Ann Arbor, then gets Penn State the next week...has to play Friday after Thanksgiving in Lincoln

Bucky with Michigan week 4, MSU week 7, at OSU week 9, at NE

Nebraska does get OSU, at MD, IN...at MN and at Purdue...MN vs NE at TCF could decide Big Ten West

The opposite is true.
We need PSU, RU, and MD to win.
If we just beat weak teams, we'll never get any good attention.
 

I'm more intimidated by @Northwestern than I am Penn State at home. Gophers have had next to no luck against the Cats recently, even when the Gophs became a buzzsaw at the end of the year. Gophers haven't even scored a point in Evanston in the past 2 meetings. NW's 8-1 B1G record this year wasn't an accident. Right now Northwestern is the team to beat in the West.

we were vegas favorites vs NW...it was 13-7 at the start of the 4th quarter and we had the ball midfield...not exactly intimidating...very winnable game, especially if Donnell greene wasnt limping his way thru the game..we threw a pick inside their 20, threw a pick at midfield, couldn't convert a 4th and 1 inside their 30, missed a fg, another bad fumble inside our 30...couldnt punch it in and settled for a fg after first and goal inside the 5... we kicked their ass in 2016, beat them solidly in 2014.
 

https://www.nj.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/01/3e2786e1629324/which-big-ten-football-team-ha.html

rutgers beat guy takes a look at 2019 slates:

"Thoughts: The non-conference slate is tougher than you think. But the Golden Gophers are set to keep rising with a favorable crossover slate that avoids Michigan and Ohio State."

I like that we get Fresno State after we open on a Thursday at home vs an FCS team and they open on the road vs USC on a Saturday. They will go all out to knock off USC, will have to show a lot on film. If they win, possible emotional let down vs us...we get a chance to beat a ranked team. We have to travel, but get two extra days than FSU to recover, prepare.

Wisconsin went out there in 2008 ranked #10 and took on FSU ranked #21...Badgers eked out a 13-10 win (Badgers ended up 7-6, was year Brew almost beat them in Madison)...42,000 in Bulldog Stadium for Bucky game...if they beat USC and Gophers travel as I expect (from here and from surrounding region), could be a similar sized crowd...announced attendance at TCF for FSU game was 38,000

Fresno graduates a lot of playmakers if I recall
 



we were vegas favorites vs NW...it was 13-7 at the start of the 4th quarter and we had the ball midfield...not exactly intimidating...very winnable game, especially if Donnell greene wasnt limping his way thru the game..we threw a pick inside their 20, threw a pick at midfield, couldn't convert a 4th and 1 inside their 30, missed a fg, another bad fumble inside our 30...couldnt punch it in and settled for a fg after first and goal inside the 5... we kicked their ass in 2016, beat them solidly in 2014.

Having just won the West and with several starters held out for injury, Northwestern was playing about as basic and conservative as could be. The game was not in the Gophers’ control really at any point. It was actually fairly similar the the 2016 game you cite, just the opposite outcome. NU gave up yards due to second string prevent defense, but as you wrote, anytime they really needed a stop they got it. That said, Northwestern is rarely ever going to just destroy B1G opponents because they can only access a fraction of the recruiting pool as anyone else in the B1G.
 

Impossible to know how difficult the scheduled is when you haven’t seen anyone play
 


Just from a quick glance Fresno St. has 15 seniors on their 2 deep. Offense and defense combined. Minnesota has 6.

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Impossible to know how difficult the scheduled is when you haven’t seen anyone play

Yeah, we beat Wisc....and Fresno..... Fresno might have been the bigger challenge looking at the games.
 

Just from a quick glance Fresno St. has 15 seniors on their 2 deep. Offense and defense combined. Minnesota has 6.

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Is that last years team or next years team? We have to go out there next year correct?
 

From Fresno 247:

For Fresno State Head Coach Jeff Tedford to achieve double digits wins for the third time in three seasons, the Bulldogs will need to replace a class of 28 seniors and two juniors leaving to the NFL. On offense, the 'Dogs return only three starters: running back Ronnie Rivers, tight end Jared Rice and tackle Syrus Tuitele.

The 'Dogs return six starters on defense: defensive linemen Mykal Walker, Kwami Jones, Jasad Haynes and Kevin Atkins, along with defensive backs JuJu Hughes and Jaron Bryant. Defensive tackle Keiti Iakopo also returns after starting the final three games.
 

Will this be year 2 of us talking like age (seniors) trumps talent? I was hoping for a new theme this year.

We won a game we should have won last year and will play a game we should win this year.


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From Fresno 247:

For Fresno State Head Coach Jeff Tedford to achieve double digits wins for the third time in three seasons, the Bulldogs will need to replace a class of 28 seniors and two juniors leaving to the NFL. On offense, the 'Dogs return only three starters: running back Ronnie Rivers, tight end Jared Rice and tackle Syrus Tuitele.

The 'Dogs return six starters on defense: defensive linemen Mykal Walker, Kwami Jones, Jasad Haynes and Kevin Atkins, along with defensive backs JuJu Hughes and Jaron Bryant. Defensive tackle Keiti Iakopo also returns after starting the final three games.

Yeah Fresno loses a TON, I think we win much more comfortably this year despite being on the road.
 



I wouldn't be surprised if Georgia Southern gives us more trouble.

I feel much better about playing GS now after watching us play with such discipline against GT.


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https://www.nj.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/01/3e2786e1629324/which-big-ten-football-team-ha.html

rutgers beat guy takes a look at 2019 slates:

"Thoughts: The non-conference slate is tougher than you think. But the Golden Gophers are set to keep rising with a favorable crossover slate that avoids Michigan and Ohio State."

I like that we get Fresno State after we open on a Thursday at home vs an FCS team and they open on the road vs USC on a Saturday. They will go all out to knock off USC, will have to show a lot on film. If they win, possible emotional let down vs us...we get a chance to beat a ranked team. We have to travel, but get two extra days than FSU to recover, prepare.

Wisconsin went out there in 2008 ranked #10 and took on FSU ranked #21...Badgers eked out a 13-10 win (Badgers ended up 7-6, was year Brew almost beat them in Madison)...42,000 in Bulldog Stadium for Bucky game...if they beat USC and Gophers travel as I expect (from here and from surrounding region), could be a similar sized crowd...announced attendance at TCF for FSU game was 38,000

I highly doubt that Fresno St. will be ranked regardless of how they fare against USC. (I expect that they will get trounced by USC, making it a moot point anyway.)
 

Fresno St will have our game circled on our schedule.

Vengeance
 


Having just won the West and with several starters held out for injury, Northwestern was playing about as basic and conservative as could be. The game was not in the Gophers’ control really at any point. It was actually fairly similar the the 2016 game you cite, just the opposite outcome. NU gave up yards due to second string prevent defense, but as you wrote, anytime they really needed a stop they got it. That said, Northwestern is rarely ever going to just destroy B1G opponents because they can only access a fraction of the recruiting pool as anyone else in the B1G.

Blah, blah, blah.... sure, the NU RS Sr QB had more success moving the ball than the Gophers' freshman QB. Incredible observation.
 




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