Are we the worst undefeated team in the nation? Is that a bad thing?

Otis

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I would have a tough time not taking all of the 24? teams also unbeaten ahead of us in a matchup. We are not executing any where near to perfection and have issues.

On the good side we have two weeks to clean things up in blocking, special teams, penalties and coaching. I'm still pretty sure we can get back where we were last year.

And yes, I'd rather be the worst undefeated team than the best one loss team.

Are all our running backs injured?
 


I would have a tough time not taking all of the 24? teams also unbeaten ahead of us in a matchup. We are not executing any where near to perfection and have issues.

On the good side we have two weeks to clean things up in blocking, special teams, penalties and coaching. I'm still pretty sure we can get back where we were last year.

And yes, I'd rather be the worst undefeated team than the best one loss team.

Are all our running backs injured?

A very typical Minnesota sports fan question to ask ������

As far as FBS Id say SMU Mustangs are the worst.
 

i'd rather be the worst undefeated team, than the best 2-1 team.
 

After game one I left the stadium hoping it was some sort of anomaly or toe stubbing out of the gate that was full of mistakes and problems but would be corrected. After game two I convinced myself that Fresno state is awesome and despite many of the same problems, there were penalties and mistakes made that prevented the Gophers from winning in a blow out. So, I figured getting Georgia Southern at home would be a great opportunity to exorcise all the demons from the first two weeks and finally get on track. Yes another win, but I have now seen enough to unfortunately begin to question what I had thought were better player talent levels as well as coaching.

After the loss to Illinois last season I began to wonder about Fleck and he made the d coordinator change, the team lurched forward convincingly and it appeared we ended 2018 headed for happily ever after. Instead, I am now worried the team has actually regressed from last season. I naturally undergo knee jerk reactions just like most everyone else and that is my take right now, and there is still a lot of season left to have the team improve and look much better against better opponents. However, if from here on out the team sputters to a 6-6 record or worse, I think we have all seen enough now to be able to look back at these first three games and admit the early signs were troubling.

I'm still sticking with my 8-4 prediction but I don't feel nearly as confident about it as I did in July. The team doesn't look as good with this 3-0 record compared to last year at this time when it was also 3-0.
 


According to the Sagarin ratings, we are not the worst 3-0 team. That honor belongs to Wyoming. We are the second worst 3-0 team by that rating system. We'll just have to suck up and live with the dubious distinction for the moment and hope our ratings improve as the season goes on.

On the practical perspective: we needed all three of those non-conference wins to be bowl eligible last season so I'm glad we once again have 3 this season.
 

A review of the game

I was out of town and missed the game Saturday. I watched it on Youtube. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. I am an optimistic person in general, and I thought there was more good than bad. Defense played well second half, there were holes for rbs, and in most years we lose that game and do not score a touchdown that last drive. My 2 cents.
 

After game one I left the stadium hoping it was some sort of anomaly or toe stubbing out of the gate that was full of mistakes and problems but would be corrected. After game two I convinced myself that Fresno state is awesome and despite many of the same problems, there were penalties and mistakes made that prevented the Gophers from winning in a blow out. So, I figured getting Georgia Southern at home would be a great opportunity to exorcise all the demons from the first two weeks and finally get on track. Yes another win, but I have now seen enough to unfortunately begin to question what I had thought were better player talent levels as well as coaching.

After the loss to Illinois last season I began to wonder about Fleck and he made the d coordinator change, the team lurched forward convincingly and it appeared we ended 2018 headed for happily ever after. Instead, I am now worried the team has actually regressed from last season. I naturally undergo knee jerk reactions just like most everyone else and that is my take right now, and there is still a lot of season left to have the team improve and look much better against better opponents. However, if from here on out the team sputters to a 6-6 record or worse, I think we have all seen enough now to be able to look back at these first three games and admit the early signs were troubling.

I'm still sticking with my 8-4 prediction but I don't feel nearly as confident about it as I did in July. The team doesn't look as good with this 3-0 record compared to last year at this time when it was also 3-0.

What if we get an 8-4 or better record, but every game is like this? How will you feel then? Just curious.

I would be happy, but a bit perplexed. To me it would mean that we could be an amazing team if we got out of our way more, and that we had the grit where it counted and got wins, but I would be concerned that the same types of issues never got resolved. I dunno, it's all speculation obviously.
 

i'd rather be the worst undefeated team, than the best 2-1 team.

I’d rather be 3-0 than 2-1, but my guess is the best 2-1 team in the Country would have a better chance of success the rest of the way than the worst 3-0 team (same schedule) For example, Texas is the highest ranked 2-1 team.


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I’d rather be 3-0 than 2-1, but my guess is the best 2-1 team in the Country would have a better chance of success the rest of the way than the worst 3-0 team (same schedule) For example, Texas is the highest ranked 2-1 team.


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Obviously a lot of that has to do with quality of opponent, also. I think for the Gophers, where they are in progression since PJ Fleck has come here, I'd rather have them 3-0 like they are than 2-1 like Texas, only because they will have a harder time winning "enough" (whatever that means to whomever) games in B1G to overcome a potential loss.

But yes, I'd rather have Texas's talent and ranking and fans and money...
 


as long as the team stays "the worst undefeated team" throughout the season, things will be okay
 

I might be wrong - but I think this makes the Purdue game the biggest game of the season -because what happens against Purdue will set the stage for the rest of the season.

if the Gophers play well and post a solid win - not a skin-of-you-*ss, pull it out of your backside win - then everyone will feel better about the team and their chances in the B1G.

BUT - if the Gophers keep making mistakes and playing inconsistently against Purdue - whether the game is a win or a loss- the rest of the season is going to be one gut-churning, nail-biting Maalox mess.

If every game is like the first three, it won't be heart meds we need - it will be anti-psychotics.

"Gopher Football - brought to you by Risperadol and Clozapine."
 



I might be wrong - but I think this makes the Purdue game the biggest game of the season -because what happens against Purdue will set the stage for the rest of the season.

if the Gophers play well and post a solid win - not a skin-of-you-*ss, pull it out of your backside win - then everyone will feel better about the team and their chances in the B1G.

BUT - if the Gophers keep making mistakes and playing inconsistently against Purdue - whether the game is a win or a loss- the rest of the season is going to be one gut-churning, nail-biting Maalox mess.

If every game is like the first three, it won't be heart meds we need - it will be anti-psychotics.

"Gopher Football - brought to you by Risperadol and Clozapine."

I picked this as the most important game of the season months ago! With our bright and shiny 18-0 record in the past 18 non-conference games we have consistently laid an egg in the B1G. To turn a corner you have to do what you haven't done in the past. For the Gophers that would be post a winning record in the B1G! That starts with Purdue.

Purdue is one of our winnable road games and with home game against Nebraska, Maryland, Penn State and Wisconsin we need to win our "winnable" road games. Plus the Boilers are one of the "hot" teams in the West on the way up and we need to beat them!

8-4 is a 5-4 record in the B1G we have Rutgers and Illinois kind of considered wins. So that leaves a 3-4 record the rest of the way. I'm not going to be happy with that and consider 9-3 the bottom of a successful season!

Go Gophers!

And I could care less if they win all 12 games by less than a touchdown coming from behind in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
 
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What if we get an 8-4 or better record, but every game is like this? How will you feel then? Just curious.

I would be happy, but a bit perplexed. To me it would mean that we could be an amazing team if we got out of our way more, and that we had the grit where it counted and got wins, but I would be concerned that the same types of issues never got resolved. I dunno, it's all speculation obviously.

Great question. I guess if the rest of the games go like this but the Gophers are 8-4 or better... I'd be very happy. It means the team would have a winning B1G record and the perception that has developed early would be gone because the wins would be against Power 5 opponents. People can argue all day long that South Dakota State is better than Rutgers or Georgia Southern is better than Illinois but all you have to do is go over to the B1G power rankings thread to see how damaging these three wins have been to the pre season projections and opinions. And some of that perception is my own. So I'd be very happy and satisfied if the team follows through to meet or exceed my pre season projection for them, even if they are close games.
 

I'd sooner be the worst 3-0 team than the worst 1-2 team.
 

OK

SMU 3-0 (45)
Air Force 2-0 (46)
Wyoming 3-0 (53)
Sand Diego St 3-0 (56)
Navy 2-0 (87)
UAB 2-0 (94)

All ranked behind the Gophers #44 on The Athletic 130
 


One take away from watching the game on television was the barely concealed glee on the HC's face of GSU as the Gophers were in 3rd down around their goal line. He had an arm around the DC and life was good. Things can change fast.
 

After letting this one digest here are a few thoughts on where we are YTD specific to post-GSU.

1. If I told you before the game, TM would throw an INT on his 2nd pass of the game, GSU would return both a blocked FG attempt and a strip sack for TD's, and Both Rodney and Mo would be out in the 2nd half we'd all be thinking this team is in deep doo doo.
2. The defense was stout in the 2nd half
3. We statistically dominated GSU
4. These 'worse case scenario' events occurring at the worst possible time cannot mathematically repeat themselves vs. a BAD Purdue team, can they?

We will be o.k. Still on track. Go spend some time on the Purdue, IL, MSU, boards if you want to see some real meltdowns. This team needs to get a lot better in all phases during the bye to get ready for much tougher competition, no doubt.
 

What if we get an 8-4 or better record, but every game is like this? How will you feel then? Just curious.

I would be happy, but a bit perplexed. To me it would mean that we could be an amazing team if we got out of our way more, and that we had the grit where it counted and got wins, but I would be concerned that the same types of issues never got resolved. I dunno, it's all speculation obviously.

They'll need to seriously up the number of EMT's at TCF...;)

defib.jpg
 

The thread title reminds me, what do the call the student who graduates last in medical school?

Doctor.

Having said that, there are several red flags. Special teams has had several miscues, offensive line has been subpar and we have turned the ball over way too often. On the good side, Morgan has led 4 TD drives when they absolutely had to have them.
 

Ya, so da guy sez to me, he sez, "Heyyyyy... we're undefeated! Dat's pretty good, ya?"

And I sez to him, I sez, "Ya, but I betcha we're the worst undefeated team in the country, Sven!"

So he sez, "Well, ya, but... could be worse, ya know?"
 




By Sagarin ranking do we have the best 3 wins of any 3 win team?


We might.
 

"Are we the worst undefeated team?"
That's a stupid question.
Here's a list of undefeated FBS teams that are worse than Minnesota:
Temple
Navy
SMU
Wake Forest
Kansas State
UAB
Wyoming
Air Force
San Diego State
Cal
Arizona St.

Bonus...
Here's a list of not undefeated teams that are better than Minnesota:
TAMU
Mizzou
Miss. St.
Washington
Oregon
Miami
MSU
South Carolina
Texas
USC
Utah St.
Iowa St.
Tennessee
Kentucky
Ole Miss
Nebraska
Va. Tech
 
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Howard Griffith said on BTN

"They find ways to win when other teams find ways to lose."
 

"Are we the worst undefeated team?"
That's a stupid question.
Here's a list of undefeated FBS teams that are worse than Minnesota:
Temple
Navy
SMU
Wake Forest
Kansas State
UAB
Wyoming
Air Force
San Diego State
Cal
Arizona St.

Bonus...
Here's a list of not undefeated teams that are better than Minnesota:
TAMU
Mizzou
Miss. St.
Washington
Oregon
Miami
MSU
South Carolina
Texas
USC
Utah St.
Iowa St.
Tennessee
Kentucky
Ole Miss
Nebraska
Va. Tech

And all of this is according to some expert/authority, or is it just some dude's opinion... or are those two things one and the same, in the end?
 




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