Rank our last five games from easiest to toughest

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Dano564

Dano564

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This is the order I'm going. Agree or disagree?

Maryland
@Northwestern
@Iowa
Wisconsin
Penn State
 

Your list if probably about right.

Case could maybe be made to flip the first 2 as Northwestern is very offensively challenged so if we get up on them at all they don't really have any chance of coming back.

Could also maybe flip Iowa and Wisconsin due to the Iowa being on the road in a place where we have struggled over the years.
 

Only because of what Maryland did the last 2 years. I know Robb Smith is not here, but I still can't unsee those performances. Due to that:

NW
Iowa
Maryland
Dinksconsin
PSU
 

I still just am not ready to believe Northwestern, in Evanston, is going to be a cakewalk for the Gophers. Fitz will have them playing for pride if nothing else.

Their schedule gets a LOT easier in the next 6 weeks, and almost entirely at home. Depending on how they do against Iowa this weekend, Northwestern could actually be riding a 4-game winning streak into a home game with Minnesota. Sure, they might continue to throw up all over themselves but I'll believe it when I see it. I don't see a Fitz-coached team throwing in the towel against anybody.
 

Similar to Facts:
MD
NW
IA
WI
PSU

However, one big caveat is look out for Iowa. Know a couple of Hawkeye fans who now think they are in the “driver’s seat.” They figure that the gophers lose to either PSU or Bucky and they win out. Not the most likely of scenarios, but watch out if Iowa beats WI. The IA game would become the toughest of the remaining three at that point.
 


cemba99 said:
Similar to Facts:
MD
NW
IA
WI
PSU

However, one big caveat is look out for Iowa. Know a couple of Hawkeye fans who now think they are in the “driver’s seat.” They figure that the gophers lose to either PSU or Bucky and they win out. Not the most likely of scenarios, but watch out if Iowa beats WI. The IA game would become the toughest of the remaining three at that point.
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Not out of the realm of possibility but not easy by any stretch. Iowa has road games at Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Nebraska; not to mention home against the Gophers in a rivalry/trophy game.

One thing Iowa has that none of those road teams has; a starting QB with a lot of experience winning games. With that, they still have a chance.
 

MD
@ NW
@ IA
PSU
WI

I'm not ready to bury the Badgers. They have a brutal schedule. @ OSU, Iowa, @ Nebraska, Purdue (who looks better and may be healthy by this time) and @ Minnesota.

I see them losing 2 of those but they always have our number. I know last year happened but not ready to look past them.

Plus I think PSU is overrated.
 

Maryland
@ Northwestern
Penn State
@ Iowa
Wisconsin

All of these games are going to be very tough. Maryland has beat us the last two years and Northwestern is always a tricky team that plays Minnesota well. I think the game at Iowa is going to be tougher than the home game with Penn State. Minnesota has not won in Iowa City since 1999 and it's always very difficult to win there. Penn State on the other hand, I feel like they are a bit overrated only because they were ranked #14/#15 in preseason polls. They did win 17-12 at Iowa City which was very impressive but they also let Michigan come back into the game last weekend at home. Huge advantage for Minnesota to have Penn State at home. Wisconsin will be tough and will want to get that Axe back.
 

@Northwestern
Maryland
@Iowa
Wisconsin
Penn State
 



Maryland - Torn on this one with the last two year's horrible Gopher defensive performances burned into my mind.
@ Northwestern on the grass - Bad offense, but tough D. They know the Gophs. Their home field.
Penn State - Penn State might be the best of the remaining big 3 teams. Very balanced. But it's at home and they are less familiar with the Gophs.
Wisconsin - Didn't rate this game as the toughest cuz it's at home.
@ Iowa - Kinnick is the house of horrors for the Gophs. Would love to the see the good guys break this trend, but until they do...
 


e.bigelow said:
I'd flip NW and Maryland. Maryland just scares me from recent memory.
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If Northwestern was home, and this week, I'd agree.

At the point we are playing Northwestern, it will be cold and rainy at NW'ern. Also, as mentioned, they could be on a win streak.

I see it:
MD - 70% win
NW - 55% win
Iowa - 48% win
Wisconsin 42% win
Penn State 35% win
 

Northwestern might be tougher in a few weeks than they are right now. But right now they’re one of the worst teams in the country.

They can’t score. They’re rutgersish

Unless you think they can hold Minnesota under 14 that’s the easiest game.


@northwestern
Maryland
@iowa (similar issues to northwestern but better passing game)
Penn State
Wisconsin
 



Face The Facts said:
If Northwestern was home, and this week, I'd agree.

At the point we are playing Northwestern, it will be cold and rainy at NW'ern. Also, as mentioned, they could be on a win streak.

I see it:
MD - 70% win
NW - 55% win
Iowa - 48% win
Wisconsin 42% win
Penn State 35% win
Click to expand...

Fair points. I should have just went with "The Next game is the most difficult one to win". Ha. :cool:
 

Maryland might be the easier of the remaining five, but they give MN a heap of matchup trouble.

Northwestern, Iowa, and Wisconsin are tossups. Can't pencil them in as a win.

Penn State will be tough to upset.
I'd be very happy if the Gophers are 3-2 in the remaining games.
 

Maryland
@Northwestern
@Iowa
Penn State
Wisconsin


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

PSU/WI/IA-This stretch defines season. I don't see us going 3-0. Would be disappointed with 0-3, and I would consider 1-2 acceptable. Anything over that, is house money


NW looks bad, I mean real bad. I'm tempted to put them first, but Fitz can coach.


Maryland, I'm not worried about them, but MN is still MN and can lose to anyone. I can probably easily be talked into reversing these 2:

@NW
Maryland
@Iowa
PSU
Wisconsin
 

hungan1 said:
Maryland might be the easier of the remaining five, but they give MN a heap of matchup trouble.

Northwestern, Iowa, and Wisconsin are tossups. Can't pencil them in as a win.

Penn State will be tough to upset.
I'd be very happy if the Gophers are 3-2 in the remaining games.
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If one of those 3 wins is against the winner of Iowa vs Wisconsin, 10-2 gets us to Indy. Just let that marinate for a bit.
 

The road goes thru Maryland first.
 


4.mu
4.unl
4.iowa
4.psu
1.wisconsin
 

The team has already met my expectations for the year.
I thought we would lose a Non conference game (Fresno).

I also thought at Purdue and Nebraska would both be tough.
I figured Purdue was out for revenge and that they just weren't that interested in our cold weather game last year. I also read too much about Nebraska killing us by 20-30 points last year that there was no way Scott Frost was going to regress that much simply because of a DC change.
 

Maryland - a bye the week after so we won't be looking past them.
NW - Always tough. Great respect for Fitz but their offense is bad.
WI - They will be beat up and emotionally down after losing 2 of their next 4. Outside shot we have West clinched going into that game.
Iowa - So tough to win at Kinneck. Can be done but will require our best effort in all 3 phases.
PSU - Will have most talent on the field of the remaining teams. Not overly optimistic but, if we can beat them, we can beat anybody on any given Saturday.
 

Right now NW can’t score so we should prevail.
Maryland can score but finds ways to lose.
Penn St has the most talent but if we beat Maryland I think PJ can convince the fellas in two weeks they can beat them.
Wisconsin is home. We know what it’s all about.
Iowa expects to win, needs to win, and would love nothing more to step on us. Historically tough task in Iowa City.

I have said it before, beating Maryland is the key. That happens the games are set up to win. Lose to Maryland and it can all unravel. The bye week is extremely helpful I think no matter the MD outcome. Two weeks to recover or two weeks to keep changing our best much more easily if we beat Maryland. I think it’s the hardest game to prepare for...easiest opponent to look past.
 

1. Maryland
2. @ NW
3. @ Iowa
4. Wisconsin
5. PSU
 

5. Maryland
4. @Northwestern
3. Wisconsin -- Really good football team, i'm not convinced that they're great.
2. PSU
1. @Iowa -- The Gophers have beat OHIO STATE, in COLUMBUS,OH more recently than they've won in Iowa City.

I'm expecting the Gophers to go 3-2, winning the first three on my list and losing the last two (PSU and Iowa).
 

hungan1 said:
Maryland might be the easier of the remaining five, but they give MN a heap of matchup trouble.

Northwestern, Iowa, and Wisconsin are tossups. Can't pencil them in as a win.

Penn State will be tough to upset.
I'd be very happy if the Gophers are 3-2 in the remaining games.
Click to expand...

I think the "matchup trouble" with Maryland is overstated because we wet the bed against bad Maryland teams the last two years. Both of those games were coached with PJ's biggest mistake hindering our defense. We haven't been the same since firing Smith.
 

Penn State
Wisconsin
Iowa
Northwestern
Maryland
 

SHOULD WIN (14+ point favorites): Maryland, @Northwestern

TINY UNDERDOG: @Iowa -- if this game were today we would be +2ish I think, mainly because we are on the road

SMALL UNDERDOG: vs Wisconsin -- if this game were today I think we would be +4ish

MEDIUM UNDERDOG: vs PSU -- I think we'll be +6ish

Overall ranking, easiest to toughest:

vs Maryland
@Northwestern
@Iowa
vs Wisconsin
vs PSU
 

@NW
Maryland
@Iowa
Wisconsin
Penn State (they look really good)
 

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