Chicago Tribune: BT has three legit playoff contenders; Fleck is BTs giant killer

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,566
Reaction score
15,640
Points
113
per The Chicago Tribune:

1. The Big Ten has three legit playoff contenders.
Penn State will sink from No. 4 in the CFP rankings after Captain Fleck’s crew torpedoed the Nittany Lions. But if they can somehow beat Ohio State in Columbus in two weeks and exact revenge on the Gophers in the conference title game, a 12-1 resume would look saucy.

Ohio State destroyed Maryland 73-14 to rack up its ninth straight win by 24 or more points. Only one team, the 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers, opened with 10 straight victories of at least 10 points. The Buckeyes presumably will join that club next week when they face Rutgers.

And how about those Gophers? Their initial playoff ranking of 17 was understandable considering the flimsy resume — zero victories over ranked teams and Houdini escapes in September against South Dakota State, Fresno State and Georgia Southern.

Will they rise past idle teams such as Michigan, Auburn, Utah and Oregon? It matters but a little. If the Gophers can close with victories against Iowa (road), Northwestern (road), Wisconsin (home) and the East champion in Indianapolis, it would take a natural disaster to keep Fleck’s cruise liner at bay.

Look at it like this: To be 13-0, Minnesota would have to either beat Ohio State — or twice beat the team (Penn State) that would hand the Buckeyes their first defeat. Either would be a powerful statement.

5. P.J. Fleck is the league’s giant killer.
Minnesota is 9-0 for the first time since 1904, and Fleck has won six consecutive games as an underdog.

And he has a big-game quarterback in Tanner Morgan, who went 18-for-20 for 339 yards and three touchdowns against Penn State. Morgan planned to play for Fleck at Western Michigan but switched to Minnesota when Fleck took over the Gophers. He believes in Fleck. You probably should too.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/spor...0191110-vo7qncednffwvcx4eycas32jjy-story.html

Go Gophers!!
 

per The Chicago Tribune:

1. The Big Ten has three legit playoff contenders.
Penn State will sink from No. 4 in the CFP rankings after Captain Fleck’s crew torpedoed the Nittany Lions. But if they can somehow beat Ohio State in Columbus in two weeks and exact revenge on the Gophers in the conference title game, a 12-1 resume would look saucy.

Ohio State destroyed Maryland 73-14 to rack up its ninth straight win by 24 or more points. Only one team, the 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers, opened with 10 straight victories of at least 10 points. The Buckeyes presumably will join that club next week when they face Rutgers.

And how about those Gophers? Their initial playoff ranking of 17 was understandable considering the flimsy resume — zero victories over ranked teams and Houdini escapes in September against South Dakota State, Fresno State and Georgia Southern.

Will they rise past idle teams such as Michigan, Auburn, Utah and Oregon? It matters but a little. If the Gophers can close with victories against Iowa (road), Northwestern (road), Wisconsin (home) and the East champion in Indianapolis, it would take a natural disaster to keep Fleck’s cruise liner at bay.

Look at it like this: To be 13-0, Minnesota would have to either beat Ohio State — or twice beat the team (Penn State) that would hand the Buckeyes their first defeat. Either would be a powerful statement.

5. P.J. Fleck is the league’s giant killer.
Minnesota is 9-0 for the first time since 1904, and Fleck has won six consecutive games as an underdog.

And he has a big-game quarterback in Tanner Morgan, who went 18-for-20 for 339 yards and three touchdowns against Penn State. Morgan planned to play for Fleck at Western Michigan but switched to Minnesota when Fleck took over the Gophers. He believes in Fleck. You probably should too.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/spor...0191110-vo7qncednffwvcx4eycas32jjy-story.html

Go Gophers!!

Nice article. You can see this is really one of the biggest stories in college football this year. Maybe this IS our time but I hope this is built to last and we build an empire maybe even greater than Wisconsin or Iowa. Hey, I can dream can I??
 


We lose Smith, Brooks, Johnson and the whole front seven on D. If their replacements are so good, why are they not starting by this late in the season? I just don't see how we can replace that many starters without taking a real step down. Hope I am wrong.
 



We lose Smith, Brooks, Johnson and the whole front seven on D. If their replacements are so good, why are they not starting by this late in the season? I just don't see how we can replace that many starters without taking a real step down. Hope I am wrong.

Ibraham & Wiley should be able to step up at RB

Bateman & CRAB are back, and Douglas and the RS players should keep the WR corp going.

Rossi has done a good job of rotating players in, so while the underclassmen front 7 players are not starting, they are getting significant playing time.
 

We lose Smith, Brooks, Johnson and the whole front seven on D. If their replacements are so good, why are they not starting by this late in the season? I just don't see how we can replace that many starters without taking a real step down. Hope I am wrong.

Ok, I know Smith and Brooks are very good but we have Ibraham, Potts, Wiley and William's and Ky Thomas. Not worried about running back. Will miss Johnson but Fleck recruits WR's. With Bateman, Autman-Bell and whoever, we will be fine there. Defense may be a concern. We will see. Let's just enjoy this ride.
 

The whole article is very good.
 

We lose Smith, Brooks, Johnson and the whole front seven on D. If their replacements are so good, why are they not starting by this late in the season? I just don't see how we can replace that many starters without taking a real step down. Hope I am wrong.

I really, really don't understand this line of thinking
 



I like the idea of let's worry about that next year for now let's enjoy the ride and see where it goes. Lots of time between now and then and who knows what the off season might bring with JUCOs and other transfers or signees that end up on the board. We have to get off this Minnesota mindset where even though everything is roses we worry about the future and things that are down the road.
 



Nice article. You can see this is really one of the biggest stories in college football this year. Maybe this IS our time but I hope this is built to last and we build an empire maybe even greater than Wisconsin or Iowa. Hey, I can dream can I??

it's been a footnote until yesterday's game.
 




We lose Smith, Brooks, Johnson and the whole front seven on D. If their replacements are so good, why are they not starting by this late in the season? I just don't see how we can replace that many starters without taking a real step down. Hope I am wrong.

We’re doomed!
 

We lose Smith, Brooks, Johnson and the whole front seven on D. If their replacements are so good, why are they not starting by this late in the season? I just don't see how we can replace that many starters without taking a real step down. Hope I am wrong.

You should go back to not posting.
 




Top Bottom