2019 vs. 2021 and 2022

[gopherlaney]

Wanted to provide historical context for the we have regressed and need to fire PJ crowd:

2019: Great year and went 11-2 with great wins against Penn State and Auburn. However, we were a few plays away from much worse with a miraculous win against Fresno St thanks to Winfield INT. And squeaking by SDSU and Ga Southern.

2021: Bowling Green and Illinois were duds. Otherwise we would have been extremely pleased.

2022: Purdue and Iowa losses due to red zone mistakes in execution. Otherwise we would be extremely pleased.

Point is- there are a couple of plays that make the difference between these seasons. Less than 10, total.

For those in the camp of PJ should recruit better to increase our margin for error, if you haven’t been to a home game each of the aforementioned seasons, look in the mirror and change your best. In my opinion PJ has been attracting better talent than our fanbase deserves. Observe Camp Randall this past weekend.

 

[Dupreefor3]

Yep 2019 we found away, even when we were 4th and 26 at Fresno, 3rd and 32 at our own 8 vs GA Southern. Rodney Smith on the final drive vs the Jack Rabbits said fuck you give me the rock, we're not losing

 

[MaxyJR1]

Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Beat Iowa this year and we still don't go to Indy. Beat Purdue this year and we are in Indy. Beat Illinois last year and we still would have not gone to Indy. Beat Iowa last year and we are in Indy. Beat Iowa or WI in 2019 and we are in Indy. 1 game flipped the script each season and it came down to a handful of plays.

We could have also lost a number of games in those years as well. Nebraska and WI were one score games this year. Last year, Miami (OH), Purdue and NE were one score games. 2019, we won 5 one score games.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

to be clear - I don't think people are saying the Gophers have "regressed."

I think the bigger point is that 6 years into the Fleck era, the Gophers have not won the B1G West, and obviously not played in a B1G Championship game or had a chance to go to the Rose Bowl.

When Fleck was hired, he said those were his goals - winning divisions, winning conference titles, and going to the Rose Bowl.

So far, he has not done any of those things. Does he still have a chance to do them? Yes.

I will stipulate that the program is better under Fleck.

Is that good enough?

is winning 8 games and going to a mid-level bowl game good enough?

according to a lot of posters on this board, that wasn't good enough under previous coaches. Fleck was supposedly brought in here to change that.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Beat Iowa this year and we still don't go to Indy. Beat Purdue this year and we are in Indy. Beat Illinois last year and we still would have not gone to Indy. Beat Iowa last year and we are in Indy. Beat Iowa or WI in 2019 and we are in Indy. 1 game flipped the script each season and it came down to a handful of plays.

We could have also lost a number of games in those years as well. Nebraska and WI were one score games this year. Last year, Miami (OH), Purdue and NE were one score games. 2019, we won 5 one score games.

Great post.