Chip + Rand: A must-win game for Gophers football

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,782
Reaction score
16,198
Points
113
Per STrib:

Host Michael Rand welcomes Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins for a three-pronged discussion. First, they get into the Gophers football team and a must-win game Saturday at Illinois.


Go Gophers!!
 

No idea what they had to say but it really is a HUGE game. Purdue loss really changes things.
IF Mo really is healthy...you would think we can get it done.
 

No question that every remaining game is a must game if Indy is a goal. Losing this weekend would be a disaster for the program, set us back for a long time.
 


Agree with your first line. Disagree with your second line.
Maybe a little harsh but I do not see a path to Indy with losing this one. I am thinking Nebraska will be tough and Wisconsin and Iowa will get better. We had a great start and now its just a flicker. We win this week and pull one out in Happy valley, we have something going again. Would be nice to produce on offense this week to get some momentum against a marginal PSU squad.
 


Maybe a little harsh but I do not see a path to Indy with losing this one. I am thinking Nebraska will be tough and Wisconsin and Iowa will get better. We had a great start and now its just a flicker. We win this week and pull one out in Happy valley, we have something going again. Would be nice to produce on offense this week to get some momentum against a marginal PSU squad.
Right, which is why I said I agreed with your first line. At this point pretty much every game, but especially those against West teams, is a must win if we want to win the division.

I just don't agree that losing this weekend would be a disaster for the program or set us back for years. It would make winning the West really difficult which would be very disappointing but there would still be a ton of season left and a chance for a really nice record still.
 

Right, which is why I said I agreed with your first line. At this point pretty much every game, but especially those against West teams, is a must win if we want to win the division.

I just don't agree that losing this weekend would be a disaster for the program or set us back for years. It would make winning the West really difficult which would be very disappointing but there would still be a ton of season left and a chance for a really nice record still.
I agree that "disaster for the program" or "setting us back for years" is out of proportion for the importance of this game. Even if we lose, I think a 2 loss team would be good enough to win the West, while a 3 loss team would have you sweating out which team you see tied with and who owns head to head. So the margin would get real thin. What would be disheartening about a potential loss is that "nice record that wasn't quite good enough for Indy" is a place we have been 4 or 5 times since 2013, and we keep feeling like we are poised to get over that hump, but also keep coming up short. I think if we really are better than we showed against Purdue, that game could be the kick in the butt that rights the ship. If, on the other hand, Purdue exposed who we really are, this will be a disappointing year. How our offense does against a solid Illinois defense will be really telling.
 

I agree that "disaster for the program" or "setting us back for years" is out of proportion for the importance of this game. Even if we lose, I think a 2 loss team would be good enough to win the West, while a 3 loss team would have you sweating out which team you see tied with and who owns head to head. So the margin would get real thin. What would be disheartening about a potential loss is that "nice record that wasn't quite good enough for Indy" is a place we have been 4 or 5 times since 2013, and we keep feeling like we are poised to get over that hump, but also keep coming up short. I think if we really are better than we showed against Purdue, that game could be the kick in the butt that rights the ship. If, on the other hand, Purdue exposed who we really are, this will be a disappointing year. How our offense does against a solid Illinois defense will be really telling.

They did. They exposed the fact that the Gophers need a healthy Mo Ibrahim to be a 10 win+ team, become West Division Champions and get to the Big Ten Championship.
 




Top Bottom