ESPN Big Ten Predictions: Week 5 (Bennett has MN 23-21; Rittenberg has IA 28-24)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per ESPN:

IOWA at MINNESOTA

Brian Bennett: Very difficult call, as both teams are similar in their approach. I think Iowa has a better chance of moving the ball through the air than Minnesota, though Jerry Kill might surprise us. I'd pick Iowa if the game were in Iowa City, but I think the home field may be just enough to get Minnesota over the top. The Gophers pick up a defensive score, and the legend of Mitch Leidner grows as he runs for 125 and two scores. ... Minnesota 23, Iowa 21

Adam Rittenberg: Toughest pick of the week, for sure. I really liked what I saw from Minnesota against San Jose State, but sooner or later, the lack of a passing game will catch up with the Gophers. Iowa is showing better balance on offense and should do just enough to contain Minnesota's ground game. Jake Rudock finds C.J. Fiedorowicz for the winning touchdown pass in the final minute as Iowa keeps the bacon. ... Iowa 28, Minnesota 24

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/84949/big-ten-predictions-week-5-3

Go Gophers!!
 

"This week's guest picker has been all over the Big Ten map. Phillip Mykleby from Minneapolis, the floor is yours.

I'd like to be a guest picker for this weeks games if you don't mind. I guess you can I've been all around the Big Ten in my lifetime. I'm a lifelong Iowa Hawkeye fan growing up and undergrad (I actually met you once in Iowa City for Iowa-Michigan in 2009), then off to Nebraska for grad school, and now I work for the U of Minn. This weekend's game for the Floyd of Rosedale has some added meaning for me. And my entire family will be coming up from Iowa and cheering for the Hawkeyes in the Gopher student section!"

Shockingly, he's picked Iowa. I assume that we can have Mr. Mykleby terminated immediately.
 

2nd Degree Gopher said:
"This week's guest picker has been all over the Big Ten map. Phillip Mykleby from Minneapolis, the floor is yours.

I'd like to be a guest picker for this weeks games if you don't mind. I guess you can I've been all around the Big Ten in my lifetime. I'm a lifelong Iowa Hawkeye fan growing up and undergrad (I actually met you once in Iowa City for Iowa-Michigan in 2009), then off to Nebraska for grad school, and now I work for the U of Minn. This weekend's game for the Floyd of Rosedale has some added meaning for me. And my entire family will be coming up from Iowa and cheering for the Hawkeyes in the Gopher student section!"

Shockingly, he's picked Iowa. I assume that we can have Mr. Mykleby terminated immediately.
Click to expand...

Clearly there would be "just cause" in doing so ;-)

Go Gophers!
 

I'd feel better if the Rittenberg and Bennett picks were reversed. I realize they are pretty even this year so far but in general, Bennett just seems like a knob.
 

2nd Degree Gopher said:
"This week's guest picker has been all over the Big Ten map. Phillip Mykleby from Minneapolis, the floor is yours.

I'd like to be a guest picker for this weeks games if you don't mind. I guess you can I've been all around the Big Ten in my lifetime. I'm a lifelong Iowa Hawkeye fan growing up and undergrad (I actually met you once in Iowa City for Iowa-Michigan in 2009), then off to Nebraska for grad school, and now I work for the U of Minn. This weekend's game for the Floyd of Rosedale has some added meaning for me. And my entire family will be coming up from Iowa and cheering for the Hawkeyes in the Gopher student section!"

Shockingly, he's picked Iowa. I assume that we can have Mr. Mykleby terminated immediately.
Click to expand...

The bold part worries me.
 


Schnauzer said:
I'd feel better if the Rittenberg and Bennett picks were reversed. I realize they are pretty even this year so far but in general, Bennett just seems like a knob.
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I think usually Rittenberg is higher on the Gophs and Bennett is usually the Gopher pessimist. But we now live in a bizarro world where Patrick Reusse is showing the Gophers some love, so past performance clearly is not indicative of future results lately.
 

So Bennett is predicting either a safety or a missed extra point? Eh, neither would surprise me...
 





BleedGopher said:
per ESPN:

IOWA at MINNESOTA

Brian Bennett: Very difficult call, as both teams are similar in their approach. I think Iowa has a better chance of moving the ball through the air than Minnesota, though Jerry Kill might surprise us. I'd pick Iowa if the game were in Iowa City, but I think the home field may be just enough to get Minnesota over the top. The Gophers pick up a defensive score, and the legend of Mitch Leidner grows as he runs for 125 and two scores. ... Minnesota 23, Iowa 21

Adam Rittenberg: Toughest pick of the week, for sure. I really liked what I saw from Minnesota against San Jose State, but sooner or later, the lack of a passing game will catch up with the Gophers. Iowa is showing better balance on offense and should do just enough to contain Minnesota's ground game. Jake Rudock finds C.J. Fiedorowicz for the winning touchdown pass in the final minute as Iowa keeps the bacon. ... Iowa 28, Minnesota 24

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/84949/big-ten-predictions-week-5-3

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

Do they think the Vikings D will be on the field?
 

Marcus Fuller: Gophers football: Five keys to beating Iowa

GAME PREDICTION

The Gophers are 4-0 for the second straight season under third-year coach Jerry Kill. They're favored to get to 5-0 on Saturday, but that won't happen unless either Leidner and/or Nelson throw the ball effectively. Minnesota has been dominant on the ground in the read option, but a one-dimensional offense won't cut it in Big Ten games. Gophers, 24-21

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
 


Minny4Life said:
His family is gonna have a fun time standing the whole game.
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most seats in kinnick you have stand for all but timeouts and halftime, so as long as they've been to an IOWA game it should like home.
 



all2matt said:
most seats in kinnick you have stand for all but timeouts and halftime, so as long as they've been to an IOWA game it should like home.
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This was not my experience at kinnick and I was sitting on about the 35 yard line fairly high up. I wasn't standing any more or less than at other B1G stadia I have been to, including TCF. Perhaps the locals were tired when I was there.
 

I don't think this game will be decided by whether we can throw the ball a little bit.

It will be decided on how well we stop Iowa from running the ball.

It would be nice to win this one.
 

Studwell55 said:
I don't think this game will be decided by whether we can throw the ball a little bit.

It will be decided on how well we stop Iowa from running the ball.

It would be nice to win this one.
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Agree. I always feel there's a good chance of a pass-predominant team making a big error. Ball-control, rushing teams can be demoralizing.
 


Studwell55 said:
I don't think this game will be decided by whether we can throw the ball a little bit.

It will be decided on how well we stop Iowa from running the ball.

It would be nice to win this one.
Click to expand...

Agree about stopping the run. I also think the kicking game is key. Hawthorne better be on his game and not missing easy kicks.
 

matt said:
He predicted a defensive score as well as 2 touchdowns for Mitch.
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Think we are getting a little too hung up on the predicted score. The point is he sees it as a really tight game with the slight edge to Minnesota. Going to be very interesting to finally find out just how much our running game has improved. Iowa has been dominant against the run (opposition certainly factors in) and the Gophers have ben dominant on the ground (same caveat applies). Bottom line is that after this game we should know just how far the running game has actually come and if the preseason dominance was legit or just a factor of playing bad football teams.
 

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