Half our Big Ten West opponents will be in year zero

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swingman

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2023 will be a good year to make progress as WI, NE and PU will all be in culture-building mode.

Illini losing a LOT of talent

Northwestern is in death spiral mode
 



swingman said:
2023 will be a good year to make progress as WI, NE and PU will all be in culture-building mode.

Illini losing a LOT of talent

Northwestern is in death spiral mode
Click to expand...
Didn't realize how much talent Illinois is losing and wow you are correct
 



GopherWeatherGuy said:
People are afraid of next season because of the schedule and how much the Gophers are losing, but every other west team is losing more.

The Gophers could lose to UNC, Ohio St. and Michigan and still easily win the west.
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Delete the bolded and you are correct. Iowa lost to IA State, MI and tOSU and controlled destiny in final game of the season. UNC game and IA State games have no factor in conference. Just rankings.

West should be wide open again with new coaches, but with portal teams can be good pretty quickly.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
People are afraid of next season because of the schedule and how much the Gophers are losing, but every other west team is losing more.

The Gophers could lose to UNC, Ohio St. and Michigan and still easily win the west.
Click to expand...
Yeah, impossible to say right now what Purdue, Wisconsin or Nebraska will look like next year with new head coaches combined with all the player movement in the portal. But chances are good they all take a step back of some kind which is very common after coaching changes.

The level of roster churn is so high right now that it really is almost impossible to know what to expect from any team until the teams take the field and get a few games in.
 

swingman said:
2023 will be a good year to make progress as WI, NE and PU will all be in culture-building mode.

Illini losing a LOT of talent

Northwestern is in death spiral mode
Click to expand...
We can play it close to the vest early in the year and then open up the playbook later in the year against our rivals.

Oh wait…..
 






GopherWeatherGuy said:
People are afraid of next season because of the schedule and how much the Gophers are losing, but every other west team is losing more.

The Gophers could lose to UNC, Ohio St. and Michigan and still easily win the west.
Click to expand...
I think Minnesota is my preseason west favorite at this point.
It’s MN or Iowa as the favorite IMO
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Amen.
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Sometimes year zero comes in year 3 or 4 due to portal (see Michigan state)

Really hard to be good every year by having the portal being your primary driver.

Illinois could restock via the portal.
Or they could go 4-8 next year
 



Panthadad2 said:
I think the Gophs schedule next year is a huge opportunity. Imagine the possibilities if they can beat UNC on the road then knock off Michigan at home. They'd be top 10.
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Beating Michigan is in the "imagine" category for me, because it is a home game. I'm only half joking when I say that we'd have a better chance to win it on the road than at home. Most of PJ's key "choke" games are at home (Iowa and Purdue this year; Bowling Green and Illinois last year). Our offense seems to be allowed to play looser and with more freedom on the road. It is in home games--especially ones we should win--that PJs sphincter tightens up and he chooses the fatal (and boring) "play not to lose" path. This choice not only can keep our opponent energized and "in the game," it can also take the home crowd (our advantage) out of the game. I'm serious. His offense seems far more conservative, predictable and uncreative in key home games. I can guaranty you that if, at our home field, we play Michigan "not to lose," boring the home crowd to tears in the process, we will lose.
 
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GopherWeatherGuy said:
People are afraid of next season because of the schedule and how much the Gophers are losing, but every other west team is losing more.

The Gophers could lose to UNC, Ohio St. and Michigan and still easily win the west.
Click to expand...
+1 losing to OSU and Michigan doesn't put us out of the mix. If the Gophers can beat all of the other West teams, they just need each of them to lose one more game to then win all the tiebreakers.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
People are afraid of next season because of the schedule and how much the Gophers are losing, but every other west team is losing more.

The Gophers could lose to UNC, Ohio St. and Michigan and still easily win the west.
Click to expand...

Lol...enough with the "easily" stuff. Not sure what you've seen during Fleck's tenure that would make you think anything would be easy.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
Beating Michigan is in the "imagine" category for me, because it is a home game. I'm only half joking when I say that we'd have a better chance to win it on the road than at home. Most of PJ's key "choke" games are at home (Iowa and Purdue this year; Bowling Green and Illinois last year). Our offense seems to be allowed to play looser and with more freedom on the road. It is in home games--especially ones we should win--that PJs sphincter tightens up and he chooses the fatal (and boring) "play not to lose" path. This choice not only can keep our opponent energized and "in the game," it can also take the home crowd (our advantage) out of the game. I'm serious. His offense seems far conservative, predictable and uncreative in key home games. I can guaranty you that if, at our home field, we play Michigan "not to lose," boring the home crowd to tears in the process, we will lose.
Click to expand...

I think the "sphinctering" is mainly an Iowa issue and weak non-con opponent issue. He didn't sphincter up vs. Penn State in 2019 nor Wisconsin that year (even though the players outplayed and coaches outcoached in that game). Nor against Ohio State in 2021 or Purdue in any year (MN came out passing vs. Purdue this year but the O-line forgot how to block and the WRs forgot how to catch).

Next year's schedule may look tough right now in terms of crossover opponents, but it's also a terrific slate of home games. I'm trying to be optimistic.
 

That’s was the thinking this year to an extent. What will be different? Unless praying mantis is just awesome the gophers lose a bunch also. But they have an established coach. I think the gophers have a decent shot at the west but win easily? you have been around Minnesota enough to know nothing is easy with gopher football. It should have been easy this year right?
 

Doesn’t matter having all these new coaches, the road to the West still goes through Iowa City.

Having a decent QB in Iowa should scare all West teams. That may have been their weakest spot. And losing people on defense is an annual thing there that never seems to affect their performance.

Hopefully, Prime will slow Nebraska by pulling talent which may have considered Nebby.

Wisconsin is circling the wagons and should be down again. Unless Fickel brings in loads of transfers.

Brohm leaving should help bring down the offensive effectiveness of the Boilers and make it harder for them to score which is their biggest asset.

Gophers should be competitive with some key additions to the defense and the OL.

Id rank the West this way:

1. Iowa - just getting to an average offense should scare everyone in the West and now they have a QB.

2. Minnesota - mostly here because of faith in defense. Offense has some big needs filling the OL and we need to identify our cash cow RB.

3. Wisconsin - if Fickel brings in his Cindy transfer studs and keeps the core of current roster. Road to the West May take the Madison off ramp.

4. Illinois - losing a lot but BB, will coach up what he has and outperform most other coaches.

5. Nebraska - all those highly rated recruiting classes and an effective coach could right the ship. Darkhorse contender for sure. Just don’t know how long it will take to fix the culture.

6. Purdue - with Brohm gone, offense should stall out and their defense has never been a strong point.

7. Northwestern - i still know they could somehow win the West, not sure how unless they play all their games in Ireland!
 

Otis said:
Doesn’t matter having all these new coaches, the road to the West still goes through Iowa City.

Having a decent QB in Iowa should scare all West teams. That may have been their weakest spot.
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Mo Ibrahim thought their front seven was a weak spot.
 

mnhoopboy said:
Lol...enough with the "easily" stuff. Not sure what you've seen during Fleck's tenure that would make you think anything would be easy.
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I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but people are acting like because we have UNC, who is a comparable program to MN in a worse conference, and Ohio St and Michigan on the schedule that winning the west will be impossible and we will be lucky to make a bowl game.

The west will be just as wide open next year as it was this year, and all we need to do is beat those teams.
 
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Otis said:
Doesn’t matter having all these new coaches, the road to the West still goes through Iowa City.

Having a decent QB in Iowa should scare all West teams. That may have been their weakest spot. And losing people on defense is an annual thing there that never seems to affect their performance.

Hopefully, Prime will slow Nebraska by pulling talent which may have considered Nebby.

Wisconsin is circling the wagons and should be down again. Unless Fickel brings in loads of transfers.

Brohm leaving should help bring down the offensive effectiveness of the Boilers and make it harder for them to score which is their biggest asset.

Gophers should be competitive with some key additions to the defense and the OL.

Id rank the West this way:

1. Iowa - just getting to an average offense should scare everyone in the West and now they have a QB.

2. Minnesota - mostly here because of faith in defense. Offense has some big needs filling the OL and we need to identify our cash cow RB.

3. Wisconsin - if Fickel brings in his Cindy transfer studs and keeps the core of current roster. Road to the West May take the Madison off ramp.

4. Illinois - losing a lot but BB, will coach up what he has and outperform most other coaches.

5. Nebraska - all those highly rated recruiting classes and an effective coach could right the ship. Darkhorse contender for sure. Just don’t know how long it will take to fix the culture.

6. Purdue - with Brohm gone, offense should stall out and their defense has never been a strong point.

7. Northwestern - i still know they could somehow win the West, not sure how unless they play all their games in Ireland!
Click to expand...

Iowa loses 3/4 of their defense, possibly their top TE and WRs, and McNamara is an average QB coming off of serious injuries.
 

Panthadad2 said:
I think the "sphinctering" is mainly an Iowa issue and weak non-con opponent issue. He didn't sphincter up vs. Penn State in 2019 nor Wisconsin that year (even though the players outplayed and coaches outcoached in that game). Nor against Ohio State in 2021 or Purdue in any year (MN came out passing vs. Purdue this year but the O-line forgot how to block and the WRs forgot how to catch).

Next year's schedule may look tough right now in terms of crossover opponents, but it's also a terrific slate of home games. I'm trying to be optimistic.
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I agree that the home slate is good for us--the redeeming part of our tough schedule. If PJ uses the home advantage to play an exciting brand of football that keeps the home crowd a positive factor in the game, we should have a chance even in the toughest games. If he instead chooses a game plan that, as an unintended consequence, bores the home crowd to tears (and has the crowd questioning the sanity of the offensive coordinator), he shouldn't be surprised if his players also lose some of the electric energy that flows their way when the a home crowd is excited and participating. It is easy for a coach, though coaching decisions, to negate his own home field advantage.
 

Live in the now said:
That’s was the thinking this year to an extent. What will be different? Unless praying mantis is just awesome the gophers lose a bunch also. But they have an established coach. I think the gophers have a decent shot at the west but win easily? you have been around Minnesota enough to know nothing is easy with gopher football. It should have been easy this year right?
Click to expand...

Could easily win the west =\= win the west easily
 

mnhoopboy said:
Lol...enough with the "easily" stuff. Not sure what you've seen during Fleck's tenure that would make you think anything would be easy.
Click to expand...
We bring some very good roster talent into next year, no doubt. Athan got some great and valuable game experience in the latter part of the season, so hopefully he hits the ground running next year. And several of our West opponents are seeing their top talent reduced markedly through graduation and transfers out. So, at this moment, I like our chances. But "easily winning" the West is not in PJ's vocabulary. We've been very close to winning the EWest several times--had it right in our hand--and yet each time found and suffered the difficult way to lose. Until we see how the transfer portal shakes out this winter, I am not counting out any West opponent.
 


Gophergrandpa said:
I agree that the home slate is good for us--the redeeming part of our tough schedule. If PJ uses the home advantage to play an exciting brand of football that keeps the home crowd a positive factor in the game, we should have a chance even in the toughest games. If he instead chooses a game plan that, as an unintended consequence, bores the home crowd to tears (and has the crowd questioning the sanity of the offensive coordinator), he shouldn't be surprised if his players also lose some of the electric energy that flows their way when the a home crowd is excited and participating. It is easy for a coach, though coaching decisions, to negate his own home field advantage.
Click to expand...
Michigan at home, likely for homecoming, is gonna have the stadium packed and high energy. Gophs could be 5-0 going into that game if the right pieces fall into place/emerge...
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
People are afraid of next season because of the schedule and how much the Gophers are losing, but every other west team is losing more.

The Gophers could lose to UNC, Ohio St. and Michigan and still easily win the west.
Click to expand...

You are correct, if Fleck can get out of his own way in the games that matter.
 

swelna said:
Michigan at home, likely for homecoming, is gonna have the stadium packed and high energy. Gophs could be 5-0 going into that game if the right pieces fall into place/emerge...
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hopefully the homecoming curse we seem to have will be reversed since we will be obvious dogs going into the game
 

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