Media Prediction Thread: Minnesota vs West Virginia

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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Rittenberg first out of the gate:

Guaranteed Rate Bowl: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Chase Field (Phoenix)
10:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App

Both teams have veteran quarterbacks in Tanner Morgan (Minnesota) and Jarret Doege but really lean on their run games and defenses to win. Minnesota overcame several key injuries at running back to win six of its final eight games, including the regular-season finale against Wisconsin. The Gophers are stout along the line of scrimmage and often play well away from home, while West Virginia's big wins (Iowa State, Virginia Tech) came in Morgantown. Boye Mafe and the Gophers' defense rise up, and Minnesota controls tempo to grind out a win in the desert.

Prediction: Minnesota 27, West Virginia 19

www.espn.com

Predicting the score of every bowl game

The bowl games have just been announced, but let's not have that stop us from predicting the final score of every matchup. Check back to see how we fared.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

Go Gophers!!
 

CFN chimes in:

Guaranteed Rate Bowl​

Tuesday, December 28
FOX, 10:15 pm
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
West Virginia vs Minnesota

Knee-Jerk Instant Analysis: There are two perfectly good football stadiums in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area and they’re going to keep rolling in the baseball park. Minnesota always shows up big in bowl games under PJ Fleck, and the pounding ground game behind the massive offensive line should take over right away.

No Research Bowl Prediction: Minnesota 24, West Virginia 17
Early Bowl Line Guess: Minnesota -6
Actual Line: Minnesota -5

collegefootballnews.com

College Football Playoff, Bowl Game First Thought Predictions, Analysis For All 44

Bowl game and College Football Playoff first predictions and quick initial analysis on all the matchups
collegefootballnews.com collegefootballnews.com

Go Gophers!!
 





restovich said:
Waiting for the first "expert" to use some version of "they lost to Bowling Green....."

Very interesting how beating Wisconsin makes all of that hurt a heck of a lot less.........
Click to expand...
Also interesting how the order matters. Having disappointing losses earlier but then recovering to finish with back to back wins and the Axe to get to 8-4 feels a lot better than if we were 8-2 with the Axe in hand and then we closed out by losing to BGSU and Illinois.
 

BleedGopher said:
Rittenberg first out of the gate:

Guaranteed Rate Bowl: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Chase Field (Phoenix)
10:15 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App

Both teams have veteran quarterbacks in Tanner Morgan (Minnesota) and Jarret Doege but really lean on their run games and defenses to win. Minnesota overcame several key injuries at running back to win six of its final eight games, including the regular-season finale against Wisconsin. The Gophers are stout along the line of scrimmage and often play well away from home, while West Virginia's big wins (Iowa State, Virginia Tech) came in Morgantown. Boye Mafe and the Gophers' defense rise up, and Minnesota controls tempo to grind out a win in the desert.

Prediction: Minnesota 27, West Virginia 19

www.espn.com

Predicting the score of every bowl game

The bowl games have just been announced, but let's not have that stop us from predicting the final score of every matchup. Check back to see how we fared.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

The writer is off a bit. I stated the Gophers would win by 10 points + !!!
 


I would venture to guess 30-20 in favor of the Maroon and Gold. Watched WVa against Iowa State; they are a little better than their 6-6 record. They will likely have trouble stopping Thomas and Irving for all 4 quarters though.......
 




restovich said:
Waiting for the first "expert" to use some version of "they lost to Bowling Green....."

Very interesting how beating Wisconsin makes all of that hurt a heck of a lot less.........
Click to expand...
Re: your 1st sentence. You mean . . . Like many, many, posters here that just . . . can’t . . . let . . . go . . . . ?!?
 

restovich said:
Waiting for the first "expert" to use some version of "they lost to Bowling Green....."

Very interesting how beating Wisconsin makes all of that hurt a heck of a lot less.........
Click to expand...
Don't know about anyone else but getting Cirroacca back is not hurting my mood at this point at all.

Beat the Mountaineers, get some good kids on signing day, plus some Portal Power, then I'll be back to optimistic again.

Got to get The Pig back...first in Minneapolis next fall...then keeping Floyd again when in Iowa City 2023...
 




BilldGopher said:
Don't know about anyone else but getting Cirroacca back is not hurting my mood at this point at all.

Beat the Mountaineers, get some good kids on signing day, plus some Portal Power, then I'll be back to optimistic again.

Got to get The Pig back...first in Minneapolis next fall...then keeping Floyd again when in Iowa City 2023...
Click to expand...

I love pork!
 


Game Haus chimes in:

Prediction​

It should be a low-scoring game in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. West Virginia will have a tough time moving the ball with Brown out at running back. Minnesota’s offense will do just enough to win the game.

Minnesota Golden Gophers 21 West Virginia Mountaineers 20

thegamehaus.com

2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Preview

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl has Minnesota Golden Gophers against West Virginia Mountaineers. Here is the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Preview.
thegamehaus.com thegamehaus.com

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Game Haus chimes in:

Prediction​

It should be a low-scoring game in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. West Virginia will have a tough time moving the ball with Brown out at running back. Minnesota’s offense will do just enough to win the game.

Minnesota Golden Gophers 21 West Virginia Mountaineers 20

thegamehaus.com

2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Preview

The Guaranteed Rate Bowl has Minnesota Golden Gophers against West Virginia Mountaineers. Here is the 2021 Guaranteed Rate Bowl Preview.
thegamehaus.com thegamehaus.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
Anyone taking the mountaineers to cover is part of the national anti-big ten west conspiracy created by the Penn state fans
 

Some guy said:
Anyone taking the mountaineers to cover is part of the national anti-big ten west conspiracy created by the Penn state fans
Click to expand...
A Penn State fan created conspiracy? First I have heard of that one, care to elaborate?
 

Some guy said:
Anyone taking the mountaineers to cover is part of the national anti-big ten west conspiracy created by the Penn state fans
Click to expand...
They are going to struggle to move ball but still score 20 points against this defense? Makes no sense.
 

As unbiased as I can be, the Gophers should dominate this game. And I think they will.
 

MNVCGUY said:
A Penn State fan created conspiracy? First I have heard of that one, care to elaborate?
Click to expand...
Penn state fans and coach were the first to call for reshuffling divisions.

www.post-gazette.com

Penn State's James Franklin wants to discuss Big Ten division realignment

No Big Ten team has made the College Football Playoff since 2016.
www.post-gazette.com www.post-gazette.com

He seems to think the thing holding him back is the big ten divisional alignment. Since he made these statements he is

Vs West 4-5 (44%)
Vs East 11-7 (61%)
 

These guys don't give an actual score, but do not like WVU's chances. (And very amused at how the betting line had moved around.) Was recorded over a week ago and predicted that Leddie Brown would not be playing.
 

skiumah1 said:
As unbiased as I can be, the Gophers should dominate this game. And I think they will.
Click to expand...
Their RB who is opting out looks like he was a huge part of their offense and the backup hasn't done much in limited action. Put up some yards against Kansas when the team ran for 300 so guessing Kansas doesn't put up much resistance in terms of run defense.

Can't really see them scoring much on our defense. Then just a matter of what the Sanford less offense throws at them.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Sanford less offense throws at them.
Click to expand...
Yeah I'd think that would only help. Wouldn't be surprised if we put up 30+.

Even with Sanford I'd think we'd score on 'em
 

We can put up a lot of points if we decide to engage with both hands. If we use one hand only—doing just enough to win (unless we miscalculate)—it could be very close. Hope we run an offense that is a robust and adaptable as our defense.
 
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Gophergrandpa said:
We can put up a lot of points if we decide to engage with both hands. If we use one hand only—doing just enough to win (unless we miscalculate—it could be very close. Hope we run an offense that is a robust and adaptable as our defense.
Click to expand...
No point to hold anything back the way we definitely appear to in the early season games most years. Fleck has shown a willingness to go after it in bowl games.
 

Heartland College Sports chimes in:

PREDICTION: MINNESOTA 27, WEST VIRGINIA 10​

I think West Virginia is in a bad spot here. Not only are they facing a defense on par with Oklahoma State (who beat them 24-3) but they are playing an 8-4 team coached by PJ Fleck who beat a 14th-ranked and red-hot Wisconsin team the last time they saw the field. You add to that your leading rusher and offensive weapon in Leddie Brown opting out for the NFL Draft and you have trouble brewing. Minnesota is currently favored by 4.0, and I think they cover that without much resistance.

www.heartlandcollegesports.com

West Virginia vs. Minnesota: Guaranteed Rate Bowl Preview and Prediction Heartland College Sports - An Independent Big 12 Today Blog | College Football News | Big 12 Today" "

Here is everything you need to know about the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers in our Guaranteed Rate Bowl preview. Game Info 10:15 PM ET, Tuesday, December 28, 2021; Chase Field; Phoenix, Arizona TV: ESPN Radio: West Virginia: Mountaineer Sports Network Records: West...
www.heartlandcollegesports.com www.heartlandcollegesports.com

Go Gophers!!
 

MNVCGUY said:
No point to hold anything back the way we definitely appear to in the early season games most years. Fleck has shown a willingness to go after it in bowl games.
Click to expand...
Once he sees that UVW can't move the ball and the Gophers are up by 21 in the first half, guns will be blazing.
 


for some reason, I hear "Mountaineers," and the first thing I think of is the theme song from the "Beverly Hillbillies."

Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed
Poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed
Then one day he was shooting for some food,
And up through the ground come a bubbling crude
(Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea)
 

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