The Underdog Role

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upnorthkid

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Well pretty much everything I've read/seen has projected the Gophs to get shelled in this one. But could this info all be used as effective bulletin board material to inspire the team? i think (hope) that the team uses this as motivation to come together and get one done for the seniors and prove all the doubters wrong! Here's to hoping that this team embraces the underdog role and uses it as fuel to win!
 

Hope they're inspired enough to complete some passes.
 

I don't think that the odds makers can project, how healthy the Gophers will be, nor should they try. I would think that with four Offensive Linemen coming back to play, a simple determination to show what a healthy MN line can do, will suffice. Fifteen practices to improve the timing between Nelson and the receivers will be the second part of the offensive puzzle. I really expect the offense to play really well in the game.
 

Limegrover's plan will be all about ball control and running the ball. Expect a healthy Gray to see almost as many snaps at QB as Nelson. Keep the Tech offense off the field.
 

upnorthkid said:
Well pretty much everything I've read/seen has projected the Gophs to get shelled in this one. But could this info all be used as effective bulletin board material to inspire the team? i think (hope) that the team uses this as motivation to come together and get one done for the seniors and prove all the doubters wrong! Here's to hoping that this team embraces the underdog role and uses it as fuel to win!
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May not be as much of an underdog by kickoff. TT has basically no coaching staff right now, right? That means virtually no gameplanning and thus no useful practice pre-bowl. There is no better opportunity amongst the B1G bowl matchups at this point, MSU-TCU being a close second.
 


nsmike said:
I don't think that the odds makers can project, how healthy the Gophers will be, nor should they try. I would think that with four Offensive Linemen coming back to play, a simple determination to show what a healthy MN line can do, will suffice. Fifteen practices to improve the timing between Nelson and the receivers will be the second part of the offensive puzzle. I really expect the offense to play really well in the game.
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The possible health of the O-Line will certainly be a big help, no doubt about it.

But the only reason I have even a glimmer of hope in this one is that it sounds like TTU runs something very similar to what Syracuse runs offensively, and that was likely the Gophers' best defensive game of the year. It doesn't hurt that TTU isn't exactly MSU on defense either.

As with many bowl games, a lot will come down to which team is most excited about being there, and plays with the most intensity. Sucks that it's in Texas from that standpoint but oh well... For the Gophers, playing in a warmer climate just before New Year's, the first bowl game in several years, and with such a young team, I'd be hard-pressed to believe TTU will come out wanting it MORE than UM.
 

highwayman said:
Limegrover's plan will be all about ball control and running the ball. Expect a healthy Gray to see almost as many snaps at QB as Nelson. Keep the Tech offense off the field.
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Agreed, but from what we've seen many times over the last 4 years unless they can complete some passes and get people out of the damn box "Ball Control Offense" means 3 and out.
 

upnorthkid said:
Well pretty much everything I've read/seen has projected the Gophs to get shelled in this one. But could this info all be used as effective bulletin board material to inspire the team? i think (hope) that the team uses this as motivation to come together and get one done for the seniors and prove all the doubters wrong! Here's to hoping that this team embraces the underdog role and uses it as fuel to win!
Click to expand...

I know I've used this Major League quote before, but I really like it. "Every newspaper in the country has picked us to finish dead last. The local press seems to think we'd save everyone a lot of time and trouble if we just went out and shot ourselves. But me? I'm for wasting sports writers' time, so let's see if we can hang around and give them all a great big sh*tburger to eat"
 

Catechol said:
May not be as much of an underdog by kickoff. TT has basically no coaching staff right now, right? That means virtually no gameplanning and thus no useful practice pre-bowl. There is no better opportunity amongst the B1G bowl matchups at this point, MSU-TCU being a close second.
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i politely disagree. its not like they're going to be changing up everything they've ran to now. the only thing they may be hurting is being fully adapted to our game. their offense will look much the same. it'll be air raid all day and we've got to get some heat there and play some good coverage to stop it. offensively we just have to begin to be remotely offensive again
 



bleedsmaroonandgold said:
I know I've used this Major League quote before, but I really like it. "Every newspaper in the country has picked us to finish dead last. The local press seems to think we'd save everyone a lot of time and trouble if we just went out and shot ourselves. But me? I'm for wasting sports writers' time, so let's see if we can hang around and give them all a great big sh*tburger to eat"
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hahahah i love it! i haven't seen that movie in ages
 

upnorthkid said:
Well pretty much everything I've read/seen has projected the Gophs to get shelled in this one. But could this info all be used as effective bulletin board material to inspire the team? i think (hope) that the team uses this as motivation to come together and get one done for the seniors and prove all the doubters wrong! Here's to hoping that this team embraces the underdog role and uses it as fuel to win!
Click to expand...

Maybe they can pin it up on the bulletin board right next to Dantonio saying Michigan State would beat us...

I really hope the team doesn't need something like this to be motivated to win.
 

mckerney said:
Maybe they can pin it up on the bulletin board right next to Dantonio saying Michigan State would beat us...

I really hope the team doesn't need something like this to be motivated to win.
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I'm not saying it is the only thing to motivate them to win, but having an extra rallying cry to develop an us against all the nay-sayers SHOULD only help their cause I would imagine.
 

highwayman said:
Limegrover's plan will be all about ball control and running the ball. Expect a healthy Gray to see almost as many snaps at QB as Nelson. Keep the Tech offense off the field.
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He will run the QB draw over and over until every QB is injured. Once we are hopelessly behind he will open up the playbook.
 



Q wants to play on Sundays, and his position would probably be WR. Of course you play to win the game but raising Q's pro-value and building the program by getting Nelson snaps could be factors on who plays QB in Houston. IMO
 

just saw the SI projection of 49-20.. christ are you kidding me?
 


upnorthkid said:
just saw the SI projection of 49-20.. christ are you kidding me?
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Could be a bad year for the big ten all the way around, because of the two ineligibles. In a "normal" year we would probably be headed to Detriot to take on Kent State. Hoping the gophers can get a W. That would be very encouraging considering 58-0 @ michigan last year and losing to NDSU and NM State last year. Nothing AGAINST YOU BISON FANS!!! but that should not happen.
 

upnorthkid said:
just saw the SI projection of 49-20.. christ are you kidding me?
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49 is an awful lot of points to predict. The most points the Gophers have given up this season was 38. Mostly the Gophers have played teams that have had potent running attacks rather than potent passing attacks. Texas Tech does have a potent passing game, ranking #2 in passing yards, but only #86 in rushing yards. The Gophers have done better against the pass than the run.

Syracuse ranks #21 in passing yards. The averaged 301 ypg passing, but Minnesota held them to 228. They averaged 29.3 points per game, but they only scored 10 points against Minnesota.

I'm not saying 49 points is impossible, but the Gophers have a fairly decent defense, and a team with a potent passing game is a better matchup for the Gophers than one with a potent running game. 49 points scored against the Gophers seems rather high.

Texas Tech ranks #93 in points allowed, if the offense is able to heal some before gameday comes, the Gophers offense might be more productive than we have seen in most of our games.
 

Fair statement? We have a better chance of beating TT than Michigan State? I think so, for the reason many of you gave above.
 

highwayman said:
Limegrover's plan will be all about ball control and running the ball. Expect a healthy Gray to see almost as many snaps at QB as Nelson. Keep the Tech offense off the field.
Click to expand...

Probably right, but it won't work. We'll have to score a bunch to win.
 

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