Wonder what the Gophers are thinking watching this game?

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OSU got lucky in that they tried unsuccessfully to try scoring before the half when what they should have been doing was protecting their lead knowing they'd get the ball to start the second half. Let that be a lesson to all of us.
 

The Gophers played hard against Ohio St. But we had several things in our favor. The weather absolutely favored us. Snow almost always favors the slower team in football. It's football handicapping 101. We also had the good fortune of catching them on the second leg of back to back road games and coming off an emotional victory at Mich St. It was a great spot for the Gophers.
 


John Galt said:
As Ogee said last week, no one tries harder than you every day...
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And as I commented to him feel free to ignore me if you have a problem with me expressing my opinion, one that in this case is echoed by many other people in this same thread which is that we played well but also caught a lot of breaks and are not yet on the same plane as the team that just won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. You may choose to see that as taking a shot at the Gophers but it absolutely isn't intended to be, just like saying we will need everything to go right in order to beat TCU next year is also not a shot at the Gophers but a reflection of how good teams like OSU and TCU are.
 

John Galt said:
1. I'm not embarrassed that we lost to OSU at home by 7.
2. I'm not going to beat my chest and proclaim it a moral victory and an indication of how good we are.
3. We don't need to apologize that it was cold out and there were a few flurries on November 15. It's football, sometimes it's played outdoors, sometimes a team can benefit from playing at home, and sometimes from playing in conditions that they are more comfortable in.
4. We were playing a team from Ohio. It gets cold in Ohio, even into the teens. And it snows. We weren't playing Miami or Hawaii.
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The bold, so true.
 


supadupafly said:
Huh? A snow storm? There were some flurries and a few snow showers around. If you are trying to lessen the strong game our Gophers played against OSU back in November by suggesting it had something to do with the weather that is ridiculous, imo.
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The Gophers without a doubt played a strong game, but the Buckeyes were absolutely bothered by the weather conditions. The snow wasn't much of a factor, but the single-digit temps were. It seemed as if everyone was playing at half to 3/4-speed.
 

Probably glad they didn't play this version of tOSU. Thsts a diff team then when we played them.
 

GopherRock said:
The Gophers without a doubt played a strong game, but the Buckeyes were absolutely bothered by the weather conditions. The snow wasn't much of a factor, but the single-digit temps were. It seemed as if everyone was playing at half to 3/4-speed.
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It's funny that some Gopher "fans" simply can't believe that we competed with OSU. They have to blame it on the weather, OSU turnovers, etc, etc. Here are the average temperatures in Columbus throughout the year. In case you don't want to click the link, it's on average about 10 degrees warmer than Minneapolis.

https://weatherspark.com/averages/31170/Columbus-Ohio-United-States
 




John Galt said:
Maybe we just match-up well with them ;)
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Blasphemy! God forbid the thought! Remember that we must self-deprecate and belittle ourselves at all times. Never thinking positive or boastfully. It is the ridiculously Germanic/Scandinavian, passive-agressive, Lutheran Minnesotan way for some I guess. :D
 

50PoundHead said:
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I thought I heard a comment during the post-game wrap-up that insinuated all of tOSU's underclassmen are coming back. If that's the case, they are automatically a top five team going into the 2015 season. That defense is very good and could get even better. I don't think they lose a whole lot from graduation.
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They do lose some pretty good players. Michael Bennett was an All American, Devin Smith was the best deep threat in the country. IMO Jeff Huerman was the second best TE in the Big Ten. They lose their best DB, starting MLB, starting RT, starting DE and their best blocking WR who started as well.

I would still have them #1 for next year and they have a top 5 class coming in but I really don't get the narrative that they return their entire roster. That is incorrect and I wouldn't say they will be significantly better next year. They will be about the same as this year (which is still extremely good of course).
 

In all honesty, when you match up OSU or Oregon against the Gophers, there is very little comparison in terms of athleticism. Both teams in the Championship game have more athletes, and better athletes than the Gophers. Yes - you can counter some of that through effort, schemes and trying to find favorable matchups, but talent usually wins out. For the Gophers to be able to compete with those types of teams, they really need to upgrade their speed and athletic ability at the skill positions - make that all positions.

I realize some people enjoy rooting for the plucky underdog - the over-achiever - but if I'm putting my own money on the line, I'm betting on the team with the better athletes.

Don't get me wrong - I think the Gophs have come a long way under Kill - but after watching Monday's game, my biggest take-away was just how much farther the Gophs have to go to be on the same level as the best teams in the country.
 

The great thing is, we really only need 2-3 truly special guys at the same time (ideally one at the QB position) to make a run.

Look at Purdue with Brees, or Cal with Rodgers ... those schools were generally not better than Minnesota is now, and at the moment are probably considered in worse position as a whole. But one game-changing player comes in and bam, Purdue heads to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 34 years, and Cal climbs all the way to #4 in the country.

Now, can you count on a guy like that showing up on our door step? No way. But it could happen, and it's not like we'd be that far off right now with a transcendent talent in the right place. You couldn't say the same for a program like, say, Indiana, or Colorado, or Kansas right now IMO.
 



GophersInIowa said:
You've been in San Diego too long. ;)

The snow didn't affect the game at all. It just looked "pretty".
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This and the delicious beer has really affected my ability to put together a solid statement. I stand corrected supadupafly.
 

John Galt said:
1. I'm not embarrassed that we lost to OSU at home by 7.
2. I'm not going to beat my chest and proclaim it a moral victory and an indication of how good we are.
3. We don't need to apologize that it was cold out and there were a few flurries on November 15. It's football, sometimes it's played outdoors, sometimes a team can benefit from playing at home, and sometimes from playing in conditions that they are more comfortable in.
4. We were playing a team from Ohio. It gets cold in Ohio, even into the teens. And it snows. We weren't playing Miami or Hawaii.
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Agree with this, 100%. Somehow most people's views have become skewed to only judge teams by how well they play in pristine conditions. There is nothing to be ashamed of when you live in a climate like ours, to have an advantage over the other teams when it's snowy, cold or windy. I credit our coaches for having built a team that can do well in these conditions.
 

Minnesota will never be Ohio State. It doesn't have the recent history, the facilities, the pick of the litter of Ohio players (and other top recruited states), the millions of devoted fans, or a narcissistic jack-ass for a head coach.
But, Minnesota is capable of beating Ohio State. That wasn't possible until recently.
 

diehard said:
Our game plan will change as our talent level continues to increase. Our coaches are doing a great job and we are steadily improving.
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But we just lost Cobb, a top ten running back; Wilson, all-Big10, and Maxx, who would have been a unanimous All-American and Mackey Trophy winner next year. Three bricks pulled out of the structure.
 

Someone who is an X's and O's guy answer this for me. Isn't Minnesota running a very similar offense to Ohio State? We are obviously not as effective in the passing game nor do we attempt as many passes, but.... Maybe that changes next year with the RS WR's. Hoping they are as good as advertised.
 

JoeDirt said:
I hope Jerry and the rest of the coaches are taking notes from Urban and his staff. This is how a creative and fearless game plan looks.
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When your O-line gives your QB 10 seconds in the pocket to throw every time, you can be fearless.
 


dpodoll68 said:
If you sincerely believe this...why are you a Gopher fan?
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I said Minnesota is capable of beating Ohio State, but they cannot be Ohio State for many reasons, some of which I mentioned.
If fans could only support teams that have been, are, or could be the most dominant teams among their competition year after year, they would either be badly disappointed or delusional.
 

KillerGopherFan said:
I said Minnesota is capable of beating Ohio State, but they cannot be Ohio State for many reasons, some of which I mentioned.
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Yes, they can be. You're talking about things as they are, not as they could be.

KillerGopherFan said:
If fans could only support teams that have been, are, or could be the most dominant teams among their competition year after year, they would either be badly disappointed or delusional.
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If a fan believes that his team has no chance of being dominant, that's a pretty sad state of affairs. I'm realistic about where the Gophers are and have been, but to say "never" or "can't" is pretty silly and baseless.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Yes, they can be. You're talking about things as they are, not as they could be.



If a fan believes that his team has no chance of being dominant, that's a pretty sad state of affairs. I'm realistic about where the Gophers are and have been, but to say "never" or "can't" is pretty silly and baseless.
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I disagree. This is college football, not the NFL. The playing field is not equal. It is why successful coaches move on to "better" jobs. Unless there were significant changes to the structure of college football or sports, the traditional powers will always be in the best position to be or return to dominance, i.e., Michigan. It doesn't mean Michigan will automatically be dominant, obviously they haven't. But, everybody now expects Harbaugh to return them to dominance. We'll see. But, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Alabama, Florida, Texas, ND and a few others will always have the upperhand at continued dominance for the reasons I outlined before.
Can you give me some examples of programs that have achieved and maintained dominance that don't have the advantages of geographical recruiting areas, facilities, money, large fanbases, etc.?
Again, Minnesota or a program of similar profile might be able to win a national championship, but I really doubt that it could compete at a level equal to the most dominant programs in Div I unless there were major structural changes to college football. And I can live with that and continue pulling for the Gophers to win each time they take the field.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Yes, they can be. You're talking about things as they are, not as they could be.



If a fan believes that his team has no chance of being dominant, that's a pretty sad state of affairs. I'm realistic about where the Gophers are and have been, but to say "never" or "can't" is pretty silly and baseless.
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I can't agree with you on this one. There are different types of fans and different levels of fandom. I would be very happy if the Gophers somehow became a "dominant" team -but if it never happens, I will still support the team. It won't ruin my life if the Gophers never reach the level of an OSU or Alabama. And honestly, I just don't see that happening without a major shift in attitude at the U of M. There is still a segment of the faculty and staff that does not want the U to be an athletic powerhouse, because they see that as somehow antithetical to the mission of a research university.
In order for the Gophers to be a "dominant" program, Kaler would have to purge a lot of the faculty and administration to bring in pro-sports and pro-big time football supporters. Not to mention the board of Regents, who are appointed by the Governor.

That is why I feel the Gophers have a very slim chance of becoming that type of a program - the culture at the U. It has nothing to do with Jerry Kill's ability as a coach. (and something else - the elite programs tend to have uber-fat cat boosters who shovel out huge sums of money to support their teams. Where are those people at the U of M?)
 

You just picked on the posiion that the Gophers have never recruited well.

Gopher07 said:
The great thing is, we really only need 2-3 truly special guys at the same time (ideally one at the QB position) to make a run.

Look at Purdue with Brees, or Cal with Rodgers ... those schools were generally not better than Minnesota is now, and at the moment are probably considered in worse position as a whole. But one game-changing player comes in and bam, Purdue heads to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 34 years, and Cal climbs all the way to #4 in the country.

Now, can you count on a guy like that showing up on our door step? No way. But it could happen, and it's not like we'd be that far off right now with a transcendent talent in the right place. You couldn't say the same for a program like, say, Indiana, or Colorado, or Kansas right now IMO.
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When if ever, in most of our lifetimes, have the Gophers truly had an elite level passer and QB that could pull rabbits out of his hat like a Russel Wilson or Brees at Purdue and Rodgers at Cal? Gophers have never had an elite QB the entire time I have been a fan.
If I were a Gopher, watching that game I would be in awe and totally shocked at how much Ohio State improved and what they looked like last night. Gophers played physical and hung with that team so it should give them the knowledge that they are capable but the team speed, especially Eziekiel Elliot displayed last night was unreal. Elliot gashed them and then the QB ran over a 310 pound nose tackle. Mitch is tough but he would not have bowled over that defensive tackle. Speed wise you have to have athletes that can stay in the game and understand that concept. That is one concept I think coach Kill and his staff have realized from the outset, if you do not have team speed in your back yard you better go places and recruit places that have it. I was really surprised by how much Ohio States offensive line improved and how well we played against that line on 11-15, but they were different last night, they dominated the line of scrimmage. OSU, they are the measuring stick in this conference for offensive and defensive line play, not Wisconsin and the Gophers need to strive to get to that level. That was some kind of pass protection they put on, but the big kid from Ohio State also threw some darts.

Without the turnovers Ohio State would have blown the Oregon defense off the football field with a third string quarterback mind you. We never seem to be ever able to recruit an elite level QB at least one from any area for the Gophers let alone having three on the roster at the same time. The QB position is the cadillac position at all levels of football and if you do not have an elite one it is difficult to elevate and compete at a championship level. This is what recruiting at a national and elite level looks like, Ohio State they will always be on a different plane in recruiting that the rest of the conference. Would be nice and lucky if one of those elite level QB's was to fall in the Gophers lap in the near future. An elite level QB can cover up a lot of weaknesses on a football team.
 

diehard said:
Our game plan will change as our talent level continues to increase. Our coaches are doing a great job and we are steadily improving.
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Yep, that is what really good coaches do but our "experts" here refuse to recognize this. Given our talent level Kill's strategy has been to be a position to win the game in the fourth quarter. That has worked out more times than not but when it doesn't, the fans will find all kinds of reasons why the coaches shouldn't have done what they did. Maybe yes, maybe no.
 


Killjoy said:
Yep, that is what really good coaches do but our "experts" here refuse to recognize this. Given our talent level Kill's strategy has been to be a position to win the game in the fourth quarter. That has worked out more times than not but when it doesn't, the fans will find all kinds of reasons why the coaches shouldn't have done what they did. Maybe yes, maybe no.
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25-25 overall and 13-19 in conference equals more times than not.

Just glad we have you around to put those "experts" in their place.
 

Love that the Gophers competed hard against OSU this year. It was a fantastic afternoon. Of course, OSU also lost to VT, went to OT with PSU, and was trailing late at home against Indiana. OSU is awesome. They played phenomenally the past few weeks. They weren't a juggernaut each and every week. The fact MN played a tight ballgame against them one afternoon in Nov doesn't mean anything more than exactly that. Evaluate it alongside the 12 other games and you'll have a pretty god idea how MN did this year.
 

die hard gopher said:
They do lose some pretty good players. Michael Bennett was an All American, Devin Smith was the best deep threat in the country. IMO Jeff Huerman was the second best TE in the Big Ten. They lose their best DB, starting MLB, starting RT, starting DE and their best blocking WR who started as well.

I would still have them #1 for next year and they have a top 5 class coming in but I really don't get the narrative that they return their entire roster. That is incorrect and I wouldn't say they will be significantly better next year. They will be about the same as this year (which is still extremely good of course).
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Thanks. I was too lazy to look it up. I imagine Meyer has replacements in mind, but you do point out that they are losing some very good performers.

As I look at that defense, I imagine every one of those guys will get a chance to play on Sundays. They won't all make it of course, but that is one solid, athletic defense.
 

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