Discuss Gophers get 7 Wins?

[Pope Gopher IV]

Northern Illinois W
@ Bowling Green W
Montana State W
Florida Atlantic W
@ Ohio State
Indiana W
@ Illinois
@ Purdue
Northwestern W
Michigan
@ Wisconsin
Iowa W


That's my prediction for the Gophers schedule... Pretty weak non-conference schedule should make for a perfect non-conference record... This team was much better than the record indicated last year, they played a lot of teams close last season, and could surprise some teams.

[Wolverine]

I will roll with that.. bowl bound indeed.

[Hawkeye]

Five wins over teams that they lost to last year. How do you justify that?

[RaidenDAWG2]

I don't know about seven...five maybe, four definitely....

-RD

[Pope Gopher IV]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

Five wins over teams that they lost to last year. How do you justify that?

Iowa is a team they shocked two years ago...

Last season is really irrelevant to me... they cut somewhere around 30 players before the season started, Brewster is installing his system, and I have a feeling it will do much better than people expect

I realize to some this may not seem like a very likely prediction... but lets not forget how close the Gophers played the elite in the Big 10 (Ohio State and Wisconsin were close games... Scores don't tell the story...)

[XPetey]

Originally Posted by Pope Gopher IV

Iowa is a team they shocked two years ago...

Last season is really irrelevant to me... they cut somewhere around 30 players before the season started, Brewster is installing his system, and I have a feeling it will do much better than people expect

I realize to some this may not seem like a very likely prediction... but lets not forget how close the Gophers played the elite in the Big 10 (Ohio State and Wisconsin were close games... Scores don't tell the story...)

The Ohio State game was not close. 3-16 on 3rd down, 277 total yards (which, granted, is higher than it had been for teams), 1.6 YPC and 45 yards, 5.3 YPP.

On what grounds was that game close?

Also, I don't think you'll lose atleast 1 of Indiana, Iowa, and Northwestern.

[Pope Gopher IV]

Originally Posted by XPetey

The Ohio State game was not close. 3-16 on 3rd down, 277 total yards (which, granted, is higher than it had been for teams), 1.6 YPC and 45 yards, 5.3 YPP.

On what grounds was that game close?

Also, I don't think you'll lose atleast 1 of Indiana, Iowa, and Northwestern.

Ohio State was close... I was at the game, and the way it was played told a completely different story... They had a blocked field goal or punt that they were in the process of carrying back for a touchdown that was dropped by a gopher... (untouched) which would have had the game tied entering halftime, instead Ohio State went into halftime up two scores... game fell apart from there... IMO it would have been an entirely different game had that play not happened... I'm not saying the gophers would have won, but their defense was holding it's own against the Ohio State offense.

[Hawkeye]

Iowa is a team they shocked two years ago...

Well, I can understand that, but two years ago should be even more irrelevant to you. Many of the veteran players on both of those teams are gone. They aren’t even the same teams they were two years ago. With that said, if they cut 30 players, that roster is going to be pretty green. Iowa found out last year that throwing a LOT of youngsters into the fire might be necessary, but it isn’t productive. I think they will have a tougher time with Iowa this year as our replacement LBs, DEs and one of our corners will be much better and more talented than the guys that left. The offense is still a work in progress, but it will be better as well (it can’t be much worse).

I think it is wise to be leery of Indiana. If Kellen Lewis hadn’t been reinstated, I could very well see a Gophers win, but with him back, they will still have bite….even without Hardy.

Northwestern is tough no matter who they play. They are just flat out scary………even if you jump on them by like 30 points right away.

I can understand predicting wins vs BGSU and FAU, but BGSU welcomes back some pretty decent weapons (Tyler Sheehan, Anthony Turner, Corey Partridge and Chris Wright) and FAU has a trio (Rusty Smith, Charles Pierre and Cortez Gent) that is dangerous as well. FAU also gets back 17 starters. I think Minny loses one of those games (my guess is to FAU due to better coaching).

If the Gophers are improved though, you might be underestimating their ability to beat Purdue, Michigan or Wisconsin. Purdue is a team that will be missing 4 of their top 5 pass catchers and it could be a trap game where they are looking ahead to Michigan. Michigan is a team in transition with a new coach and a new system and all of their big stars (Henne, Hart, Manningham and Arrington) gone. Sorry Wolvy, they are going to get shocked by a team or two this year and Minnesota could be that team……especially on the road. That is also a trap game where the Wolverines could be looking ahead to Wisconsin. That brings us to Wisconsin who has 19 starters returning, but welcomes a new, unproven QB and a group of receivers. Throw all of that out the window because it is a rivalry game for the Paul Bunyan Axe and records mean nothing in those games.

I think the wins will most likely come like this: NIU, BGSU, Montana State, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern…….maybe Michigan because of their offense (but they still have a solid defense). No offense to Michigan, but they are really hard to gauge this year as they could win 9 or as few as 7. They have 2004 Ohio State written all over them and the Gophers have played them tough over the years.

[Wolverine]

I think they can get at least two wins in the Big Ten, add in those non-conference teams and they could go bowling easy guys. If they pull off an upset in addition to Indiana and Northwestern they are golden (gophers). haha silly.. uhf

[XPetey]

Originally Posted by Pope Gopher IV

Ohio State was close... I was at the game, and the way it was played told a completely different story... They had a blocked field goal or punt that they were in the process of carrying back for a touchdown that was dropped by a gopher... (untouched) which would have had the game tied entering halftime, instead Ohio State went into halftime up two scores... game fell apart from there... IMO it would have been an entirely different game had that play not happened... I'm not saying the gophers would have won, but their defense was holding it's own against the Ohio State offense.

Are you talking about the blocked PAT after Robiskie scored?

And I wouldn't call dropping a blocked punt keeping the game close. Finally, the Gophers' defense was not holding its own at all. In the first half they gave up TD drives of 74, 52 and 98.

I'm sorry, but I just don't see how you can call that game close at all. I watched the whole game just like you did.