Feeling Minnesota (a.k.a. The top 25 question?)

[Scooch]

Sometimes I feel like we set our expectations so damn low around here. Everyone who's realistic understands the limitations of a program based in a lousy recruiting area with the limited funding and fanbase size that being a private school entails.

But at the same time is climbing into the top 25 such an unthinkable task? We haven't done it in THIRTEEN years, so we're conditioned to think so. And yet I present to you...Minnesota.

The Gophers are 8-4 and ranked 25th. Their OOC schedule included wins over 3 patsies and a convincing loss to TCU. In conference they lost to Ohio State, Wisconsin and lowly Illinois. Their only high-ish quality win came against Nebraska.

That's a top 25 resume. Not exactly awe-inspiring, is it?

Would it be impossible to think SU could put together a season like this once in a while? We could still lose an OOC game, still take our annual beating from FSU, still lose games to, say, Clemson and NC State.

But we could maybe beat a Louisville and run the daunting BC/Pitt/Wake/Virginia gauntlet. Is that putting too much of a burden of expectation on this program?

Could I ask any more passive-aggressive rhetorical questions?

Why shouldn't we expect our program to feel Minnesota, just once in a while?

 

[Millhouse]

Sometimes I feel like we set our expectations so damn low around here. Everyone who's realistic understands the limitations of a program based in a lousy recruiting area with the limited funding and fanbase size that being a private school entails.

But at the same time is climbing into the top 25 such an unthinkable task? We haven't done it in THIRTEEN years, so we're conditioned to think so. And yet I present to you...Minnesota.

The Gophers are 8-4 and ranked 25th. Their OOC schedule included wins over 3 patsies and a convincing loss to TCU. In conference they lost to Ohio State, Wisconsin and lowly Illinois. Their only high-ish quality win came against Nebraska.

That's a top 25 resume. Not exactly awe-inspiring, is it?

Would it be impossible to think SU could put together a season like this once in a while? We could still lose an OOC game, still take our annual beating from FSU, still lose games to, say, Clemson and NC State.

But we could maybe beat a Louisville and run the daunting BC/Pitt/Wake/Virginia gauntlet. Is that putting too much of a burden of expectation on this program?

Could I ask any more passive-aggressive rhetorical questions?

Why shouldn't we expect our program to feel Minnesota, just once in a while?

seems weird to link to myself but it's pertinent

http://syracusefan.com/threads/93-schools-have-been-ranked-since-su-was-ranked.82427/

 

[TheCusian]

Sometimes I feel like we set our expectations so damn low around here. Everyone who's realistic understands the limitations of a program based in a lousy recruiting area with the limited funding and fanbase size that being a private school entails.

But at the same time is climbing into the top 25 such an unthinkable task? We haven't done it in THIRTEEN years, so we're conditioned to think so. And yet I present to you...Minnesota.

The Gophers are 8-4 and ranked 25th. Their OOC schedule included wins over 3 patsies and a convincing loss to TCU. In conference they lost to Ohio State, Wisconsin and lowly Illinois. Their only high-ish quality win came against Nebraska.

That's a top 25 resume. Not exactly awe-inspiring, is it?

Would it be impossible to think SU could put together a season like this once in a while? We could still lose an OOC game, still take our annual beating from FSU, still lose games to, say, Clemson and NC State.

But we could maybe beat a Louisville and run the daunting BC/Pitt/Wake/Virginia gauntlet. Is that putting too much of a burden of expectation on this program?

Could I ask any more passive-aggressive rhetorical questions?

Why shouldn't we expect our program to feel Minnesota, just once in a while?

Agree 1000%.

Some of it's our scheduling habits (as is well documented around here). As much as we'd like to think S0S plays any role in anything outside of the top 4 (and apparently it even doesn't really matter there) - it just doesn't. What matters is your w-l record and your conference affiliation. That's all it takes to form the perception of quality.

Would I rather play and beat an SEC school at home like the old days? Sure. But at this point we really shouldn't be picky. I'll take real quality or perception of quality. Doesn't matter right now.

 

[Cusester]

Patience, Grasshopper.

 

[orangeinjersey]

Agree 100%. Look at Minnesotas Previous records...

2007–2010 Tim Brewster 4 15–30 .333
2010 Jeff Horton 1 2–3 .400
2011– Jerry Kill 4 25-25 .500

The definition of medicore is right there in front of us.

 

[Scooch]

Patience, Grasshopper.

13 years isn't being patient?

 

[Scooch]

Agree 1000%. Some of it's our scheduling habits (as is well documented around here). As much as we'd like to think S0S plays any role in anything outside of the top 4 (and apparently it even doesn't really matter there) - it just doesn't. What matters is your w-l record and your conference affiliation. That's all it takes to form the perception of quality. Would I rather play and beat an SEC school at home like the old days? Sure. But at this point we really shouldn't be picky. I'll take real quality or perception of quality. Doesn't matter right now.

Our scheduling costs us one game though, at most. Replace Maryland this year with some scrubby school and we still don't sniff a bowl, let alone the top 25.

Next year we have two cupcakes, a crappy USF, and LSU. If we're not 3-1 against that, just like Minny did OOC this year, then we totally suck.

 

[RF2044]

That's because they have a good coaching staff. Jerry Kill might not be the most dynamic personality out there, but he's won at numerous schools and has a proven track record of building successful programs. He employs an aggressive brand of defense, and unlike our head coach has a clearly defined offensive identity.

Like our staff, they get pretty good athletes who are generally second tier recruits--but they are coached well.

Living here in Minneapolis, there is no love in my heart--at all--for the Gophers or their insipid fanbase. But I think they are realistic about their chances--most years, they'll be able to go for 8 or 9 wins, with the occasional season where they've got the right skilled talent and the stars align for an even better win total.

It pains me to see that our respective programs are going in different directions, given that we beat them in a bowl game last year. They took last seasons mediocre semi-success and built upon it. We took last year's mediocrre semi-success and took an enormous step backward. But, I suppose that's what happens when you've got one proven commodity at head coach with a track record of success, and another who might not have the chops to be a HC.

 

[orangeinjersey]

I imagine if HCDM and co were still around, we would be having similar results to minn. He picked an awful time to bolt (awful for SU the football program).

 

[Millhouse]

don't punt at the minn 35 in 2012, maybe we get another win and get ranked.

 

[Millhouse]

minnesota is 52 in yards per play defense, 76th in yards per play offense.

totally average, they got a little lucky with their conference schedule. beating nebraska was huge for them

4th and 1 19 yard TD run down 10 = ballsy. won them the game

 

[PhatOrange]

If we manage 8-4 we’d get in. You need to win all your toss up games or split 1 with a team you expected to lose to:


Here’s our scheduleom 2015:


H) Rhode Island
H) Central Michigan
H) Clemson
H) LSU
H) Wake
H) Pitt
H) BC

A) Florida State
A) South Florida
A) NC State
A) UVA
A) Louisville

 

[Millhouse]

If we manage 8-4 we’d get in. You need to win all your toss up games or split 1 with a team you expected to lose to:


Here’s our scheduleom 2015:


H) Rhode Island
H) Central Michigan
H) Clemson
H) LSU
H) Wake
H) Pitt
H) BC

A) Florida State
A) South Florida
A) NC State
A) UVA
A) Louisville

Assume they beat URI, CMU, Wake, USF

Unless you pull off a big upset, gotta go 4-1 against Pitt, BC, NC State, UVA, Louisville

 

[TheCusian]

Our scheduling costs us one game though, at most. Replace Maryland this year with some scrubby school and we still don't sniff a bowl, let alone the top 25.

Next year we have two cupcakes, a crappy USF, and LSU. If we're not 3-1 against that, just like Minny did OOC this year, then we totally suck.

True. How about the year before? If we were doing the SEC/Duke/Rutgers scheduling trick and didn't play Penn St and @ Northwestern - We could have been 8-4, with one point separating us from Pitt and a 9-3 record. How different a perception would we have been rocking!?

 

[Alsacs]

The Gophers have an identity and embrace it fully. They are going to run the ball down your throats. They have a physical OL, their QB kinda sucks passing, but can run, and they have a stable of RBs led by Cobb who is pretty good.

They dominate physically at the line of scrimmage. With that said they aren't any good. They got housed @ TCU, lost to Ohio State, @ Wisconsin and had a What loss @ Illinois.

They beat Purdue by 2 at home, Iowa, Michigan, Northwestern, and were the What loss for Nebraska.

I don't think they are better than 6-6 Arkansas, 7-5 Oklahoma, 9-3 Cincinnati, 9-3 Duke, 7-5 West Virginia, but they were given the token 25th ranking because somebody had to be chosen.

 

[TheCusian]

I don't think they are better than 6-6 Arkansas, 7-5 Oklahoma, 9-3 Cincinnati, 9-3 Duke, 7-5 West Virginia, but they were given the token 25th ranking because Delaney had to help justify OSU inclusion in the playoff.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Alsacs]

Fixed it for you.

Although it did help TCU's argument even though they ended up 6th. I still think Minnesota only got ranked because of Osborne and Alvarez as they weren't good.

 

[Scooch]

True. How about the year before? If we were doing the SEC/Duke/Rutgers scheduling trick and didn't play Penn St and @ Northwestern - We could have been 8-4, with one point separating us from Pitt and a 9-3 record. How different a perception would we have been rocking!?

2013? We were 6-6, we weren't one win away. A 7 win regular season isn't ever getting us ranked.

2012 is a valid argument. Playing N'western, Minnesota and USC all in one season OOC was stupid. Although to be fair that was set when we were in the Big East and our OOC scheduling philosophy was different, for obvious rea$on$.

 

[TheCusian]

2013? We were 6-6, we weren't one win away. A 7 win regular season isn't ever getting us ranked. 2012 is a valid argument. Playing N'western, Minnesota and USC all in one season OOC was stupid. Although to be fair that was set when we were in the Big East and our OOC scheduling philosophy was different, for obvious rea$on$.

Huh? We played NW, Penn St, Tulane, and Wagner going 2-2. If we schedule a touch lighter for both games (SEC/Duke/NcState style) - we go 4-0 OOC. That's 8-4, with a close game at home vs Pitt.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I still think it's amazing we beat Kansas State in the pinstripe bowl in 2010.

Their record since then: 38- 13

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We're not sniffing the Top 25 until we learn how to regularly put up 30+ points a game.

 

[NKR1978]

2012 was the year. What loss against Minnesota and two more games we shot ourselves in the foot (Rutgers and Northwestern). You could even put Cincinnati in that category though I think their win was a bit more convincing, we still dropped a pick 6. Truly believe we would have beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl had we managed to win one of Rutgers or Cincinnati.

 

[Alsacs]

We're not sniffing the Top 25 until we learn how to regularly put up 30+ points a game.

Well then next year is a wasted year. Which sucks.

 

[Fjoinkay]

Sometimes I feel like we set our expectations so damn low around here. Everyone who's realistic understands the limitations of a program based in a lousy recruiting area with the limited funding and fanbase size that being a private school entails.

But at the same time is climbing into the top 25 such an unthinkable task? We haven't done it in THIRTEEN years, so we're conditioned to think so. And yet I present to you...Minnesota.

The Gophers are 8-4 and ranked 25th. Their OOC schedule included wins over 3 patsies and a convincing loss to TCU. In conference they lost to Ohio State, Wisconsin and lowly Illinois. Their only high-ish quality win came against Nebraska.

That's a top 25 resume. Not exactly awe-inspiring, is it?

Would it be impossible to think SU could put together a season like this once in a while? We could still lose an OOC game, still take our annual beating from FSU, still lose games to, say, Clemson and NC State.

But we could maybe beat a Louisville and run the daunting BC/Pitt/Wake/Virginia gauntlet. Is that putting too much of a burden of expectation on this program?

Could I ask any more passive-aggressive rhetorical questions?

Why shouldn't we expect our program to feel Minnesota, just once in a while?

SU beat Minny in a bowl game less than 12 months ago. We all know what happened to SU this year.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Well then next year is a wasted year. Which sucks.

Surprises can happen, but I think you're likely right.