** 2020 Opponent Previews : Minnesota (Game 8) **

Saunders

Saunders

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CollegeFootballNews: Minnesota Schedule Breakdown & Predictions

Best Case Scenario

10-2: The Gophers take care of home early on, rolling through a better non-conference schedule – Florida Atlantic, Tennessee Tech, BYU – than last year, but still workable and beating Iowa on a Friday night. They get to 5-0 with a win at Maryland. They split the midseason showdowns at Wisconsin and against Michigan, and the push through a three-game stretch at Illinois, at Michigan State and against Purdue before getting a week off. They’re not going 11-1 – they either go through the games against Northwestern and at Nebraska, and lost an earlier battle.

Worst Case Scenario

6-6: They suffer a misfire against either Florida Atlantic or BYU, and they lose the Big Ten opener against Iowa. They then struggle way too often in the run of four road games in five weeks losing to Wisconsin and Michigan State, and lose the home game against Michigan. In the most realistically bad scenario, the Gophers won’t end up with a losing season, but they fight to get through the finishing kick to get to six wins – but lose at Nebraska to close things out.

https://collegefootballnews.com/2020/01/minnesota-football-schedule-2020-prediction-breakdown-analysis
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CBSSports: No. 16 Minnesota riding experience in hopes of taking the next step in Big Ten West

Minnesota was the darling of the first two-plus months of the 2019 season, posting a 9-0 record before falling to Iowa on Nov. 16. It was the program's first double-digit win season since 2003, and the first time it finished in the top 10 since 1962. So, what will fourth-year coach P.J. Fleck do for an encore? The Golden Gophers return an experienced roster led by redshirt junior quarterback Tanner Morgan, wide receiver Rashod Bateman and an experienced secondary that should be the strength of the defense. Morgan's success through the air last season should be the foundation of an explosive offense that took the Big Ten West by storm a year ago. Will the experience get Minnesota over the top and into the Big Ten Championship Game for the first time since the divisional split?

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/preseason-top-25-no-16-minnesota-riding-experience-in-hopes-of-taking-the-next-step-in-big-ten-west/
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Athlon: #21 Minnesota Preview & Prediction

Few observers are snickering over P.J. Fleck’s “Row the Boat” mantra after the Gophers’ performances spiked in his third season at the helm last fall. Minnesota finished 11–2, with signature wins over No. 5 Penn State and then No. 9 Auburn in the Outback Bowl. It was the first time the Gophers had won more than 10 games since 1904, when high school teams were on its schedule. Fleck’s overall success a year ago produced a raise and a contract extension through the 2026 season. The current belief is that this new high-water mark, which included a No. 10 ranking in the postseason AP poll, can be a springboard to being a perennial contender in the Big Ten West.

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/minnesota-football-golden-gophers-prediction-preview-2020
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More to come...

 
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I wonder how long PJ Fleck will be at Minnesota. He'll be a commodity if he puts together another solid season this year. Are the Golden Gophers going to match checks with schools with deeper pockets? 

 
knapplc said:
I wonder how long PJ Fleck will be at Minnesota. He'll be a commodity if he puts together another solid season this year. Are the Golden Gophers going to match checks with schools with deeper pockets? 
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He just got a pretty hefty raise so I think that's less likely, but who knows. Purdue is paying Brohm 6.6 million a year, and he's a less proven coach than Fleck at this point. Seems like everyone (at least in P5 conferences) has deep pockets these days - I just don't know where he would go. I don't know if there's any truth to it but people seem to think he'll always be a midwest guy, so outside of jumping within the big ten Notre Dame is the only one that comes to mind. I think he might actually stick with Minny for quite a while.

 
I don’t see him going anywhere unless it’s either A. a program that is so top tier he can’t refuse

or

B. He realizes the talent he has recruited isn’t going to pan out so he has to strike while the irons hot

The schools in the big ten make so much money that it’ll take an unbelievable offer to buy him away from Minnesota 

 
Nothing factual to base it off of, but I think things are setting up perfectly for ND to hire Fleck away. Although Kelly has been rather successful, I do feel the marriage with ND is coming to an end in the next few short years. Fleck's buyout is considerably lower after this season, and will continue decrease thereafter. They offer all of the checks that would draw him away. A midwestern school that can recruit nationally, a partial ACC schedule that will get him into the south much easier than trying to recruit to Minnesota(Annual USC game to appeal to CA kids) and a huge budget.

Not saying it's a guarantee but things are shaping up nicely imo. I previously thought the job could've went to Urban but I think its USC or NFL if he comes back to coaching at all.

 
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runningblind said:
Here they come,  the next Clemson, proudly boasting fresh Outback bowl rings!
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Holy f#&% sticks, they put "Big Ten West Co-Champs" on it:


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GSG said:
Holy f#&% sticks, they put "Big Ten West Co-Champs" on it:


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I was gonna posting that! 

I know we've seen some very low points here, especially in the Big Ten, but I could never see us claiming a Co-Divisional championship. We'd claim a division championship but I feel we would only revel in it for a split second. I feel other schools make a big deal of success in the west, which I understand to a point, but the focus should be beating the teams in the East eventually imo. In Minnesota's case, guess you gotta start somewhere. Nice season they had though.

 
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