Three Points May Cost Thirty Degrees
by Buck Bravo on Nov 9, 2009 10:00 AM CST
in Gopher Football
9 comments
Minnesota can defeat South Dakota State next weekend for a sixth win and bowl eligibility. Defeating Iowa for a seventh win, at Iowa, isn't likely. With a six win season, Minnesota will probably earn a trip to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit. Personally, I prefer my pizza on a plate and not in a bowl. Had the Gophers won against Illinois instead of losing by three points, they probably could have gone to Tempe for the Insight Bowl. A season ending in a bowl game is good, but that three point loss may result in a thirty degree difference between Tempe and Detroit.
There are several factors that could have changed the outcome of Saturday's game. Here's three game-changing decisions that could have reversed the three point deficit and landed Gopher fans closer to Mexico than to Canada:
- Minnesota won the coin flip, but chose to kick the ball to Illinois. Minnesota scored 14 points last week against Michigan State before the Spartan offense ever took the field. Illinois was coming off of an offensive explosion versus Michigan. Perhaps receiving the ball could have set a different pace for the game.
- After an excellent performance versus Michigan State, Adam Weber was highly inaccurate with his passes. The deep balls didn't have enough loft for receivers to run underneath them, and the lateral passes were off the mark. Even most of the completions failed to hit receivers in stride. Weber did throw a strike to Terry Hawthorne for a touchdown in the first quarter, but he's on the wrong team. Despite success with the run and not with the pass, passing plays continued to be called.
- Minnesota's third quarter field goal started with a 1st and 1 on the goal line. That series should have resulted in a touchdown. Many questioned the call to pass on 2nd and 1 which resulted in a sack, but Adam Weber should have seen the unblocked defensive players set to blitz and either made an audible or called time out. Several of the busted passing plays throughout the game should have been audibled due to obvious pending blitzes.
Could've, would've, should've, didn't. It's always easy to be an armchair quarterback. The good news is that the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl falls on the day after Christmas, and it's a Saturday. A perfect opportunity to book a bargain package to Las Vegas and watch the game with friends on the big screen. Maybe a warm weather bowl trip is still a possibility after all.
0 recs |
9 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
If
the Big Ten sends two teams to the BCS (and it will), Minnesota will be in Tempe.
http://www.rivalryesq.com/2009/11/8/1121367/2009-bowl-projections-post-week-10
http://www.rivalryesq.com/
The quintessential Big Ten smoking room.
It doesn't make sense
You are predicting Iowa to lose to OSU (which I agree will happen). But that will knock Iowa out of the BCS race. A loss to Ohio State will send them further down the rankings and out of the BCS conversation. Even if they beat Minnesota, I don’t see them even qualifying for the BCS (must be at least #14, and even then no guarantee).
So I’m not so sure the Big 10 gets two teams in the BCS, although the other conferences aren’t exactly stepping it up. The Pac10 probably gets two teams. If Oklahoma St wins out, they should be in. If Pittsburgh runs the table, they will get in along with Cincinnati.
Who are the 2 Pac 10 teams?
Oregon and Southern Cal? For me, I hope that it’s Oregon and Stanford – that would mean the Cardinal have defeated Notre Dame.
I think there are enough teams to fill the plate. Alabama and Florida are both in, already. Oregon is in. Ohio State is in unless they lose the next two. TCU is probably in. Cincy is in. Boise is probably in. Texas is in. The ACC champ (Georgia Tech, Va. Tech or Miami) is in. Who is left?
One of Iowa, USC, Oklahoma State, Nebraska (if they defeat Texas in the conference title game) or Pitt. And, if Pitt or Nebraska is in, TCU or Boise could get bumped.
USC will be in
Unless they lose another, which I doubt. They are highly ranked enough, plus the BCS likes the fan base.
TCU and Boise probably will not both make it unless the BCS wants to make concessions to appease clamor and the attention of congress.
Pitt plays Notre Dame, West Virginia, and Cincinnati. If they run the table on that, they are in as Big East champs, and Cincinnati is still high enough to get in with a lone loss to Pitt.
Oklahoma State is in if they beat Oklahoma (Boise gets bumped).
Of course, there is a lot of conjecture here. This is far from decided. Some teams (Pitt, Oklahoma State, et al) can write their own ticket if they win out.
Personally, I’m hoping for a TCU/Boise State national championship game. Yes, I’m serious. If not, then one of those two against the SEC Champ or Texas. I really do think TCU and Boise can play with them.
We can avoid Detroit
by losing out and not being bowl eligible.
We can beat Iowa
Seriously. They have struggled to win many of their games and they lost to Northwestern. At home. I don’t see any reason why we should be thinking this is an automatic loss in a rivalry game (yes, I know Brewster has 0 rivalry wins, but still).
Oh, and let me preempt all those Iowa jacka$$es that will dimly reply with “55-0…har…har…har”. (Not directed at you, Bama Hawkeye.) That was last year. Seriously, move on. Or I can point to 39-33 which is the all time series that Minnesota leads.
Agreed.
I don’t think either team will score 20 points in that game. However, if one team gets to 20, it’ll be Minnesota, and they’ll win.
NO STANZI, NO PROBLEM.
yeah
they both are kind of offensively challenged aren’t they?
by TheEvilProfessor on Nov 11, 2009 4:16 PM CST up reply actions
9-1 is 9-1
You fail to mention your 10-19 record vs Iowa since 1980 or how about 2-7 since 2000? Just accept the fact that Minnesota is a lower tier football program, with or without your loudmouth dumbass coach and new stadium.
People really don’t care what happened in the 1940’s or even the 1960’s. The bottom line is that today, maybe Indiana and Purdue are the only programs worse off than Minnesota in the Big 10.
by Fuck Minnesota on Nov 12, 2009 3:13 PM CST up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
