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It’s mid-October, the midpoint of the football season and our Minnesota Golden Gophers are 5-1 (2-0) and doing great, but how is the staff at The Daily Gopher doing? Well we might not be student athletes but its time for us to have our midterm! Read on for our thoughts about the second half of the season.

FB101 – History of Predictions

Unlike most blogs or sports writers Like all sports blogs and sports writers the staff at TDG had made some predictions during the preseason, so how have we done?

Predictions:

	GN	JD	Jeff	GoAU	Matt	PW	GG05	US	DK	Hip	Nor
EIU	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
MTSU	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
@TCU	W	L	L	W	W	L	L	W	L	W	W
SJSU	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
@MI	L	L	L	L	W	L	L	L	L	W	W
NW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
Half	5-1	4-2	4-2	5-1	6-0	4-2	4-2	5-1	4-2	6-0	6-0
Pur	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
@IL	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
IA	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	W
OSU	W	L	L	L	L	L	L	L	L	L	L
@NB	L	L	L	L	L	L	L	L	L	L	L
@WI	L	W	W	W	W	W	L	W	L	W	W
Season	9-3	8-4	8-4	9-3	10-2	8-4	7-5	9-3	7-5	10-2	10-2

Actual Results to Date:

The predictions above were made in GopherNation’s August 26^th post, I think we did pretty good. In terms of overall the non-con schedule 5 of us scored 100% while the other 6 of us scored a respectable 75%. So far in the Big Ten season we as a staff aren’t doing as well with only three of us, Matt, Hipster, and me correctly predicting the Michigan game to score 100%. The rest of the unbelievers scored 50%. Overall, GopherNation, GoAUpher, and UStreet are dead-on  in their predictions at 5-1 with the everyone else being only one game off one way or the other. As a group our predictions have a 86% rate, a solid B.

via twitter.com/GopherFootball/media

FB102 – Creative Predictions Writing

Here are some of the other predictions the writters said going into the season in GoAUpher’s August 27^th post. I didn’t join the staff in time to give input into this piece.

Will Minnesota’s passing offense rank in the top 10 Big Ten Programs this year?

Predictions:

6 yes vote, 4 no votes (I would have said yes).

DarkKnight5: Maryland, Rutgers, Illinois, and Purdue: these are the four passing offenses ahead of which Minnesota will finish.  While that's not a spectacular list, it puts the Gophers in the top 10 teams of the conference, and out of dead last, so I think we'll take it, right?

Jeffrick: No, certainly not when it comes to yards. Teams 9-11 last year were all around 197 yards per game, an average of a full 49 yards per game better than Minnesota was a year ago. While I hope Minnesota improves in this area (they can’t be much worse), I’m still not confident a young QB and receiving corps will be throwing for an average of 200 per game. Passing Efficiency? Maybe, hopefully, but just about everybody who finished ahead of them last year should be as good or better in 2014, and now you’re also adding Maryland who should be able to throw a little bit.

Actual Results to Date:

It’s hard to be in the top ten when you have a game with only one pass completion, but despite that we are close, if by close you only look at the Big Ten Season. Overall we rank dead last but in just the Big Ten season we rank #11.

	Rank	Games	Comp	Att	Int	Pct.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Avg./G
Season	14	6	54	103	6	52.4	719	7.0	4	119.8
Big 10	11	2	24	38	1	63.2	320	8.4	1	160.0

Michigan (12), Indiana (13), and Wisconsin (14) are all behind us in the Big 10 and we are only 1.7 yards behind Purdue. If you just look at percentage, Minnesota is in 2^nd (Big Ten play only) with only Ohio State (79.2%) ahead of us and with 4 teams completing less than 50% of their passes (again, Big Ten play only); so maybe we got a trend. I’m going to give us, the TDG staff, a D+ but the professor believes we can pull ourselves up with a strong second half. I would give the team a C- but with things looking up.

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Who will lead the Gopher’s defense in Tackles?

Predictions:

7 votes for Damien Wilson, 1 vote for De’Vondre Campbell.

Actual Results to Date:

Not bad choices. #5 Damien Wilson (LB – SR) does in fact lead the Gophers with 32 solo tackles, 34 assists, and 4-5 tackles for a loss (TFL) including 1.5 sacks. Campbell comes in second with 22-31-1-0 respectively. I would have to give the TDG writers an A- on this one with the team getting an B+ (A- if not for that TCU game).

Axe, Pig, Jug. Which of these trophies are back in the case at the end of the year?

Predictions:

TDG Staff Predictions:

• · Pig and Axe: 3 votes
• · Pig only: 3 votes
• · Axe only: 1 vote
• · All three: 1 vote

TDG Reader Predictions (Don’t think you guys are off the hook):

• · Jug Only: 5%
• · Pig Only: 15%
• · Axe Only: 3%
• · Jug & Pig: 29%
• · Jug & Axe: 7%
• · Pig & Axe: 13%
• · All three: 29%

Actual Results to Date:

Failing grade for the TDG Staff at this point, only Hipster Gopher predicted we’d have the Jug (he said we would have all three). Our readers are a lot wiser with 69% still in the running. Our readers get a C while the Gophers get an A.

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FB201 – Study of Past Enjoyment

In this class, which is an audit only course, we list what games we enjoyed the most. Please note that I may have confused by who said what. Hipster may not have been the drunk one, it may have been me.

	1	2	3	4	5	6
GoAU	@MI	NW	MTSU	SJSU	@TCU	EIU
Matt	@MI	NW	MTSU	SJSU	EIU	@TCU
PW	@MI	NW	SJSU	MTSU	EIU	@TCU
GG05	@MI	NW	SJSU	MTSU	EIU	@TCU
Hip	@MI	NW	SJSU	MTSU	EIU	@TCU
Nor	@MI	NW	SJSU	MTSU	EIU	@TCU

Best Game: Michigan

The Jug, although Pucketwept said "jugs" so he may have been distracted by something else. Hipster enjoyed sitting behind two Michigan fan at a bar and watching them get more and more disgruntled. I enjoyed actually getting to watch a game at home (no cable/satellite for me). I missed most of the 4^th quarter as I was also hosting a dinner party but I made sure to get downstairs for the end of the game. Beautiful, just beautiful. Matt said what we are all thinking; "we kicked the shit out of the Wolverines. In Ann Arbor." Enough said.

Runner UP: Northwestern

Matt liked that some rival bloggers got humbled (¯\_(ツ)_/¯).  Gopherguy thoughts were of a similar vein, he said "stats are for winners." Pucketwept enjoyed this because he was drinking Malbec and eating a delicious Argentine inspired breakfast. Hipster again liked putting nerds in their place. GoAUpher went to obvious route stating that he liked something about one of the kickoff returns. I loved the fact that the fans stayed until the end.

Best Non Rev: SJSU

Pucketwept was able to explain the zone read to four people because the Gophers ran nothing else. Others enjoyed all of the running but I was disappointed that they bothered to complete a pass.

Non-Rev: MTSU

Many TDG writers don’t actually remember this game while Matt says that the "first half was the most dominant I’ve seen the Gophers play in maybe a decade." Matt does not remember the second half.

Eh Award: EIU

Per Matt (he’s quite wordy this week) this was "the most epic struggle of a team that was up 35-0 in the fourth quarter I’ve ever watched." Others said "eh." See below for GoAUpher’s thoughts.

Worst Game: TCU

I wonder why this game came in last. Gopherguy05 got off lucky as he was at a wedding. The only reason GoAUpher ranked this above EIU is because the bar tender got him sick during the EIU game.

via twitter.com/GopherFootball/media

FB202 – Predicting Future Enjoyment

In this class, which is an audit only course, we list what games we are most looking forward to. Again, please note that I may have confused by who said what. Hipster may not have been the drunk one, it may have been the artist formerly known as Norsk_Gopher.

	1	2	3	4	5	6
GoAU	@WI	IA	NEB	PUR	OSU	IL
Matt	@WI	IA	NEB	OSU	PUR	IL
PW	@WI	IA	NEB	OSU	Redacted	IL
GG05	@WI	IA	NEB	PUR	OSU	IL
Hip	@WI	IA	NEB	OSU	PUR	IL
Nor	@WI	IA	OSU	NEB	PUR	IL

Most Anticipated Game: Wisconsin

The Axe and Hate. I would also add overall series record. Wisconsin, just keep up the fine work you are doing and everything’s going to be ok. Hipster is drunk.

Runner UP: Iowa

The Pig and who hates Iowa? We hate Iowa. Should be a game of 7-1 teams. GoAUpher reminds us that this is the TDG tailgate! Hipster is drunk.

Passing Grade: Nebraska

GoAUpher & GopherGuy05 will be representing us in Lincoln, hopefully GopherGuy05 will watch the game and not be distracted by grilled wings.. Hipster will be drunk, but maybe in Lincoln. Matt says that Nebraska will be salty after last year, I say this will be a statement win if the Gophers pull it off.

There’s a Chance: Ohio State

Not the game I want to win the most but "oh my gosh you guys!!!" It is also the last chance we get to see our Gophers at home this year but as it is the only home game I wont be attending, let it be so, so very cold! Do we have to turn on the heating coils? GoAUpher believes in miracles.

Do/Don’t: Purdue

Per Matt, "they aren’t Illinois." Pucketwept hasn’t been paying attention to current events (or at least Hammer & Rails) as he still thinks they are redacted. GopherGuy05 thinks this could be a blowout and GoAUpher is just happy that he will be in attendance, his first game of the year. That’s his own fault as when he was asked if he was willing to relocate he said yes (not, you only have to say yes if someone asks you if you are a god). No one cares (or at least commented about it) that this is homecoming.

Ugh: Illinois

Per Matt, "they are." GopherGuy05 says "it’s a TRAP" while Hipster thinks it will be a relaxing Saturday. I wonder who their coach will be next year.

via twitter.com/GopherFootball/media

FB301 – Painting by Numbers in the Style of Scores

In this class, we exam scoring and give quarterly grades. This is not Matt levels stats, most likely not InsideNU levels stats either.

Raw Data

	EIU	MTSU	TCU	SJSU	MI	NW	Total
MN – 1st	7	7	0	10	0	7	31
Opp – 1st	0	0	10	7	0	0	17
MN – 2nd	7	21	0	7	10	7	52
Opp – 2nd	0	0	14	0	7	10	31
MN – 3rd	7	7	0	0	17	0	31
Opp – 3rd	0	17	6	0	0	0	23
MN – 4th	21	0	7	7	3	10	48
Opp – 4th	20	7	0	0	7	7	41

Minnesota has scored a total of 162 points (27 ppg) while opponents have scored 12 points (18.7 ppg). Per ESPN, this is could for 86^th (points for) and 15^th (points against) in the nation.

Graph Form

Not that this will add anything to the conversation, but let’s look at this in graph form.

Grades

	1st Qtr	2nd Qtr	3rd Qtr	4th Qtr	Overall
Offense	B-	B+	C+	B	B-
Defense	A-	B-	B+	B+	A-

What? These grades make no sense? Detention for you for questioning teacher! I’m giving the defense a B+ in the 4^th despite of the total due to EIU being a fluke and BS.

FB302 – Irreverent Totals

A look at some year to date numbers that don’t really mean anything without context. From the NCAA.

Numbers

Passing Yards (per game)	119.8 (124th)
Rushing Yards (per game)	212 (30th)
Field Goal %	71.4
XP %	100
TO Margin	+6 (15th)
ToP	188 min (31 avg, 38th)
3rd Down Conversion (Off)	39.2% (82nd)
3rd Down Conversion (Def)	38.7% (65th)
4th Down Conversion (Off)	100% (1st)
4th Down Conversion (Def)	63.6% (90th)
Net Punting	37.56 (68th)
Sacks Allowed	8 (1.3 avg, 26th)
TFL Allowed	31 (5.17 avg, 43rd)

Grade

None, the class was canceled for not having a clear syllabus.

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FB401L – Participation Lab

Awards so far.

The Jug

Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week: David Cobb (September 8^th, MTSU)

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week: Damien Wilson (October 12^th, NW)

Big Ten Special Team Player of the Week: Jalen Myrick (October 12^th, NW)

Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Chris Streveler (September 22^nd, SJSU)

Minnesota is the only Big Ten team to earn player of the week honors in each category.

via twitter.com/GopherFootball/media

FB402L – Watch List

David Cobb is on the Maxwell and Chuck Bednarik Award watch list.

Maxx Williams is on the John Mackey Award watch list.

The Pig – Who HATES Iowa? Floyd does, he wants to come home.

The Ax – The Badgers are no lumberjacks, the only thing safe in the forest are the trees!

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FB501 – The Joy of Highlights

Sit back and enjoy.

Official 2014 Minnesota Gopher Football Intro

EIU Highlights

MTSU Highlights

TCU Highlights?

SJSU Highlights

Michigan Highlights - JUG!!!!!

Northwestern Highlights - Stats are for Winners, Not Nerds!

Hope you enjoyed the season so far and the season to come!