A break from the usual format after an ugly loss
I can’t believe this is coming from me, but I’m going to try and be the voice of reason.
But first, I want to be clear: Saturday sucked. Losing to Rutgers sucks.
Minnesota did not play well. The offensive line was atrocious, and their performance had a ripple effect on the rest of the offense. The Gophers were never able to establish a ground game, which put all the pressure on Max Brosmer. He was not sharp and was constantly under pressure. The Minnesota defense was completely out-schemed and outplayed in the first half. They regrouped at halftime, but the Jameson Geers fumble was a disaster that opened the floodgates.
And I hate being on the wrong end of a revenge game. I did not want to lose to Athan Kaliakmanis. I did not want to see Kirk Ciarrocca work his bye week magic on his former team.
The loss also snaps the Gophers’ momentum. They could have gone into the bye week on a five-game winning streak. Instead, they have to lick their wounds and try to avoid a three-game losing streak to end the regular season. And they’ve got No. 6-ranked Penn State coming to town before Minnesota has to play rival Wisconsin on a short week.
Saturday was an irritating loss, but not a death knell, at least for me personally.
Here is why:
- Rutgers is not a bad team. In the new 18-team Big Ten, it is going to be very difficult to separate the good from the bad. Look at the standings right now: Two teams are 4-3 in conference play, two are 3-3, three are 3-4, and four are 2-4. That is 11 teams with at least three conference losses, and that’s not even including this season’s bottom feeders (USC, Maryland, and Purdue). The middle of the Big Ten is a muddle.
- It is difficult to win on the road in the Big Ten. Minnesota dropped to 2-2 on the road in conference play this season. This season, Big Ten road teams are 22-36 in conference games. Just last week, Big Ten road teams were 0-6.
- Losing winnable games is not exclusive to Minnesota. Earlier this season, No. 8-ranked Notre Dame lost at home to a Northern Illinois team that is now 5-4. No. 6-ranked Tennessee lost to an Arkansas team that is also now 5-4. No. 16-ranked Ole Miss lost to a Kentucky team that is 3-6 currently. Beating the teams that you should beat is easier said than done, even for elite programs. And Minnesota is not an elite program. I know we’ve all pulled our hair out over losses to the likes of Bowling Green (2021), Purdue (2022), and Illinois (2023), but they’re going to continue to happen. It’s a feature of college football, not a bug.
I’m not trying to make excuses for the loss. I’m just trying to be even-keeled.
This team still has meaningful games left. They have an opportunity to upset a Top 10 team at home and re-take Paul Bunyan’s Axe the following week. I realize you may not be feeling particularly optimistic about their chances in those games at the moment, but I don’t recall very many people optimistic about Minnesota’s chances after their 2-3 start to the season.
P.J. Fleck urged fans not to give up on the team then — and he was right.
Let’s not give up on them now.
Be sure to follow us on Bluesky! You can find us at thedailygopher.bsky.social.