Fan Status: Sub-Casual

Once upon a time I was one of the most rabid Golden Gopher football fans around.  When Brewster initiated the Victory Walk, I could identify 95% of the players and coaches including walk-ons and grad assistants as they walked by.  I knew where they went to HS, their current position on the depth chart, their prior stops along the coaching trail, etc.  I would DVR the games and watch them a handful of times until the next season began.  That superfan is dead and I'm trying to pinpoint where I went astray.


Even though the 2007 season was painful to watch I felt like there was progress being made on the field and certainly on the recruiting trail.  The first half of 2008 felt great and then the bottom fell out.  I blamed it on not having enough depth to rest the starters, but eventually the improved incoming recruiting classes would resolve that.


The warning signs started in 2009 when I stopped caring about making it to the Victory Walk.  It didn't seem like the players cared if the fans were there or not so why should I care?  I felt like we were becoming a competitive B1G team beating MSU, Purdue and NU and a close loss to that team to the east.  It was tough to accept a loss to an awful Illinois team and even tougher when the mighty jackrabbits came to town and almost beat the Gophers.  Two poor offensive performances against the two Iowa schools didn't help my outlook either.

So not looking forward to watching the game on TV this weekend

I totally forgot about the worst fucking cheer in all of CFB.  The Boiler Up.  It's amazing that more people don't shoot themselves in the face when having to be subjected to hearing this at Purdue home games.  I will never go to a game at Ross-Ade Stadium.  Never.  I might put that on my tombstone.  "He never heard Boiler Up in person"

Play better this weekend boys!  The health of my face depends on it...

I really wanted to write something this week...

I know I've been away for a while but I've had an itch to post something, anything really, for a while now.  But when all you have to say is the same tired, negative thing as you said the last week and the week before then it takes the fight out of you.  Why subject Gopher fans to what I'm experiencing in my head?  It's bad enough that I have to suffer through that.

I wanted to write something that basically said I still support the Gophers despite the tough times we are all experiencing right now.  But every time my fingers stroke the keyboard it ends up some kind of scathing rant which isn't going help anything.  Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow? 

I was going to do some CFB point spread analysis this season, but consciously trying not to think about the blog made me forget about it.  I'll focus my efforts there and maybe I can have fun that way...

Week 5 lines - first thoughts:

Minnesota at Purdue (-10.5) - 48.5 o/u and a 10.5 pt spread means a 29-19 game.  The Purdue O has really been struggling to execute on Saturdays.  Does going up against the Gophers give a boost of confidence or do their woes continue?  I'm going to say somewhere in between.  It seems that everyone is writing off the Gophers at this point in time.  Are people forgetting that Purdue got thrashed by ND 10-38 last week and also have a 22-24 loss to Rice on their resume?  The 27-24 W over MTSU is essentially the equivalent of our W over MiamiOH.  I think we are fairly evenly matched this week.  This is the real litmus test for the Gophers this week.  If they have any pride they will step up and keep this game at least at within one score.  If there is no pride and Kill has lost the talented senior class (it happens to many new coaches around the country) then we could be in for another long Saturday.  I'm leaning towards the Gophers at this point in time.

Drunken Ramblings

Chicken fingers, mozz sticks and choclaote milk is pure heaven afte ra night of drinking.


This may be the booze but I'm kinda not so down on Kills' recritnig class right now.  Wr'll see come Dec or jan.

THe stansd are gonna be full of Husker fans this year.  Watch craigslsit for Miamioh tix at a huge discount.

Women tht get drunk on Wedesday nights want my digits.  Chuby girlslove them some tall skinny guys.

If you see a rock walkingg across the roard just let it be

I'm gonna start my own recor dlabel called crushin hotties from youtube.

Thank you 4square for lettin me know where my exes are so I'm not in thos eplaces

The NFL is back in business.  THat blows.

It kinda feels good to post again after such a long time away.

Jonah Pirsig is gonna be a freakin Hawkeye.  total specualtion.  Hope you enjoy your rahbdo!

UNCLE finally fired Butchie.  No shocker there

The Still Too Early Recruiting Update

I know that I haven't bought into Jerry Kill as the U's football coach yet.  There's something that just doesn't feel right to me.  I suppose it's all those years of optimism under a new regime followed by the disappointment of realizing that the program is still not ready for prime time.  Lather.  Rinse.  Repeat.

I've been loosly following the Gopher recruiting efforts since national signing day.  I say loosely because the three month stretch from mid March to mid June was boring as shit.  But now the Gophers coaches have planted some seeds during the early evaluation period and are starting to bear some fruit.It seemed that Coach Kill was off to a decent start on the recruiting trail back in March, getting a verbal from a Rivals 4* recruit in Andre McDonald and a QB that many thought would be wearing Badger Red.  Toss in Brian Williams' son at TE and it wasn't a bad start.  Fast forward 3 months and now we're starting to see why it's nice to have Coach Miller on staff as he is finding some success down in South Florida landing LB Josh Ballesteros (over a W Mich offer) and DB Dinero Moss (over offers from U Conn, New Mexico, NIU and FIU) and has the Gophs in a decent position for DL/LB Barrington Morris, DB Dion Witty and DT Jean-Marc Charles.  We also have Isaac Fruechte, a JUCO WR from RCTC as a verbal and lead for WR Jamel Harbison. 

What, me nervous?!?!?

The popcorn bowl is empty and my finger nails are starting to look awfully tasty.  Was it due to the Memorial Day family movie marathon?  Nope.  I've been sitting back and watching how well the new Gopher football staff recruits and their approach.  In retrospect, I think I'd rather watch paint dry.

This staff is willing to sell the program to recruits based on what it is and the success that the staff has had in the past.  To allow Minnesota's name sell itself seems foolish.  Yes, it's a B1G school, which is great.  But it hasn't had a winning tradition since the Nixon administration.  There are 11 other schools that can claim B1G status as well and they have more recent experience or something a little more "sexy" to offer at this time.  We're losing recruiting battles right now to those other schools, including Kevin Wilson's Hoosiers which is something I never thought I would say.  Yes, the staff has experienced success at each stop they have made but winning the MAC East isn't really that exciting when compared to lacing em up in Ann Arbor, wearing red and playing in Pasadena in 2012, pumping roids in Iowa City or driving around in an Escalade you didn't have to pay for in Columbus.

There is no sizzle to the staff's meat and potatoes approach.  I think Thomas Hammock, could have been that sizzle but he saw that he wasn't going to be a good fit for this staff and took his services across the river.

Predictions:
1. Toledo (a MAC program) will be rated higher in the 2011 class recruiting rankings than Minnesota
2. Kill either leaves the U to be the KSU/KU coach in December 2012 or he's fired December 2016.
3. Summer camp 2011 is a bust and we get verbals from 5 recruits from MN/WI/IL that nobody else wants.

Am I nervous for the Gopher program?  You could say that.

Glen Mason- Justifiable Homicide?

I’ve never been confused for a Robert Bruininks / Joel Maturi lover.  When writing about blaming Bruininks for the slide in high profile sports, it got me reminiscing about Glen Mason, in a good way.  I remember being really frustrated with the Gophers in 2006 (especially the NDSU escape) but now I find myself pining for his return, much like you might think about an ex-girlfriend. 

You know that there are reasons why she is an ex, but you remember all the good things and compare her to subsequent girlfriends.  Yeah, she nagged me about my clothes and how I didn't take her out enough but man she was better in the sack than the other girls I've been with.  You have that mental image of the best picture she ever took with you as being how she looked back then.  She hung out with you and your boys at the clubs, pool halls, the beach, etc. You remember her for the good things and don't dwell on the bad.  That's how I'm feeling about Mase right now.

The return won’t happen so I’ll just look back and ponder on if Mase really should have been let go and what the reasons for his dismissal were.

Remember When

Remember the good ole days of 2002 when Gopher sports were relevant? 

Football – team finished 8-5 and was the first of a 5 year run of postseason bowl games

Men’s Hoops – 19-14 (4^th place in the NIT) not great but considering the recent Haskins scandal it wasn’t so bad

Men’s Hockey – NCAA champions (also NCAA champs in 2003)

Wrestling - NCAA champions (also were NCAA champions in 2001 and 2007)

Men’s Baseball – made it to the NCAA tournament

Women’s Hoops – 25-6 12-4 in B1G; NCAA Sweet 16 (followed by a final 4 trip and another sweet 16)

Women’s Hockey – NCAA Frozen Four (NCAA champs in 2000, 2004, 2005)

Volleyball – 1^st in B1G; NCAA regional semifinal

Men’s Golf – NCAA champions

But look where we are 10 years later:

Blogging

It's a lot tougher than it looks.  You put pressure on yourself to constantly come out with new material for posts so people will think there is a reason to check your site on a semi-regular basis.  Something you think will be a worthwhile read to others and you have some decent ideas but rush through them so you can get on to the next thing.  It makes you feel shitty about what you're putting out there.

I have to give major props to blogs like The Daily Gopher, Down With Goldy and in particular Fringe Bowl Team.  A one man show that can keep people captivated is a tough task.  Good for you MV!

I'm thinkin about hangin it up for a while and see if it makes me feel any better.  Geezo Beezo may have the shortest lifespan of any Gopher Blog in history.  Or I might come back refreshed and in a better frame of mind.  Not wanting to write negative things (not that I have, which goes against what I wanted to do in the first place which is write what's on my mind) about the team that I love.

Or maybe I'll wake up feeling better tomorrow.  Who knows?

2011 NFL Draft and the BX

When it comes time for a recruit to sign his name on his letter of intent there are many factors that go into his choice.  The primary factor is the quality of football.  Whether it be the quality of the players he’ll go up against every day at practice or who he’ll face on Saturdays.  The best want to go up against the best, which is why the most highly recruited players don’t sign with TCU or Boise St.  Sure there are other factors such as proximity, educational opportunities, etc. but the ability to prepare a recruit for the NFL is huge.

Since the ability to get someone ready for the NFL is so important I’d like to take a look at how the BX has done in the past and where the reputation goes from here.

Initial Scout Rankings - Class of 2012

It's that time of year when the internet scouting sites decide to start revealing their opinion of who the best players in the nation are.  It seems a little early as not all the combines are done but I do understand the desire to get rankings out before the early evaluation period.

Once the early evaluation period happens there are many more offers extended and fans of lesser programs will exclaim that the rankings are just based on who has offered as opposed to independent evaluations.

The first rankings have been released from Scout, here's how they relate to Big Ten fans, but more specifically the Gophers:

Phillip Nelson QB #39
Jonah Pirsig OT #34
Nick Rallis OLB #44
Nick Davidson OT  #33 Eden Prairie transfer from NC
Andre McDonald WR - Gopher commit is unranked (Scout has ranked 79 WR so far)
Maxx WIlliams TE - Gopher commit is unranked (Scout has ranked  22 TE so far)

QB Recruiting Update - 4/3/11

Commitments

Luke Knott verballed to Iowa State over an offer from SDSU.  This is the 2^nd QB commit for ISU this cycle.

Clayton Nicholas (TX) got his first offer from TT and jumped all over it

QB Recruitment Updates

Zeke Pike took an unofficial visit to Michigan, which is a very good sign for the Wolverines.  I’d be surprised if Michigan didn’t make Pike’s top 10 whenever he decides to pare down his offer list.  They are still hot after Maty Mauk and Gunner Kiel as well.  Pike also took a visit to LSU.

MSU QB Joe Boisture is hanging ‘em up due to back problems.  This probably explains why MSU now wants to bring in two QBs this cycle.  They just had an unofficial visitor in PA QB Blake Rankin who sports an offer from Rutgers.

The Big Board 2011.1

Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football programs.  Schools that can't recruit stay marred in mediocrity, while those that consistently bring in talent find themselves competing year in and year out.   There are several different ways of compiling the best class you can. 

Tim Brewster used to hand out scholarship offers like they were Minnesota Lynx tickets, using the throw a bunch of shit against the wall and see what sticks method.  This method can work because while there are limited number of recruits that want to become a Gopher you are trying to contact as many of those kids as you can.  It’s a numbers game, the more you contact the better chance you have at scoring.

Jerry Kill is the complete opposite, where you’ll have to pry a scholarship from Jerry’s cold, dead fingers.  Kill is trying to establish a relationship with the kids he brings in and wants to make sure that they are a fit athletically, academically and socially.  The theory that Kill uses is he tries to make a Gopher offer more valuable by limiting the number that are issued, much like currency.  Kill wants to see players at camp, junior days, spring practice, etc. to get to know them before issuing an offer.

The following list are the players that have a standing Minnesota scholarship offer for the 17 recruits openings we have this cycle.  They are ranked in order of how excited I would be if they gave a verbal commitment to the Gophers today. 

Jerry Kill Stock Watch 1.0

Anyone who has been a fan of the Golden Gopher football team the last 40 years knows that the head coach position has been a revolving door of unsuccessful candidates.  Some coaches take one spin and others just go around in circles for what seems like forever.  Regardless of the length of the ride, the coaches leave Dinkytown with their tail between the legs for one reason or another.

With that in mind I thought I'd do a Stock Watch on the tradable commodity that is Jerry Kill.  I'll adjust his stock value based on team competitiveness, win/loss record, recruiting, staff retention/replacements and to a lesser degree, fan chatter.

I figure that the max the stock can valued at is 100 where Kill just won the BCS Championship game and is named Gopher Coach For Life all the way down to 0 which is where Tim Brewster found himself last fall.  Here are the in between values:

3/27/11 BX Recruiting Update

Commitments

Caleb Stacy (OG, OH) has verballed to Michigan over offers from WV, BC, ILL, WF, Indy, Cincy and NCST and a handful of MAC offers.

Brent Wilkerson (DE, MD) verballed to PSU over 18 other offers from the likes of Neb, Mich, Clemson, WV, MSU UNC, SCAR, Iowa and Louisville among others

Ben Braden (OL, MI) decided to pull the trigger on Michigan much like I suspected last week.

Camren Williams (MLB, MA) chose PSU over Mich, UNC, BC, Mizzou, Virg, Vandy, Mary, U Conn, U Mass

The Wisconsin running game gets a little stronger as Vonte Jackson pulled the trigger on Wisconsin.

News

The state of Minnesota class of 2012 just got a little bit stronger as the new Viking OL coach Jeff Davidson is bring his son with him from Charlotte.  A 6-7 270 pound son that is on the Rivals 250 watchlist and already has offers from Clemson, VT, WV, SCAR, UNC, tU, NCST, Stan, Mary and Duke.  Minnesota actually seems like it could be a viable option that this point so let’s keep our fingers crossed.

2011 Predictions

5. A 2^nd year coach will be fired. There were plenty of dud hires last year.  Turner Gill had a rough year at KU, Rob Ianello barely got a single victory at Akron, Derek Dooley’s Volunteer squad was no match the the good SEC teams, Dan Enos didn’t live up to the lofty expectations that Butch Jones and Brian Kelly set, Bobby Hauck really tanked at UNLV and Brian Kelly put himself, and a student videographer, in harm’s way with a horrific accident at a ND practice last year.

4. The trophy case won’t be bare.  The Gophers are gonna beat somebody they aren’t supposed to.  My guess is that it will be Iowa, but seizing the Axe or LBJ would be even sweeter.  The Governor’s Victory Bell would just mean we beat PSU, which is much cooler than having possession of the Governor’s Victory Bell.

3. Expansion isn’t over. It starts with the Big East looking to convince Villanova to become a FBS program.  Then they set their sights on B12 North programs that are still feeling mighty exposed even though Texas is allowing them to be a part of their conference.If the B12 programs don’t bite then UCF would jump at the chance.  If KU, KSU, ISU or Mizzou do jump on a Big East offer then it’s open game on the rest of the non-Longhorn programs.  The SEC could revisit their interest in Texas A&M and Oklahoma.  The BX could cherry pick two more schools (although it would probably have to include ND)  You have to feel uneasy if you are a fan of a program not in the SEC, BX or P12.

2. Red Reign.  Nebraska suddenly has access to BX type cash and their football program becomes even more powerful.  Add in the fact that they have been invited to enter homes nationwide due to the BX ESPN  / BTN contracts and will not be overshadowed by Texas and Oklahoma.  Factor in the problems occurring in Columbus and I think Nebraska will enjoy a decade long romp through the BX (ala tOSU in the 00’s) starting in 2011.

1. Paralysis by Overanalysis.  I can’t speak for anyone else but I tend to get swept up in the April / August media positivity towards the Gophers.  There have always been plenty of articles stating what the problem was last year and now we have taken the steps to fix those problems.  When Gopher fans refer to the media negativity from the local fish wraps, it is geared towards the columnists who really don’t opine on the Gophers until the season starts.  Until then it’s a healthy dose of Marcus Fuller and Phil Miller with their daily feel good story about the Gophers.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to read nice things about the Gophers but I think it alters my prediction of how I think the Gophers are going to do.  So I’m going to project the 2011 BX Standings now and then do it again this fall and see if they vary much and if they do which one is more accurate, the one with more info or the one with less.

Projected Standings

Nebraska 12-1 (7-1) Fiesta Bowl

Penn State 9-4 (6-2) Rose Bowl

Ohio State 9-3 (6-2) Outback Bowl

Michigan State 9-3 (5-3) Gator Bowl

Illinois 9-3 (5-3) Texas Bowl

Wisconsin 8-4 (5-3) Capital One Bowl

Northwestern 6-6 (5-3) TicketCity Bowl

Iowa 8-4 (4-4) Insight Bowl

Michigan 5-7 (2-6)

Minnesota 5-7 (2-6)

Indiana 5-7 (1-7)

Purdue 4-8 (1-7)

2010 Lessons Learned

5. Cut and Run.  When you start to see the cracks in a coach’s armor, it is time to cut ties.  Joel Maturi did the right thing letting Mase go when he realized that his team had given up on him at the Debacle Bowl.  Michigan AD Dave Brandon did the right thing when it seemed that nobody at UM wanted to embrace Rich Rod and his reluctance to do things the Michigan way.  I realized right after the near escape from South Dakota State that the Gophers were not going to get where they wanted to go.  But then Joel Maturi extended Brew to save what was not a great recruiting class.  Did we really think that Minnesota would not be able to continue on without players like Josh Tauaefa?  The real gets like Jimmy Gjere, Lamonte Edwards probably would have come to Minnesota regardless of who the coach was.

Recruiting Around the BX

The foggy haze of St. Patty’s day has lifted, the second weekend of the NCAA tourney is about to begin, spring ball starts tomorrow and the early evaluation period is just around the corner.  Jerry Kill has been active on the recruiting trail netting verbal commitments from three home grown talents, WR Andre McDonald (a Rivals 250 to watch lister that also had offers from Iowa, MSU and Illinois), QB Philip Nelson and TE Maxx Williams.  A 4th (Nick Rallis) is unconfirmed as nobody knows if he has an offer or not.

Coach Kill isn’t the only one gaining early commitments.  Here’s an early look at the class of 2012 recruiting around the BX:

QB Recruiting Update

The QB recruiting process plays on although it is still in its early stages.  We’re just starting combine season and the Elite 11 camps have begun as well.  There haven’t been any major developments this week but I thought I’d give a little update on the QB’s.

The All-BX teams - The Last 5 Years

Holy slack job Batman!  I’ve let entirely too much time pass by without posting anything.  I was doing some research and planning on comparing all of the major internet scouting services and seeing who does the better job of projecting who will be a good college football player.  I was also kicking around an element of comparing the rankings to the offer lists of the all BX football players.  But that takes time and I am realizing that it is a really long post.  So I guess I’ll have to break it down some.

The last five years of all BX players (coaches poll, who cares about the press) presents some numbers that really shouldn’t surprise anyone like Ohio State has more players on this list than anyone else and NW, Indy and Minnesota have fewer than most.  Also as your number of all BX players increases, so do the number of BX wins.

Spring Practice - 10 Things to Watch

The Golden Gophers start spring practice next week and look to carry the momentum of a two game winning streak to close the 2010 season into their spring workouts.  The Gophers are the last team to start workouts among BX schools.  The workouts are open to the public and culminate with a controlled scrimmage in lieu of a spring game on April 23 at TCF Bank Stadium.  There are plenty of things to watch for in the coming weeks.

BX QB Recruiting

The quarterback is the most important position on a football team.  When the ball is snapped their action are the focal point for three to seven seconds.  They are the leaders and face of the program.  They are also the lynchpin to recruiting success.

All offensive recruits want to know who their QB is going to be.  This is the guy who is going to put them in the right formations, call the right play and lead their team to victory.  If you can land a great QB you are likely to see him pull in a great class with him.  QB recruiting is so important that almost every program tries to wrap up their QB before they really get going on their other positions.

There are many different approaches to recruiting your QB.  Some schools recruit only one per year where others bring in two.  Some schools send out a ton of offers and others are very selective about whom they offer.  Some programs like to have a pro-style QB and others like a dual threat QB or they might bring in one of each.  Some schools swing for the fences and try to land an elite QB while others are satisfied with bringing in a lesser talented but easier to land prospects.  A QB can live anywhere and be get recruited.  I know that Minnesota isn’t a regular stop for Miami (FL) and FSU but that didn’t stop them from landing a couple Walshes, Chris Weinke and Joe Mauer back in the day.

The QB recruits themselves also want to get their decision made sooner than the other positions because they want the opportunity to choose the program that they feel will best showcase the abilities.  This means that not every program is right for every recruit.  It’s like a game of musical chairs but there are many more recruits than there are FBS scholarships available on an annual basis.  Offensive philosophies are important but so is the QB coach, the depth chart, the competition you face and the kind of exposure the school can give the recruit.

Looking Back: Ranking the Class of 2009

Yesterday I looked back at the rankings I had for Tim Brewster’s class of 2008 and today I revist the Class of 2009

The Class of 2009

1.      Hayo Carpenter – 5* JUCO WR this ultra-productive WR could be a fantastic complement to Eric Decker.  I am really excited for Hayo to come aboard

2.      Ra’shede Hageman – 3* UA All-American TE chose the Gophers over offers from TOSU, Fla and Oklahoma

3.      Michael Carter – 4* Army All-American CB had offers from Florida, Texas, FSU, Georgia and Auburn

4.      Hasan Lipscomb – 4* RB had offers from LSU, Texas A&M and Nebraska

5.      Josh Campion – 3* OT verballed shortly after receiving his written offer on September 1 of his junior year.  Good bloodlines as his brother played in the NFL

Looking Back - Ranking the Class of 2008

I was looking back at some of the prior rankings I had for Tim Brewster’s classes (I really don’t count 2007 as a Brewster class) and it was interesting to see what I was thinking at the time.  This is how I was expecting the players to perform just after signing day 2008.

The Class of 2008

1.      Marquise Gray – 4* QB Army All-American, Indy Nike Camp co-MVP and was an Elite 11 QB invitee but Indiana HS rules prohibited him from participating

2.      Simoni Lawrence – 3* S JUCO was tabbed early on as the #1 defensive recruit for the Gophers

3.      Tramaine Brock – 3* S JUCO has good speed and a nose for the ballalong with SEC offers

4.      Keanon Cooper – 4* S UA All-American is a great athlete who can play at either safety position and possibly at WLB

5.      Brandon Green – 4* WR was on the Rivals & Scout 100 teams in March 2007 and is a playmaker

Abbreviations & Nicknames

Looking back at what I've written in the last couple of weeks...its been pretty dry and recruiting centric.  Both qualities that I didn't have in mind when I started.  Maybe it's time for something a little more fun.


It can be kind of boring to refer to everything by it's proper name or to spell everything out so you switch things up or shorten it.  Some things are easily translated like running back is RB, quarterback is QB, etc.


Here's a list of what I like to call some things:


Big Ten = BX
Big Ten Network = BTN
Junior college player = JUCO
college football = CFB
Jim Tressel = Evil Sweater Vest
Brady Hoke = Not Les Miles
Bo Pellini = Bobo
Joe Paterno = Joe Pa (somethings you just have to respect, like Joe Pa)
Kirk Ferentz = Captain Kirk
Brett Bielema = The Madtown Playboy