Minnesota’s No. 38 ranking won’t create a lot of headlines and the Gophers won’t appear on many AP preseason snub lists, especially when the USA Today Coaches Poll ranked them No. 40 a week earlier.

Doubts surrounding 2023 Gophers start on offense

There is sound reasoning behind the doubt being cast on this 2023 Gopher squad. To start, it’s worth remembering that the safe bet in the Big Ten West, for a decade since regional divisions were created, has been Wisconsin finishing in 1st and Iowa in 2nd. Even with others winning each of the last three years, it’s difficult to break old habits.

And remember, hundreds of media members vote in the AP Poll and most of them, both at the national and regional levels, cannot possibly understand or comprehend the changes they’ll see from the Gopher offense this season. In fact, some will be shocked at how often PJ Fleck and his co-offensive coordinators will rely on the right arm and decision-making skills of redshirt sophomore QB, Athan Kaliakmanis.

Up until now, Fleck has shown he knows one way to oversee an offense. Run the football and control the clock. That’s what he’s been known for as a head coach, even back to his Western Michigan days. So, when one of the best running backs in school history, Mohamed Ibrahim, leaves after four legendary seasons and there’s no comparable replacement, questions are to be expected.

Gophers now rank 126th nationally in pass attempts, ahead of only New Mexico State, New Mexico and the three service academies.

— chipscoggins (@chipscoggins) November 20, 2022

And if 2023 Gopher cynics check on QB Athan Kaliakmanis’ career boxscore, for more context on what to expect this year, they’ll only become more emboldened. Athan has thrown more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) in his only 5 starts, all of which came last season.

No more Mo, no more Tanner. Sophomore QB with an underwhelming handful of starts already under his belt taking over. Anyone without a microscope on Dinkytown would expect regression… and that’s before we get to the schedule.

They appear to have a VERY scary schedule too…

ESPN has the Gophers’ 2023 schedule ranked as the 4th most difficult in all of college football, according to their Football Power Index and, with five opponents in the AP preseason top-25 (including two in the top-3), we now know why.

There’s no escaping how difficult this slate looks, on paper. In all likelihood, we can assume they go 0-2 vs Ohio State and Michigan. Then, they still have North Carolina, Iowa and Wisconsin on the docket.

Worry less about the 2023 Minnesota Gophers offense.

So now we’ve seen why media, coaches and college football fans alike are down on Minnesota. But should they be? Let’s start with the concerns about the Gophers’ offensive unknowns.

For the same reasons that we listed above, regarding the departure of Mo Ibrahim and Tanner Morgan, I expect this year’s offense to be more explosive than any in its history. Yes, PJ Fleck has been a VERY stubborn football coach, when it comes to his offensive philosophy. But he is finally being forced into the future.

The Big Ten West will not be in existence next year. That means more games vs Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State and new in-conference rivalries vs incoming USC, UCLA and Oregon. A 1942 offensive game plan is not sustainable in the new Big Ten and Fleck knows it. So do the Badgers, who hired Luke Fickell away from Cincinnati because he’s one of the best offensive minds in the country.

That’s why, when Morgan and Ibrahim moved on, Fleck focused on providing the new center point of his offense, Athan Kaliakmanis, with a beefed up arsenal of weapons. The Gophers’ internal arms race starts with last year’s eventual WR1, Daniel Jackson, who went for 557 yards and 5 TD’s in 2022 and has looked good at fall camp.

Then, there’s the return of former WR1, Chris Autman-Bell, who’s expected to be active week 1 vs Nebraska, after blowing out his knee early in 2022. By season’s end, however, it could be two transfer portal wide receivers, Corey Crooms (Western Michigan) and Elijah Spencer (Charlotte), who emerge as the Gophers’ WR1 and/or WR2. Both were named to the preseason Biletnikoff Award Watch List, which is rewarded to the best wide receiver in the country at the end of each season.

Congrats @CroomsCorey & @EhSpence1 for being named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch list👏

🔗https://t.co/4TBV7sldlX pic.twitter.com/F7LCU0qYcJ

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) August 7, 2023

Late night play making🙌@EhSpence1 x @ctkramer5 pic.twitter.com/gJf9l6ARik

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) August 16, 2023

Yet at the end of the day, Athan’s most talented and reliable target could be one of the best receiving tight ends in the country, Brevyn Spann-Ford, a preseason All-Big Ten selection who undoubtedly would have been drafted in April, had he chosen to go pro. If Brevyn has a big season, he could be one of the top TEs off the board in April.

Athan Kaliakmanis is the key

But let’s get back to the quarterback, because he is the key to all of this. Sure, Athan Kaliakmanis doesn’t have a resume that sticks out, after appearing in 11 games in 2022. But I have covered the Gophers in-person for much of PJ Fleck’s tenure and I can say, without a doubt, Athan is the most talented QB Fleck has coached while in Dinkytown.

Athan is 6-4, 210 pounds and his right arm is a cannon. He throws well on the run and his legs are a legitimate threat defenses must account for, both as part of the planned run game and when he’s forced to scramble. Kaliakmanis was far from perfect last year but he got better as PJ took the shackles off and the season rolled on.

It seems people weren’t paying attention or have already forgotten what he did to Wisconsin in the final regular season game of 2022, when he threw for 319 yards and 2 touchdowns (0 INT).

Freshman QB @aajk_23 finished with 𝟑𝟏𝟗 yards passing & 𝐧𝐨 turnovers in @GopherFootball's 23-16 win at Wisconsin. 👏​

📍 @TIAA x #WinWithAPurpose pic.twitter.com/genYwL77EY

— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) November 27, 2022

So sure, neither Tanner Morgan nor Mohamed Ibrahim are Gophers in 2023. But, that’s not a bad thing. Fleck & Co have been forced to build around Athan Kaliakmanis and that will mean a lot more pass attempts and an offensive scheme that doesn’t look like it was constructed 75 years ago.

The Gophers’ revamped offense isn’t going to break air-raid passing records set by Drew Brees’ Boilermakers in the early 2000’s or Ryan Day’s attack with the Buckeyes. But it will catch fans, media and opposing teams across the Big Ten off-guard throughout the 2023 season and I expect Kaliakmanis to make them pay.

Chill out on the schedule difficulty…

Now, let’s talk about this very scary schedule everyone is talking about. Again, I’m not calling for Gopher upsets over the #2 and/or #3 ranked teams in the country, Michigan and Ohio State respectively. But are the West rival Badgers or Hawkeyes really going to live up to their preseason hype in 2023?

Let’s not forget, Wisconsin hit the reset button this offseason, hiring Luke Fickell from Cincinnati. Look, there’s no doubt the Badger fanbase should be excited about where their offense is about to go. Fickell is a great hire. But this is year 1. Even in the instant transfer portal age, new programs almost always start slower than anticipated.

Meanwhile, Iowa did nothing to improve their completely non-existent pass game, outside of bringing in Michigan back-up QB, Cade McNamara, and continue the nepotistic employment of Brian Ferentz, son of head coach Kirk Ferentz, as offensive coordinator. Even after the Hawkeyes ranked in the bottom-ten OF 129 FBS TEAMS last season, both in scoring offense (17.7 PPG) and yards gained (251.5 YPG).

I do not trust Fickell to turn the Wisconsin Badgers around in one season, when he’s not the one who recruited most of the team. And until the Iowa Hawkeyes move on from the Ferentz’, their football program will continue to decline. Sometimes, it’s just time to move on. At this point, Fleck’s inability to win vs Iowa is all in his own head.

Will the Minnesota Gophers win the Big Ten West in its final season of existence? I’ve been a Minnesota Sports fan far too long to call for anything like that. But there’s no doubt they will be better than advertised and suprise a lot of people throughout the next few months.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Because since then, Minnesota has won three-straight over Rutgers, Nebraska and Northwestern; and the Illini lost two of three in that same timeframe. Now suddenly, the Gophers find themselves in a four-way tie for first place atop the West.

Who is going to win the Big Ten West? pic.twitter.com/SRsa3VupVa

— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 13, 2022

Gophers Path to Big Ten West Supremacy

So the obvious questions must now be asked. What is the path for Minnesota? How likely is it that they actually come out on top of the division?

Well, the answer isn’t as complicated or unlikely as you might expect. PJ Fleck & Co do not hold their own destiny, yet. Still, their chances of playing in Indy in a few weeks are exponentially better and more plausible than before games kicked off yesterday.

First thing is first; the Gophers have to win out. That means victories over Iowa (home) and Wisconsin (away) to finish the season. Those wins, while simultaneously keeping Minnesota in the race, would eliminate the Hawkeyes and Badgers from contention.

That would leave Illinois and Purdue as the other two contenders. And both would have to find losses in one of their final two games, as well.

For you people looking for what has to happen for “X” Big Ten West team to win the West

Here’s all the scenarios with two weeks to go, courtesy of @WesleyJ_14 pic.twitter.com/dKCsinX3pK

— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) November 13, 2022

Can That Happen?

To recap, Minnesota must win both of their final two games, while Purdue and Illinois both lose one of their final two. Should those three things happen, the Gophers are heading to Indy to play in their first-ever Big Ten Championship game.

How likely is that to happen, you ask? Well, losing shouldn’t be a problem for the Illini, who faces #3 Michigan at the Big House next week. If Illinois pulls that one out (they won’t), they deserve the West.

Purdue, on the other hand, has a much easier path. The Boilermakers’ remaining schedule features conference bottom feeders, Northwestern and Indiana. And on paper, those should be Boiler victories.

But, as we’ve learned many times throughout this season, nothing is guaranteed in the Big Ten West. And while it’s difficult to imagine a Purdue loss vs Northwestern next week, it’s easier to see them losing at in-state rival, Indiana, to close the season.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The maroon and gold are 14.5 point favorites at home against the Illinois Fighting Illini. If they can dispose of Brett Bielema’s blue and orange, they’ll head to Iowa City next weekend with a 7-2 (5-1) record, a chance to take a stranglehold on the Big Ten West and possibly choke out the last hopes the Hawkeyes have at their second-ever West title.

Iowa needs to win out, including beating Minnesota, and hope Minnesota then beats Wisconsin. Minnesota and Wisconsin control their own destiny, and play each other. That’s the Big Ten West race, right?

— BiggerTen (@BiggerTen) November 2, 2021

Pump the breaks

But, if we learned anything from the Bowling Green loss earlier this year, it’s that point spreads in college football mean nothing. Fleck preaches his “one game season” approach as an exaggerated version of what every good sports (or life) coach has been teaching for decades.

Thinking about the future and losing focus on the present is a recipe for letdown. On Saturday, the Minnesota Gophers will lose to the Fighting Illini if they look ahead to next weekend vs Iowa. That’d be a bad look fresh off a new PJ Fleck contract extension.

Running on eggshells

There’s one other focus vs Illinois this weekend, beyond winning. The Minnesota offense relies on a lot of production out of its run game, which has worked out for PJ and many of his predecessors. But what happens when you lose three of your six running backs to injury and then another enters the transfer portal?

In Fleck’s case, you’re very glad the two freshmen backs remaining, Mar’Keise Irving and Ky Thomas, have the talent and maturity to perform at a high level, this early in their careers. Oh, and you try to protect them at all costs.

We know PJ and his offensive coordinator, Mike Sanford, prefer a bell cow back in their offense. But with just two guys remaining, plans might need to change. Even if it means moving some pieces around.

O Captain! LeCaptain! pic.twitter.com/lCMZkWT7Vw

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 31, 2021

That’s Derik LeCaptain, who the Gophers have converted from linebacker to running back because of their emergency situation. Defensive back, Jordan Nubin, has also joined the emergency crew in the RB room. LeCaptain proved, in that ridiculous run last week, that he’s up for the challenge. But, LeCaptain and Nubin aren’t the only relief the Minnesota coaching staff can provide Mar’Keise Irving and Ky Thomas vs Illinois or going forward.

More from Tanner Morgan

Using 5th-year senior quarterback, Tanner Morgan, more often has been a talker since the beginning of the season and I’ve written that blog way too many times. To Fleck’s credit, he hasn’t really needed Morgan to win him a game yet this season. But relying so much on the ground game has also proven fatal for the health of his backfield.

That may leave PJ and his staff with no other choice than to use Tanner Morgan’s arm more often, if not to defeat opponents, than at least in the hopes of keeping hits off of their running backs. He’s done it before but Tanner’s yet to prove he can be a consistent thrower since his record-breaking 2019.

P.J. Fleck said that having Tanner Morgan us like having another coach on the field! #gophers pic.twitter.com/wGkuyVpwWX

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) October 30, 2021

Wildcat help

The other QB who could help keep the running backs safe is Cole Kramer, who runs the wildcat offense. Usually when Kramer’s in the game, he keeps the ball in his hands. A few more opportunities for both quarterbacks could take a significant load off Thomas and Irving.

But winning is the #1 goal and I have no doubt Fleck and his staff will do what it takes to get a W at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday. Nothing else matters if the Minnesota Gophers go 0-1 in the Illinois Fighting Illini season.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Much like a surprise visit to Dairy Queen after a big 4th-grade flag football win, Gopher fans got a little dessert when their undefeated rivals to the south, the Iowa Hawkeyes, were routed by the Purdue Boilermakers. The defeathering was nationally televised on ABC.

That means the Hawkeyes (3-1) have the same number of Big Ten losses as the Gophers (2-1), though Minnesota is undefeated (2-0) against West teams, while Iowa is now 2-1. For some reason, victory drinks tonight in Dinkytown will taste just a little bit better.

PURDUE UPSETS NO. 2 IOWA, 24-7 ????

The Boilermakers snap the Hawkeyes’ 12-game win streak

David Bell: 11 REC, 240 YDS ???? pic.twitter.com/LW8ghQOtgE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 16, 2021

Picked off, Purdue.@BoilerFootball can really feel it, now, at No. 2 Iowa. pic.twitter.com/resddaN4Vy

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 16, 2021

Wild Wild West

The Big Ten West has been an absolute roller coaster so far in 2021. Many, myself included, counted the Gophers out when they lost to Bowling Green during non-conference play. Even in the West, where the gap between competition is smaller than ever, I didn’t think it was possible to lose vs an FCS team and recover to play in the Big Ten Championship.

But, it’s quite possible I doubted PJ Fleck when I shouldn’t have. If any team can recover from that type of devastating loss, it’s probably a Fleck-led team that rows through everything, no matter how rough the waters.

Don’t look up now, because it’s been just two games since that embarrassing L vs BGSU and the Minnesota Gophers are riding a two-game Big Ten West winning streak and sitting 2nd in the division standings. Just one Iowa loss away from a chance at the top spot.

Big Ten West standings as of Saturday evening ???? pic.twitter.com/h4aBroCnQE

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 16, 2021

Upcoming Schedule

Want some more good news? You’d might as well fill up on it because we all know how quickly karma swings in this state.

Minnesota’s upcoming schedule is one of the easiest in the Big Ten. Over the next three weeks, they will play all Big Ten bottom-dwellers. First the Gophers will welcome (4-2) Maryland Terrapins, whose record looks pretty good. But, they’ve played just two good teams on the season, losing 51-14 to Iowa and 66-17 to Ohio State a week later.

After the “Maryland Season”, PJ Fleck will take his team up to Chicago to play in (3-3) Northwestern’s empty Stadium before coming back to Minneapolis to play (2-5) Illinois. None of those games are sure victories but they’re matchups Minnesota should be favored in.

Iowa gets to think about their first loss over a bye, next week. They’ll take that negative energy out in Madison vs Wisconsin and in Evanston vs Northwestern the next two weeks after, before the Gophers and Hawkeyes meet at Kinnick Stadium on November 13. We’ll see where the standings shake out then.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Yes, the defense needs to tighten up, but this is an Ohio State offense with playmakers that anyone else in the Big Ten can only dream of.

Feel Good Weekend

After the game, Buckeyes Head Coach Ryan Day credited PJ Fleck and Minnesota for their complimentary football and called the Gophers “a really good team.” However, the reason Minnesota should feel optimistic isn’t thanks to the outcome from Thursday night or Coach Day applauding their effort. They should feel good after watching the rest of the Big Ten West flounder this weekend.

An uninspiring performance from Northwestern led to a 38-21 shellacking vs Michigan State. Wisconsin spit the bit vs Penn State, turning it over four times in their loss. And Scott Frost was only up 17-10 at half vs Fordham, before pulling away and winning big in the 2nd half. Iowa looked good vs Indiana so I’m going to hope that was more of a fluke while the rest of the games were closer to reality. This is my blog, not yours.

No matter, Minnesota should feel really good about where they are compared to the rest of the division.

#Gophers still in this game, even without Mo Ibrahim. No matter how this ends, clearly an improved team with a ton of experience. Will be a tough out in the Big Ten West.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) September 3, 2021

I know we all love to dunk on Wisconsin no matter what, but the #Gophers really needed them to lose in order to negate the OSU loss. Truly a best case scenario.

— Chelsea Breza-Berndt (@ChelseaBerndt) September 4, 2021

No Mo, No Problem

Mohamed Ibrahim left the Ohio State game in a boot which is never a good sign. He ended his night rushing for 163 yards and 2 TD’s. With the way Minnesota’s offensive line is built, I could average 2.5 yards per carry (Mo averaged 5.5). We saw Trey Potts run for 34 yards on 10 carries Thursday but he and Cam Wiley won’t be the only backs we see in Ibrahim’s absence. Minnesota’s running back room is one of their strongest, thanks to repeated success on the recruiting trail.

If Mo is indeed out for an extended period of time, I see the Gophers taking a 2019 San Francisco 49ers approach to their run game. A three-headed monster at running back complimented by a quarterback that isn’t asked to do too much but won’t make a lot of mistakes, either.

Tanner Garoppolo

Like Jimmy Garoppolo, Tanner Morgan doesn’t need to throw for 300 yards a game. He needs to take care of the ball, deliver accurate throws and understand when to take shots down the field. One of Trey Potts, Cam Wiley or Bryce Williams should be ready to step up and be Raheem Moster. The others will settle in as Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida.

This style of spreading the wealth and wearing down teams could end up being better than giving Ibrahim the ball 30 times, especially when looking at Minnesota’s future backfield. If Mo is indeed out, these backs are about to get a wealth of experience that only playing can give.

The Gophers will be fine without Ibrahim. RB has been a top-3 recruited position in PJ’s time and fans will be pleasantly surprised by the talent behind him.

I’m concerned about Mo. I was shocked he didn’t go pro after 2020. I wish he would’ve.

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 3, 2021

The Road Ahead

The month of October will be a crucial one for this Minnesota Gopher team. They’ll head to West Lafayette to face off vs Purdue. Then, they’ll come home for two against Nebraska and Maryland before visiting Northwestern to finish the month. Those are four games the Gophers should win.

If they can steamroll through the rest of September’s non-conference and win those October Big Ten matchups mentioned above, they’ll set themselves up for a November that will decide the Big Ten West. Iowa and Wisconsin will both be on the schedule and revenge will be on the minds of Minnesota faithful.

The Big Ten West is as open as it’s ever been. This year will fall in the disappointment category if the Gophers aren’t battling for a spot for the Big Ten Championship, come late November.

Stephen Strom | Minnesota Sports Fan

The 2021 college football season will mark the ten-year anniversary of the Big Ten conference splitting into two different divisions. For the first 3 years of the split (2011-13), divisions were dubbed the “Legends” (IA, MI, MIST, MN, NEB, NW) and “Leaders” (OHST, WI, IL, IN, PUR, PST).

Then before the 2014 season, after Maryland and Rutgers were bought into the conference, the powers that be decided a more traditional “West” and “East” setup was the better route moving forward. Seven seasons later, that remains how the Big Ten football conference is aligned.

East vs West

In the Big Ten East, you have current/former Big Ten power houses like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. The division is completed with Indiana, Michigan State, Maryland and Rutgers.

The West division has been dominated by Wisconsin since its inception. They hold four of the seven division titles. Northwestern is the defending West champ, however, just one season removed from winning in 2018. Iowa has the other divisional banner (2015). Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska bring up the rear.

How much better has the East been, since the conference split by geography in 2014? Well, the Big Ten West is yet to win a Big Ten Championship game. That’s right, all seven have gone in favor of the East.

The West division is 0-7 in Big Ten Championship bouts. If the CFP expands to 12 teams, losing that game won't (necessarily) kill a team's chances. pic.twitter.com/2QsisHMeUz

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) June 10, 2021

College Football Playoff Expansion

Today, it’s being reported that the College Football Playoff is on the brink of expansion. Currently a 4-team tournament, a committee off in some secret NCAA headquarters, is set to vote on an expansion to a 12-team format on June 17-18. If that secret committee decides to move the plan forward, they’ll present it to presidents and chancellors on June 22. All of this is via Heather Dinich (ESPN). This is a big deal. Here are some more details directly from her story.

The proposal calls for the bracket to include the six highest-ranked conference champions and the six remaining highest-ranked teams as determined by the CFP selection committee.

Under the proposal for a 12-team format, the four highest-ranked conference champions would be seeded 1-4 and receive a first-round bye. Teams 5-12 would play each other in the first round on the home field of the higher-ranked team. The quarterfinals and semifinals would be played in bowl games, and the national championship game would remain at a neutral site.

Heather Dinich (ESPN)

Things we don't know: If everyone will agree on it next week; if presidents and chancellors will approve it June 22; how bowls will factor in; when it will actually be implemented.

— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) June 10, 2021

Minnesota to the CFP?

To get an automatic bid, the Gophers would still have to break the West’s losing streak in B1G Championship games. But under this newly proposed format, the best power-five conferences are expected to receive a total of two or three invites per season.

That makes competing for a College Football National Championship at the end of a Minnesota Gophers season feels much more doable. Every year, the CFP committee will have to give a serious look at the Big Ten West champions, whether they beat the East champ that season or not.

No longer do the Gophers need to dethrone Ohio State for a spot in the CFP. If this twelve-team format were to be adopted, climbing to the top of the West would make anything is possible.

When would this take place?

The tournament’s expansion could be set in stone by September but wouldn’t be implemented for the 2021 postseason or 2022. The next two College Football Playoffs will continue with the four-team format.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Gopher football team is coming off a… less than impressive season. But still, there’s some optimism floating around town that this team can compete for a Big Ten West title in 2021. PJ Fleck is giving off a much more positive vibe than what he’s displayed in off-seasons past and youth certainly won’t be an excuse he can rely on.

So, I’ve written FIVE different reasons why the Gophers CAN win the Big Ten West this season. For the record, this isn’t me picking Minnesota to finish on top of Wisconsin, Iowa and the rest of the West-Siders. But if you want to believe, here are five legitimate legs for you to stand on.

1.) Tanner Morgan has seen it all

2020 Tanner Morgan wasn’t as good as 2019 Tanner Morgan. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t learn and get better. Morgan now has a boatload of college football experience and that’s really valuable, especially in a Big Ten full of inexperienced QB’s.

If Tanner can return to his 2019 form, that’ll go a long ways for this football team and would definitely make him draftable next April. He threw for 3,253 yard and 30 TDs in 2019 (13 games), compared to just 1,374 yards and 7 TD’s in the shortened 2020 (7 games).

2.) Top RB in the country, Mo Ibrahim, is back.

Mo Money, Mo Problems. Mo Ibrahim was an absolute stud in 2020, he was seemingly able to find and create his own lanes time after time again last year. His physical attributes may not stand out, but tell him that when trying to bring him down. Mo returning for another year is massive. His grasp of the offense and his ability to take over games is incredible.

You could legitimately make a case that Mo Ibrahim is the nation’s top running back entering 2021. Last year, he ran for 1,076 yards on 201 carries in just 7 games, racking up 15 (!!) touchdowns in the process. If the Gophers are gonna have any chance at winning the West this year, Mo needs to have a historic season.

“Listen, Mo Ibrahim rushed for 1076 yards in only 7 games in 2020 averaging 153.7 ypg.”

“Now, in 2021 with a healthy offensive line and a 12 game schedule he’s gotta break at least Melvin Gordon’s Big Ten single season rushing record, if not Barry Sanders’ NCAA rushing record.” pic.twitter.com/zo3NSkztoe

— Barstool Gophers (@BarstoolUMN) May 28, 2021

3. Stacked OL, with both experience and talent

The Gophers’ 2020 offensive line was solid, especially in the run game, where Mo Ibrahim to thrived. They return all five starters from last year and add back NFL talent like Daniel Faalele, who opted out last season, and Curtis Dunlap who was injured. Connor Olson and Sam Schlueter both announced after the season ended they would return for a sixth collegiate season at the University of Minnesota, making this the deepest and oldest offensive lines in the nation.

There are eight guys that I would be comfortable starting on this offensive line in 2021. I expect this unit to be dominant in the run blocking and hopefully improve in pass protection. If the latter comes to fruition, then PJ Fleck’s optimism could be well-founded.

4. Deep DL with tons of talent and potential

The Minnesota defensive line struggled last year but you could see some big strides being made towards the end of the season. Guys like De’Angelo Carter, Rashad Cheney and MJ Anderson all played really well down the stretch, as they got better acclimated to Big Ten football as redshirt freshman.

They also return three starters from last year in Boye Mafe, Micah Dew-Treadway, and Esezi Otomewo. Boye showed flashes last year of what he can be, leading the team in sacks and TFLs while showing that he has the potential to be a future front of the draft pick. Still, Mafe has another gear to reach and I expect him to do that this season.

On top of everyone returning, the Minnesota Gophers have also added a couple of interior defensive linemen transfers out of the ACC, in Nyles Pinckney (Clemson) and Val Martin (NC State). Pinckney, who showed out in the Spring Game, was a captain at Clemson where he helped win a National Championship. Val has been talked up to be a good pass rusher. The Gophers badly need someone who can help apply pressure from the inside. This DL is deep, talented and could potentially rotate 6 (!!) defensive tackles this fall.

That certainly seems like a recipe for success.

The #Gophers have received a commitment from former 4???? Clemson DT, Nyles Pinckney.

Pinckney earned third-team All-ACC in 2019, played in 55 games over the last four years and has over 1,100 career snaps.

He will have one year of eligibility remaining. https://t.co/D0lWjc0DgQ

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) January 11, 2021

5. Braelin Oliver is back, and Jack Gibbens is added to a group that struggled heavily last year

Last year’s linebacker play was awful… and that might be generous. Overrunning and missing tackles, poor angles, awful run fits all combined with a lack of awareness and physicality made this unit look absolutely terrible in 2020. But there’s some good news.

Braelin Oliver, who flashed as a Redshirt Freshman in 2019, is back. He’s a tough, fast and physical linebacker who should provide some of that desperately needed help in defending the run. The Gophers also added transfer linebacker Jack Gibbens, who will push Mariano Sori-Marin for the starting Mike linebacker position. We got to see Gibbens in the spring game and he showed everything you would want from a Mike linebacker.

He played fast and downhill, made plays at or near the LOS and was able to wrap up and make tackles. It was a very impressive showing for a guy so new to the defense. The additions of Oliver and Gibbens, along with continued maturity of youngsters like Cody Lindenberg should lead to an improved second level. In reality, it can’t get much worse than what we saw.

So, that’s how the Minnesota Gophers win the West. After a disappointing 2020 campaign, let’s see if PJ Fleck’s optimism is well warranted. Game one vs Ohio State will certainly tell us something…

Max Carroll | Minnesota Sports Fan

January 6, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota might as well have been the deserts of Alamogordo New Mexico on July 16, 1945. We found out quickly, that when Mark Coyle hired PJ Fleck as the Gophers new head football coach, he was dropping an atomic bomb on everything we knew about college football in this state.

That’s how PJ wants you to feel. This is a new age of Minnesota Gophers football and Fleck’s been clear about that from the very beginning, which in itself, has brought plenty of critics. Striving for greatness really pisses some people off but he doesn’t care because, “we aren’t going back to that”.

I heard someone had their ears closed so they, “haven’t heard PJ Fleck show any accountability for Saturday’s loss or his program”.

Just in case any other delusional/deaf/dumb/blind/etc out there want to be miraculously cured: pic.twitter.com/WpgA8wExFm

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 2, 2019

PJ completely changed the culture across Gopher nation and, after posting 11 wins in 2019 for the first time since the early 1900’s, we’re all hoping he’s woken a sleeping football giant, in the University of Minnesota; a giant most thought was dead.

Fleck’s arrival has sent shock waves through the Big Ten West, both on the field and off. One area where the difference can be clearly measured, is recruiting.

The Athletic is running an amazing series on recruiting in college football. It lays out where every major school has stood historically, where they are right now and where they seem to be heading in the future. It’s clean, easy to track and tells you a lot. The best type of content.

Minnesota Recruiting (via The Athletic)

What it told us about Minnesota recruiting, we already knew for the most part. We were really bad at it before PJ Fleck arrived and now that he’s here, we constantly find ourselves in discussions we never dreamed of being in. PJ has been here for three seasons and has the two best recruiting classes in recorded history (the internet age). He’s currently working on 2021, which is currently ranked 28th in the the country.

I opened this story to find out more about Minnesota recruiting. Instead, I found myself much more interested in the recruiting patterns of our biggest rivals across the Big Ten West.

Iowa Hawkeyes Recruiting (via The Athletic)

PJ Fleck has constantly talked about making Minnesota into an Iowa 2.0, when it comes to the consistency their program has created. He envies the stability the Hawkeyes have had since Hayden Frye took over in 1979, before eventually passing the torch to Ferentz 20 years later (1999).

So we know how long Kirk has been heading the Iowa football program… but why did it take until the last few seasons for him to hit the recruiting gas pedal? After great recruiting success in the early 2010’s, Iowa fell off the recruiting bandwagon during the Jerry Kill era (to bring it back to a timeline Gopher fans will understand).

From 2013 to 2016, the Hawkeyes averaged the 55th ranked recruiting class in the nation (via 247Sports). Compare that to the last few years (2017-2020), where the Hawkeyes have averaged the 39th position, nationwide. For 2021, they currently rank 24th. Coincidence?

Wisconsin Badgers Recruiting (via The Athletic)

The Badgers have dominated the Big Ten West since it was created, winning their division 6 out of a possible 9 times since the conference split in 2011 (originally “Legends” vs “Leaders”).

The stark recruiting difference over the last two offseasons, however, is revealing. Paul Chryst took over at Wisconsin in 2015. From 2015-2018, recruiting wasn’t top of Paul’s mind. He never surpassed #35 and averaged #40 in that 4-year span.

Since, something (who knows what?) has lit a fire under Chryst’s recruiting ass. Wisconsin’s 2019 class ranked #29 nationally, 2020 ranked #26 and 2021 is currently #16 in the country.

Changing the B1G West’s Recruiting Best

In retrospect, this uptick in recruiting isn’t surprising. We knew PJ Fleck was going to come into Minnesota and recruit like we’ve never seen. Did we expect our biggest rivals to stand back and watch? Imagine the hate mail coming into Madison if Minnesota started pulling in better recruiting classes on the regular…

They might not admit it and neither will their fans, but it’s clear that Fleck has forced other teams in the Big Ten West to up their focus on recruiting. You can’t sit in the 40’s and 50’s of college football recruiting rankings, if you want to compete in the Big Ten West in 2020 and beyond.

Iowa and Wisconsin can thank PJ Fleck for that.

Nebraska (LOL)

I have to touch on Nebby, before I got out of here. Did you know they are the best team (recruiting-wise) in the Big Ten West? Yup, and it’s not that close.

Minnesota’s best year of recruiting landed them at #38 in the country (above). The worst Nebraska has EVER finished is #35. Their 5-year and 10-year average both land in the top-25, nationwide.

That incredible recruiting acumen has led to exactly ZERO double-digit win seasons since 2013. They’ve also posted sub-.500 records every year since 2017, when Scott Frost took over as head coach.

There’s no better szn in nebraska than preszn https://t.co/HZSxWHPuRg

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 16, 2020

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan