Row the damn boat

[Al_4_ISU 12409]

It would amuse me to see the Gophers win in Kinnick, but I'm thinking they drop Pedo, Iowa, and Sconnie.

9-3 is still a hell of a year.  I'm not sure if there are any Big 10/Big 12 bowl matchups this year, but a Fleck vs. Campbell match up would be fun.

[trza-hawk 269]

Okay, another weekend and nothing else to watch except the Minnesota game, up by 35 in the second half against Maryland

 

 

[trza-hawk 269]

Two straight weeks for the cancer survivor placeholder

 

[MirrOlure 14627]

Rowing is hard

[GopherRock 1765]

8-0 with the pedophiles coming to town in two weeks. 

As noted, gonna be a hell of a stretch drive. Who knows what kind of shape Wisconsin will be in when they come up here. 

PJ called out ESPN in the postgame interview. Something to the effect of you can go to Bama-LSU any year, but you can come to Minnesota for the first time. 

[trza-hawk 269]

Best start since 1942, when the team played eight games and won all eight, they hadn't been 7-0 since 1960 which was their last real good season.

 

[Backpayne 20]

Minnesota's schedule had been absolutely pathetic and nearly lost a couple to awful teams.  I can't stand Fleck and hope he loses every game until eternity.

[clapclapclap 9000]

^^^ Cheesehead?

[Liquor and Poker 3659]

6 minutes ago, Backpayne said:

Minnesota's schedule had been absolutely pathetic and nearly lost a couple to awful teams.  I can't stand Fleck and hope he loses every game until eternity.

I think he’s a con man.  But his team is better than ours.  So it’s very possible I don’t know what I’m talking about. 

[Parliament 14138]

10 minutes ago, Backpayne said:

Minnesota's schedule had been absolutely pathetic and nearly lost a couple to awful teams.  I can't stand Fleck and hope he loses every game until eternity.

I bet you're fun at parties.

[Napoleon 8607]

38 minutes ago, Liquor and Poker said:

I think he’s a con man.  But his team is better than ours.  So it’s very possible I don’t know what I’m talking about. 

Aren’t most good coaches “con men” to some degree?

[Surlybastard 65]

1 hour ago, Napoleon said:

Aren’t most good coaches “con men” to some degree?

Your comment made me try to think of a single highly successful coach in either men's fb or bb over the last 20-30 years who was well liked and I can't think of a single one. I might say Mack but when your own fanbase turns on you completely over your last 4-5 years its hard to say he's well liked. Coach K is almost universally hated I would say as a sanctimonious rat. Calipari is seen as a greasy weasel. Stoops probably wasn't hated on a national scale but turned a blind eye to quite a bit of lawlessness. Carroll might qualify but he got out just as the ceiling was crashing down on his program. Roy Williams seems like a nice guy but then again his program had one of the biggest academic scandals in ncaa history which happened under his watch. So maybe all good coaches are either assholes or cheaters or both nowadays. Maybe Peterson at Washington is the exception.

Edited October 27, 2019 by Surlybastard

[Napoleon 8607]

1 hour ago, Napoleon said:

Aren’t most good coaches “con men” to some degree?

 

18 minutes ago, Surlybastard said:

Your comment made me try to think of a single highly successful coach in either men's fb or bb over the last 20-30 years who was well liked and I can't think of a single one. I might say Mack but when your own fanbase turns on you completely over your last 4-5 years its hard to say he's well liked. Coach K is almost universally hated I would say as a sanctimonious rat. Calipari is seen as a greasy weasel. Stoops probably wasn't hated on a national scale but turned a blind eye to quite a bit of lawlessness. Carroll might qualify but he got out just as the ceiling was crashing down on his program. Roy Williams seems like a nice guy but then again his program had one of the biggest academic scandals in ncaa history which happened under his watch. So maybe all good coaches are either assholes or cheaters or both nowadays. Maybe Peterson at Washington is the exception.

You used a lot of words to say “Yes”.

[trza-hawk 269]

Fleck is begging ESPN to bring Gameday to Minnesota, but they went to Kalamazoo a couple years ago to follow what he was doing and it sounds crazy in retrospect that he got them to visit Western Michigan. He was

KSTPSports

 

✔ @KSTPSports

 

This was the Gameday episode from 2003 when fleck was playing for Northern Illinois against Bowling Green, just a year after Urban left for Utah, starts around five minutes into the video

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by trza-hawk
fact checking

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

2 hours ago, Liquor and Poker said:

I think he’s a con man.  But his team is better than ours.  So it’s very possible I don’t know what I’m talking about. 

If he's a con man, what's the con? That he can't coach? That he can't recruit? That his infant son didn't die? That he doesn't care about his players and their lives both on and off the field?

Did you think those were crocodile tears when the four-time cancer-surviving walk-on played his first snap in a college football game?

[mulletpelini 5209]

Damn Nebraska was ranked #6 in that video.  What lifetime was that

[TexasHooch 5117]

13 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

If he's a con man, what's the con? That he can't coach? That he can't recruit? That his infant son didn't die? That he doesn't care about his players and their lives both on and off the field?

Did you think those were crocodile tears when the four-time cancer-surviving walk-on played his first snap in a college football game?

Well said. 

Fleck is an avid believer of "inspirational/ self help" principles and he devises and utilizes those principles unabashedly and relentlessly.  As someone who has never (and will never) read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and similar, his catch phrases and acronyms do nothing for me.  But who cares.  He freely admits that he's not for everyone.  He doesn't give two shits whether you like him.  He wants the kids who buy in.  Those who have in the last 3 years are excelling in school (3.2 Cumulative Average), putting in hundreds of hours of community service, and are enjoying the best on the field success in many decades (with what is still a very young team).

They may very well lose 3 of the next 4 games and end up 9 and 3 for the season, but it will take nothing away from the strides he's taken with this program.

In summary, I couldn't play for him... but I'd be thrilled as hell if my son did.

 

[Liquor and Poker 3659]

20 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

If he's a con man, what's the con? That he can't coach? That he can't recruit? That his infant son didn't die? That he doesn't care about his players and their lives both on and off the field?

Did you think those were crocodile tears when the four-time cancer-surviving walk-on played his first snap in a college football game?

Settle down.  It’s OK. I don’t think he molests children or anything.

i just think he comes off like an MLM salesman, televangelist, motivational speaker, etc. . Lots of empty sayings and platitudes - everything that comes out of his mouth seems like an angry, aggressive version of a fortune cookie parable.

But I do realize it’s probably pretty damn hard to go 8-0 at Minnesota, certainly harder than 5-3 at Texas.  So I am willing to admit I might be way off, as I said.  

And do I think he used the cancer thing for every bit he could squeeze out of it?  Absolutely.  But that’s fine.  

[Liquor and Poker 3659]

2 minutes ago, TexasHooch said:

Well said. 

Fleck is an avid believer of "inspirational/ self help" principles and he devises and utilizes those principles unabashedly and relentlessly.  As someone who has never (and will never) read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and similar, his catch phrases and acronyms do nothing for me.  But who cares.  He freely admits that he's not for everyone.  He doesn't give two shits whether you like him.  He wants the kids who buy in.  Those who have in the last 3 years are excelling in school (3.2 Cumulative Average), putting in hundreds of hours of community service, and are enjoying the best on the field success in many decades (with what is still a very young team).

They may very well lose 3 of the next 4 games and end up 9 and 3 for the season, but it will take nothing away from the strides he's taken with this program.

In summary, I couldn't play for him... but I'd be thrilled as hell if my son did.

 

That’s pretty close to what I meant except I would not be happy if my son played for him.  For the same reasons. 

[El Squared 1793]

Seems like he is winning, next question?

[perfectchaos007 6596]

I know he's comfortable in the midwest but someone should let him know our university does have a varsity rowing team.

[UpperWestside 6136]

36 minutes ago, Liquor and Poker said:

 

i just think he comes off like an MLM salesman, televangelist, motivational speaker, etc. 

I met one of those frauds about 10 years ago. His name was Kevin Cochran. He was selling 10 different things at the gym I went to. I will never, ever forget bringing one of my best friends to the gym one night. He listens to everything this con-man says and he draws a pyramid on a piece of paper. Kevin saw it and reached for the paper. My friend was 6'3" and four inches taller than the thief. It was funny watching the con-man try to take the paper from him held right above his head.

PJ Fleck is not that guy. He is brash and upfront, but there is a difference. He can definitely coach.

Edited October 28, 2019 by UpperWestside

[UpperWestside 6136]

18 minutes ago, perfectchaos007 said:

I know he's comfortable in the midwest but someone should let him know our university does have a varsity rowing team.

His interview should consist entirely of rowing a boat in a hurricane. He passes that test the job is his.

[HornsOverIthaca 2333]

Paddle faster I hear banjos

[MNLonghornFUKM 8799]

He brings up a good point. LSU/Alabama have hosted and been a part of so many gamedays, the locals have all experienced it...and its pretty much a morgue outside of the pit good spots behind the stage.  Standing for 3 hours watching the show vs tailgating is a pretty easy decision once youve experienced it once. @ Minnesota would be a crazy amount of people

 

Bama 46 appearances, 13 hosts

LSU 30 appearances 13 hosts

Edited October 28, 2019 by MNLonghornFUKM

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

8 minutes ago, Liquor and Poker said:

Settle down.  It’s OK. I don’t think he molests children or anything.

i just think he comes off like an MLM salesman, televangelist, motivational speaker, etc. . Lots of empty sayings and platitudes - everything that comes out of his mouth seems like an angry, aggressive version of a fortune cookie parable.

But I do realize it’s probably pretty damn hard to go 8-0 at Minnesota, certainly harder than 5-3 at Texas.  So I am willing to admit I might be way off, as I said.  

And do I think he used the cancer thing for every bit he could squeeze out of it?  Absolutely.  But that’s fine.  

I assume you haven't been following his career since he started out at WMU. I believe you're wrong and your cynicism is unwarranted. He's genuine. He's unique but he has a philosophy and he applies it consistently to everything he does. He knows he's not for everybody but he stays true to himself. 

What coach doesn't have slogans and catch phrases? How is "row the boat" any different from "hold the rope" or "keep chopping wood?" Fleck has his own methods for promoting his philosophy of teamwork and sacrificing for the good of something bigger than yourself. But he's a believer and he really does care about his players. It's not like he took the cancer survivor onto the team as a walk-on so that, if the kid survived, he could put him in for a play just so he could exploit him for promotional purposes.

That moment was real. That's a human interest story that should go viral just like when Nebraska let that kid score a TD during their spring game (and all the teams that have copied that since). Or when everybody in Kinnick Stadium waves to the sick kids in the children's hospital next door. Or anytime a team adopts an ailing fan as an honorary team member, like Purdue did with terminally ill student Tyler Trent who passed away at the start of the year. Purdue recently unveiled the student entrance to Ross-Ade Stadium named in his memory. Were they using his death from bone cancer for everything they could get out of it? 

I think you're way off. Fleck may seem weird and over-the-top at first glance but if you pay attention to how he operates you'll find he's the real deal. It's no wonder his players will run through walls for him. Like some coaches have said, "They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Fleck really does care about his players "academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually."

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

42 minutes ago, perfectchaos007 said:

I know he's comfortable in the midwest but someone should let him know our university does have a varsity rowing team.

So does Minnesota. 

[texashorn13 227]

Fleck is not for everyone, and he knows this.  I got to spend some time around his WMU program a few years ago, and here's what I'll say...the guys knows who/what he is and he's all in for that.  He is a motivator, meticulously detailed, and 100% transparent.  In my time around his program he was invested in each position group, but not meddling.  He had standards and expectations for the way he wanted things done, and if those weren't met, he addressed them.  Not once did he say anything about skill, technique or scheme.  As the kids today say, he "stayed in his lane" and let his coaches stay in theirs.  He has built a brand, and his role as HC is to see that every person in the program is living up to the brand.

Can we say the same about Herman and Texas?  Serious question.  What is our brand?  Is our HC managing the program and building a brand, or is he busy doing the work that his assistants should be doing (such as calling plays, working special teams, etc)?  Does everyone associated with Texas football know what the brand is, are they all bought in to it, and is Herman holding them accountable?

Knock him if you want, and he may be annoying as shit, but as a Head Coach I think Fleck is pretty damn good at what he does...and that has jackshit to do with Row The Boat.

 

[TwiceHorn 31283]

23 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I assume you haven't been following his career since he started out at WMU. I believe you're wrong and your cynicism is unwarranted. He's genuine. He's unique but he has a philosophy and he applies it consistently to everything he does. He knows he's not for everybody but he stays true to himself. 

What coach doesn't have slogans and catch phrases? How is "row the boat" any different from "hold the rope" or "keep chopping wood?" Fleck has his own methods for promoting his philosophy of teamwork and sacrificing for the good of something bigger than yourself. But he's a believer and he really does care about his players. It's not like he took the cancer survivor onto the team as a walk-on so that, if the kid survived, he could put him in for a play just so he could exploit him for promotional purposes.

That moment was real. That's a human interest story that should go viral just like when Nebraska let that kid score a TD during their spring game (and all the teams that have copied that since). Or when everybody in Kinnick Stadium waves to the sick kids in the children's hospital next door. Or anytime a team adopts an ailing fan as an honorary team member, like Purdue did with terminally ill student Tyler Trent who passed away at the start of the year. Purdue recently unveiled the student entrance to Ross-Ade Stadium named in his memory. Were they using his death from bone cancer for everything they could get out of it? 

I think you're way off. Fleck may seem weird and over-the-top at first glance but if you pay attention to how he operates you'll find he's the real deal. It's no wonder his players will run through walls for him. Like some coaches have said, "They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Fleck really does care about his players "academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually."

Not saying anything positive or negative about it, but it's interesting that you, one of the biggest critics of religion on this whole site, are defending this guy's belief system so rigorously.

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

1 hour ago, texashorn13 said:

Fleck is not for everyone, and he knows this.  I got to spend some time around his WMU program a few years ago, and here's what I'll say...the guys knows who/what he is and he's all in for that.  He is a motivator, meticulously detailed, and 100% transparent.  In my time around his program he was invested in each position group, but not meddling.  He had standards and expectations for the way he wanted things done, and if those weren't met, he addressed them.  Not once did he say anything about skill, technique or scheme.  As the kids today say, he "stayed in his lane" and let his coaches stay in theirs.  He has built a brand, and his role as HC is to see that every person in the program is living up to the brand.

Can we say the same about Herman and Texas?  Serious question.  What is our brand?  Is our HC managing the program and building a brand, or is he busy doing the work that his assistants should be doing (such as calling plays, working special teams, etc)?  Does everyone associated with Texas football know what the brand is, are they all bought in to it, and is Herman holding them accountable?

Knock him if you want, and he may be annoying as shit, but as a Head Coach I think Fleck is pretty damn good at what he does...and that has jackshit to do with Row The Boat.

It has to do with being "elite." At everything, not just in football but in the classroom and in the community and in every part of your life. 

[Blotto 23434]

4 hours ago, Surlybastard said:

Your comment made me try to think of a single highly successful coach in either men's fb or bb over the last 20-30 years who was well liked and I can't think of a single one. I might say Mack but when your own fanbase turns on you completely over your last 4-5 years its hard to say he's well liked. Coach K is almost universally hated I would say as a sanctimonious rat. Calipari is seen as a greasy weasel. Stoops probably wasn't hated on a national scale but turned a blind eye to quite a bit of lawlessness. Carroll might qualify but he got out just as the ceiling was crashing down on his program. Roy Williams seems like a nice guy but then again his program had one of the biggest academic scandals in ncaa history which happened under his watch. So maybe all good coaches are either assholes or cheaters or both nowadays. Maybe Peterson at Washington is the exception.

I think Dabo certainly qualifies in the well-liked, "nice guy" category, and I'd throw in Carroll as well. In hoops, Jay Wright and Tony Bennett have been pretty damn successful, and Brad Steven's parlayed b2b final fours at f'n Butler into one of the premier  head coaching gigs in the NBA. Mark Few has also had a pretty good run, and would likely get hired at ANY program looking for a coach if he ever wanted to leave Spokane.

 

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Not saying anything positive or negative about it, but it's interesting that you, one of the biggest critics of religion on this whole site, are defending this guy's belief system so rigorously.

Why? Because of the word "spiritually?" I was quoting him. One need not be religious to be spiritual although Fleck is religious. I'd prefer it if coaches kept religion out of sports, particularly at public schools, but it's not going to happen and there's nothing I can do about it. So I'll favor the coaches who approach it in an ecumenical fashion that isn't compulsory and is welcoming to players of all faiths, or of no faith. 

I'm not religious but I'm pro belief system. I have one and I do my best to apply it consistently. From everything I've seen, Fleck does the same. I respect that and it's why I can tell he's genuine. 

Edited October 28, 2019 by WhatTheBuck

[GopherRock 1765]

Everyone here in the Cities agrees that Fleck is a loudmouthed used car salesman. This fact drives several columnists for the local fish wrap up the wall. They fell in love with Jerry Kills "Country Jer" schtick, which IMHO was even more of an act than PJ's behavior. By all accounts, Fleck actually practices what he preaches. The players have bought in, and you can't argue with the results.

Unlike before last November 24, he actually has something to sell. Those outside the Gopher fan base have no idea how much bad juju that win in Madison got rid of. And that Axe is as big and heavy as the photos show it to be. 

You'll get no argument from me about the quality (or lack thereof) of schedule. Yes they were rough in the first few games, but beating the piss out of teams sure beats getting caught looking ahead. As noted, the last time a Gopher football team was 8-0, the USS Arizona was still afloat and Bruce Smith was on the way to winning his Heisman. 

In my Gopher fandom, there have only been 2 home games that have approached the amount of hype this game is going to get. One was the 2003 Friday fiasco vs. Michigan. The other was the very first game at the New Brickhouse in 2009. I know that Texas is no stranger to this kind of hype, but this is rare for us. We're going to revel in it a little bit. 

[trza-hawk 269]

Okay, I watched a little more of the College Gameday episode from 2003 when Fleck was a wide receiver and Northern Illinois was the highest ranked MAC team in a long time, and took some notes:

 

Jeff Smoker and Michigan State are the most complete team in the B1G.

Penn State fans want Joe Pa fired near the end of a losing season.

Jason White leads Larry Fitzgerald and Eli Manning in the Heisman chase.

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

2 hours ago, GopherRock said:

Everyone here in the Cities agrees that Fleck is a loudmouthed used car salesman.

When you describe someone as a "used car salesman," what does that mean to you, and how does it apply to PJ Fleck's behavior? To me it means someone who is dishonest and will tell you what you want to hear. PJ isn't hiding from the flood damage. 

What do his players say about him? Did he promise them starting positions when he was recruiting them? Did he promise them they'd all be stars? Or did he talk about life beyond football?

[TexasHooch 5117]

16 hours ago, texashorn13 said:

Can we say the same about Herman and Texas?  Serious question.  What is our brand?  Is our HC managing the program and building a brand, or is he busy doing the work that his assistants should be doing (such as calling plays, working special teams, etc)?  Does everyone associated with Texas football know what the brand is, are they all bought in to it, and is Herman holding them accountable?

Knock him if you want, and he may be annoying as shit, but as a Head Coach I think Fleck is pretty damn good at what he does...and that has jackshit to do with Row The Boat.

 

It's not just branding that differentiates Fleck and Herman but also, as you suggest, accountability for all. 

Consider this scenario:  When Fleck came to Minnesota, he brought on Robb Smith as DC. They were long time friends and coached together at one point at Rutgers.  After a strong start to the season, Minnesota started getting absolutely torched on defense,  allowing an average of 43.2 points per game in conference play, along with 507.7 yards per game!  The criticism was that Smith's scheme was just too complicated, and that his players were so confused with what they were supposed to do that their athleticism was wasted, leading to big play after big play.

Sound familiar?  The difference is that Fleck sacked up and fired his DC after a particularly bad loss to Illinois,  installing his D-line coach as the interim (now permanent) DC, with the directive to simplify the defense and allow the athletes to be athletes. 

The overall record before that move? 9-12. The record since?  11-1.

[TwiceHorn 31283]

15 hours ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Why? Because of the word "spiritually?" I was quoting him. One need not be religious to be spiritual although Fleck is religious. I'd prefer it if coaches kept religion out of sports, particularly at public schools, but it's not going to happen and there's nothing I can do about it. So I'll favor the coaches who approach it in an ecumenical fashion that isn't compulsory and is welcoming to players of all faiths, or of no faith. 

I'm not religious but I'm pro belief system. I have one and I do my best to apply it consistently. From everything I've seen, Fleck does the same. I respect that and it's why I can tell he's genuine. 

Fair enough.  That's a balanced response in contrast to some of your rants about religion, where you do not appear to distinguish between those who hold it as a useful belief system and those who use it for other ends.

Edited October 28, 2019 by TwiceHorn

[GopherRock 1765]

4 hours ago, WhatTheBuck said:

When you describe someone as a "used car salesman," what does that mean to you, and how does it apply to PJ Fleck's behavior? 

Think all hat and no cattle. Loud talker that can't deliver.

The local media in this town shamelessly went after PJ when he didn't win 10 games right out of the gate, thinking that Row the Boat was nothing more than a marketing slogan that he parlayed into a big payday. The difference I'd that he actually believes it, and does his best to live it out. See Casey O'Brien. 

Also, he's shown that he can admit a mistake and not let it fester. See him cashiering Robb Smith after the Nebraska game last year, and how fast the defense turned around after he got the sack. In hindsight, Smith was three main reason Fat Bret got fired at Arkansas. 

Everyone here expects Jerry Burns 2.0 

 

[TexasHooch 5117]

What a confusing post.  Fleck is Jerry Burns?  Really? You're certainly entitled to your opinion (though I'm not honestly sure what it is as you seem to be arguing two opposing views), but "Everyone here in the Cities agrees that Fleck is a loudmouthed used car salesman"? really?  "Everyone" expects a Jerry Burns meltdown? Huh?  

I suppose that we could argue about what the majority of locals think of Fleck (I'd argue  it's overwhelmingly hopeful).  Please stop it with the "all" and "everyone" bullshit though. 

[Valmy77 13094]

I knew Fleck would do it at Minnesota, the dude is a winner 

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

5 hours ago, GopherRock said:

Think all hat and no cattle. Loud talker that can't deliver.

The local media in this town shamelessly went after PJ when he didn't win 10 games right out of the gate, thinking that Row the Boat was nothing more than a marketing slogan that he parlayed into a big payday. The difference I'd that he actually believes it, and does his best to live it out. See Casey O'Brien. 

Also, he's shown that he can admit a mistake and not let it fester. See him cashiering Robb Smith after the Nebraska game last year, and how fast the defense turned around after he got the sack. In hindsight, Smith was three main reason Fat Bret got fired at Arkansas. 

Everyone here expects Jerry Burns 2.0 

 

I can see the cattle. 

[George Clooney 378]

14 hours ago, GopherRock said:

Everyone here in the Cities agrees that Fleck is a loudmouthed used car salesman. This fact drives several columnists for the local fish wrap up the wall. They fell in love with Jerry Kills "Country Jer" schtick, which IMHO was even more of an act than PJ's behavior. By all accounts, Fleck actually practices what he preaches. The players have bought in, and you can't argue with the results.

Unlike before last November 24, he actually has something to sell. Those outside the Gopher fan base have no idea how much bad juju that win in Madison got rid of. And that Axe is as big and heavy as the photos show it to be. 

You'll get no argument from me about the quality (or lack thereof) of schedule. Yes they were rough in the first few games, but beating the piss out of teams sure beats getting caught looking ahead. As noted, the last time a Gopher football team was 8-0, the USS Arizona was still afloat and Bruce Smith was on the way to winning his Heisman. 

In my Gopher fandom, there have only been 2 home games that have approached the amount of hype this game is going to get. One was the 2003 Friday fiasco vs. Michigan. The other was the very first game at the New Brickhouse in 2009. I know that Texas is no stranger to this kind of hype, but this is rare for us. We're going to revel in it a little bit. 

Speaking of that game, how has Minnesota's o-line looked this year? Penn State has 30 sacks this year; Yetur Gross-Matos and Shaka Toney are great defensive ends.

[closetohumping 17401]

12-13 his first two years. 

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

He's 8-0 right now, the first time Minnesota has had that record in any of our lifetimes (other than armybrat).

He went 1-11 in his first year at WMU. In his fourth year he went undefeated in the regular season and won a MAC championship. He lost to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl, but he took little Western Michigan to the fucking Cotton Bowl. In between were two 8-5 seasons so in the middle of year three in Kalamazoo you might have pointed out that he was 9-16 in his first two years. Just as true and just as relevant as pointing out that he went 12-13 in his first two years in Minneapolis. 

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

Oh yeah, he also won Paul Bunyan's Axe for the first time since Glen Mason was coaching the Gophers. 

Moo. 

['stache 21774]

I find the platitudes annoying and "row the boat" is a dumbass catchphrase. But he is clearly a hell of a coach and I can at least respect that. 

[GopherRock 1765]

9 hours ago, George Clooney said:

Speaking of that game, how has Minnesota's o-line looked this year? Penn State has 30 sacks this year; Yetur Gross-Matos and Shaka Toney are great defensive ends.

This will be the most important matchup of the game. Our OL has looked good as of late, but Penn State's front 7 is a big step up in class. They've done their best on plays where they get the whole front moving one way or the other. Then our RB makes a hard cut back against the flow of the play, into a seam that springs him loose. 

They've been good in pass protection, although Tanner has a penchant for throwing at least two mind-boggling bad throws a game. One of these throws was the only reason Illinois got to 10.

[closetohumping 17401]

32 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

He's 8-0 right now, the first time Minnesota has had that record in any of our lifetimes (other than armybrat).

He went 1-11 in his first year at WMU. In his fourth year he went undefeated in the regular season and won a MAC championship. He lost to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl, but he took little Western Michigan to the fucking Cotton Bowl. In between were two 8-5 seasons so in the middle of year three in Kalamazoo you might have pointed out that he was 9-16 in his first two years. Just as true and just as relevant as pointing out that he went 12-13 in his first two years in Minneapolis. 

Yes and I can also point out that Herman beat FSU with Houston’s roster. 

[WhatTheBuck 28713]

5 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

Yes and I can also point out that Herman beat FSU with Houston’s roster. 

Fleck beat Maryland with Minnesota's roster. Didn't just beat them, he blew them out. 

[closetohumping 17401]

21 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Fleck beat Maryland with Minnesota's roster. Didn't just beat them, he blew them out. 

As did Purdue 

 

fleck, like Herman, also lost to them in his second year.  

Edited October 29, 2019 by closetohumping