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If pundits and oddsmakers are correct, the Gophers football team will be scratching for a sixth win and bowl eligibility come November.
Minnesota’s chance to advance the Big Ten championship game via the weaker West division is no longer an option given the conference’s decision to go with one 18-team monolithic standings.
With the U picked to finish 12th in the expanded Big Ten, according to the annual cleveland.com poll, it’s possible the Gophers are part of a long logjam of also-rans behind frontrunners Ohio State, new addition Oregon and others.
“I was a big fan of the divisions,” Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle told the Pioneer Press this week. “In my opinion, it keeps people engaged, keeps people a part of the process in those type of things. But I completely understand why we went away from divisions.”
Coyle added: “We have not had conversations as ADs about going back to that (division) format.”
When asked about the Gophers’ 6-7 season in 2023, Coyle pointed to a big framed photo in his office at Athletes Village. The image captured the exact moment wide receiver Daniel Jackson got his toe down in bounds for a late touchdown to help beat Nebraska 13-10 in the season opener.
“His (front) foot is an inch from going out of bounds,” Coyle said. “… That’s the difference between winning and losing in the Big Ten. I mean, it literally is.”
The Gophers’ results under head coach P.J. Fleck were all over the map a year ago. They blew a big lead at Northwestern in September, and snapped an eight-game losing streak to Iowa in October, but couldn’t finish off Illinois amid a four-game losing streak in November. The margin between winning and losing wasn’t close against Michigan, Ohio State or even Purdue.
“Obviously, disappointed with our record,” Coyle said. “P.J. will be the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/gophers-ad-mark-coyle-expectations-170400533.html
Author : Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Publish date : 2024-08-16 17:04:00
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