Minnesota Closing Argument: It’s Time.

Last fall, Minnesota fans went into the season wondering how Year 2 (Year 1? I don’t know. I’m just an accountant. Math scares me when I don’t have excel or a 10-key) would go while looking at the 2019 schedule and salivating.

Then 2018 happened, and hooboy did it ever happen.

Many people have been waiting impatiently for this season to kickoff ever since the wisconsin game was over to get to this year, and I’ll openly admit to being one of these people. It’s time. We’re so close to kickoff that I’ve been hyperactive all week, and that’s not going to stop until Hail! Minnesota Thursday night. Let’s get to it, friends.

I. Case History and Opening Statement

A. Case History

Last year was entertaining. It didn’t matter if you were a Gopher fan, a neutral, or somebody that hates good things because there was something for you in 2018. There were wins over very good teams (Fresno State) and the preseason #4 team, the wild Friday night against Indiana in the rain, the strangulation of Purdue, the canary in the coal mine that was the loss to Maryland, the absolute humiliations at Nebraska and Illinois, the game that was closer than anyone expected at tOSU, and frustration against Iowa and Northwestern.

The season was capped off with the Gophers sending Coach Paul Johnson off to run and play at a farm upstate in a very impolite and harsh way. It was nuts, and the ups and downs alone were worth the time, energy, and money I spent to follow it.

B. Opening Statement

In 2019 Minnesota does not have the best QB in the West (That’d be Adrian Martinez), the best RB in the West (Jonathan Taylor), the best WR in the West (Rondale Moore), or the best OL (probably Iowa). But what we do have is very good players at all of the positions and probably the best RB and WR corps in the division. Rodney Smith, Shannon Brooks, and Mo Ibrahim combined have over 6,000 yards in their careers, and Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman are going to be even bigger headaches for opposing coaches this fall. They’re going to be hiding behind an OL anchored by Blaise Andries, Curtis Dunlap, and GIGANTIC FUCKING AUSSIE Daniel Faalele, which did a great job in the 2nd half of the year.

If you’re making an assessment on the 2019 Defense based on any game that you watched before November 10th, you’re really working off faulty and outdated information. Robb Smith was tossed overboard somewhere between Chambana and Dinkytown, and the Gophers Defense never looked back. Which is good because they did a lot of looking back under Smith whenever an opponent used motion against us. Once he was replaced by Joe Rossi, the reads were simplified and LBs miraculously appeared out of thin air for the end of the season. DE/LB Carter Coughlin returns for his SR season to abuse opposing QBs yet again, DB should actually be a position of strength with Terell Smith, Chris Williamson, Coney Durr, and Antoine Winfield Jr. being joined by incoming FR Tyler Nubin.

The biggest question mark coming in would be how the DL would shake out, but it sounds like ND Grad transfer Micah Dew-Treadway will fit in quite nicely with Jamaal Teague and Keonte Schad to plug the middle.

II. Discovery

Cocktail Party
Potluck I: PJ Fleck and Building a Winner
Let’s Go Streaking
Potluck II: Offense
A quick look at Joe Rossi
Potluck III: Defense
Predictions
A look at The Daily Gopher
Podcast
Stew’s Hate
Speth returns from the grave to hate

III. What We Can Learn From Pop Culture

This crap again? Nothing. We can’t learn anything from pop culture. Now get off my lawn or I’m going to release the hound.

IV. Closing Statement

Tanner Morgan is probably nothing more than a game manager. The OL is only 7-8 deep. We don’t know if Micah Dew-Treadway can replace O.J. Smith all season at DT. Antoine Winfield has yet to be able to complete a full season. The starting kicker will probably be true Freshman Michael Lantz.

This is all that you can find that are negatives for the 2019 Minnesota Golden Gophers going into the season.

There is experience and more talent ready to go than has been available in recent years, even when some people **cough** thought there could be all-conference players at every level. Morgan just needs to make the right decisions, like he did down the stretch last season, and the offense is going to be a blast to watch.

Everyone in the fan base should go out of their way to thank Nebraska and Illinois for getting Robb Smith fired, because the difference between he and Joe Rossi’s group at the end of the year was night and day. Minnesota is ready to go, and we have the schedule.

We’re winning the B1G West this year.

V. Verdict

2019 Minnesota OTE Staff Predictions

So there you have it. Haters and fools, except that WSR fellow.