The Daily Gopher

Gopher Basketball to Face Florida State in Big Ten / ACC Challenge

2012-05-16T20:33:52Z

Gopher hoops is scheduled to play Florida State in next year's Big Ten / ACC Challenge. The game will be at Tallahassee and it is the second time the Gophers have made the trip to FSU in Tubby Smith's tenure as head coach.

Last season the Seminoles were a 25 win team, 12-4 in the ACC finishing just behind Duke and North Carolina, they were ACC Tournament Champs and earned a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota was not nearly that good and finished runner-up in the NIT. But 2012-13 will be different seasons for both squads.

The good news for Seminole fans is that they return their top scorer, the bad news is they are also graduating six seniors who contributed and accounted for 55.7% of their total points. It is much too early to be previewing the match-up as there are so many unanswered questions for both teams. Like how will Trevor Mbakwe fit back in with the Gopher squad we saw run through the NIT Tournament? How will Michael Snaer fare without the core of last year's seniors and his entire frontcourt. Florida State is bringing in a five-man recruiting class that included two 4-star kids and a couple of international players. How long will it take for these guys to contribute?

Both of these squads are in or very near most of the way too early top 25s for next year. This really should be an excellent match-up. For the Gophers if they can win this game I believe it will be a huge boost to their RPI. The guys at Tomahawk Nation are lamenting the opposite that this might kind of be a lose-lose for the Seminoles.

I have high expectations for next year's club and this should be a good test that hopefully translates into an RPI building win. Beat Florida State early while they are figuring things out then we root for the Seminoles to do well in the ACC. This will all come shortly after we take care of Duke in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in November!

Minnesota Vikings Football at TCF Bank Stadium

2012-05-11T14:57:08Z

A preliminary agreement has been reached between the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings for the use of TCF Bank Stadium while the new Wilf Stadium is being finished.

While some of the details have been hammered out, in other areas this agreement is just laying the framework for the rest to be ironed out at a later date. From the perspective of the University this agreement is significant for a couple of reasons. Facility upgrades and revenue.

One facility upgrade has been set and agreed upon. The Vikings will be paying for the installation of specialized heating coils under the playing surface. The installation of building permanent, additional seating is yet to be determined but in the meantime the Vikings will be paying for "temporary bleacher-style" seating in the western end zone plaza. The language in the press release leaves permanent seating as an open option stating, "Any new seating is subject to approval by the university’s building code division."

MNDailyGuy asked in a fan post about whether or not permanent, additional seating would be a good thing or not. Having someone else pay for the additional seating would be great! But right now I think that additional seating means thousands additional empty seats. If the Vikings want/need permanent seating and want to pay for it I don't think we tell them no. But I also am not losing any sleep over not getting a guarantee of additional, permanent seats.

In addition to the stated upgrades the University is going to get a very nice chunk of change for leasing their facility to the Vikings. The agreement states that the Vikings will pay the University $250,000 per game plus a share of concessions which is estimated to to be an additional $50,000. After 10 guaranteed home games that equates to $3,000,000 of additional revenue being put back into the Athletic Department budget.

Personally I think they should have requested more. With the Vikings average ticket price being just above $75 (2010 data). And the stadium capacity at TCF being just over 50,000. That equates to $3,750,000 just in ticket sales revenue. That is with ticket price data being a year old and not factoring in the additional seats at TCF. Plus when you add in the concession sales and suite revenue the Vikings are likely going to be bringing in north of $5,000,000 per game. The University will end up with approximately 6% of that revenue (in my back of the envelope calculations). And this is also using 2012 numbers, in 2015 you can be sure that ticket prices will be higher. Even just asking for $300,000 per game plus concessions would bring an additional $500,000 to the U.

But maybe that is just be being greedy. Getting a $3,000,000 bonus and not paying a dime in additional expenses is huge for the athletic department. The framework of the agreement has also been left open in regards to the duration of the lease. I think it is certain that the Viking's 2015 season will be played entirely at TCF but there is availability for the Vikings to play all or part of any season beginning in 2013. If we get lucky enough that construction requires the Vikings to be homeless before 2015, that is just additional money in the athletic department coffers.

My guess is that if the Vikings only play for 1 season at the Bank, then temporary seating will be the answer. But if they are required to play additional games or seasons on the U's campus then permanent seating will be discussed. We'll name it the Ziggy Wilf Family section.

full text of the University's press release after the jump...

University of Minnesota and Minnesota Vikings reach preliminary agreement for Vikings' use of TCF Bank Stadium

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (05/10/2012) -The University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a Letter of Intent which allows the Vikings' use of TCF Bank Stadium during potential construction at the current Metrodome site of a new stadium for the National Football League franchise. Subject to Board of Regents approval at its meeting tomorrow, university President Eric Kaler may sign the Letter of Intent in the next few days.

The Letter of Intent provides that the Vikings will reimburse the university for all changes they require for TCF Bank Stadium, and all non-game day expenses and game-day operational expenses related to the franchise's use of the facility. In addition, the Vikings will pay rent to the university and share a portion of additional concessions and sponsorship revenues.

"The Minnesota Vikings are an important asset to the state and we were pleased to work with them on reaching a mutually beneficial arrangement to host them on our campus," Kaler said. "The Vikings will remain part of the Twin Cities region during construction of their new stadium, while the proceeds from this arrangement will be invested in our athletic department to enhance Gopher sports."

Hosting Vikings games at TCF Bank Stadium not only will affect the campus, but also will impact surrounding neighborhoods. Throughout talks with the Vikings, university leaders have emphasized addressing concerns of campus neighbors.

"The university is committed to proactively addressing stadium and campus operational issues and to minimizing any potential impact on the university community and our neighbors," Kaler said. "For Vikings games at TCF Bank Stadium, the university will control stadium and campus operations and will exercise the same level of care for traffic and noise management, litter control and public safety as is our standard for Gopher events."

The Vikings also will appoint a representative to serve as the franchise's contact and neighborhood liaison. Additionally, the team will make a contribution to the existing neighborhood mitigation fund.

Under the agreement, the Vikings will pay the university a fixed fee of $250,000 per game. In addition, concessions, sponsorship and advertising dollars will be divided between the parties under the terms of the Letter of Intent, said university General Counsel Mark Rotenberg. He stated that the additional revenue to the university is expected to be $50,000 per game, resulting in a combined rent and expected concessions and sponsorship revenue amount of $300,000 per game, or $3 million per regular NFL season.

The Letter of Intent provides the following:

TCF Bank Stadium changes

Installation of specialized heating coils under the playing surface.
Installation of temporary bleacher-style seats in the western end zone plaza. Any new seating is subject to approval by the university's building code division.

Duration of lease and days of play

Two scenarios are allowed. The Vikings may lease TCF Bank Stadium for up to four consecutive NFL seasons anticipated to start in 2013; or, they can play at the facility for all or part of one NFL season, anticipated to be the 2015 season. A standard NFL season includes 10 football games (two preseason and eight regular season games), plus any home playoff games.
TCF Bank Stadium will be available for Sunday games only and one weeknight game per season, on a date that must be approved by the university.
The Vikings will work with the NFL to minimize scheduling conflicts with the university's intercollegiate athletic activities and other campus events.

Alcohol

The terms of alcohol sales at TCF Bank Stadium during Vikings games are subject to Board of Regents approval at a later date. Governor Dayton signed legislation April 27, 2012 that returns full authority to the Board of Regents with respect to the sale of alcoholic beverages during intercollegiate athletic events at the Stadium, Williams Arena, and Mariucci Arena, so long as the university provides for the sale of alcohol to the general public at a convenient location in the Stadium at least through half-time during intercollegiate football games. This legislation expires July 1, 2014.

Copies of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents resolution and the Letter of Intent will be available at the Board of Regents meeting tomorrow. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at 600 McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street S.E., Minneapolis.

Looking Ahead to the Big Ten Legends Division

2012-05-11T13:51:38Z

Finishing what I started here is a brief look at the Legends division.

LEGENDS DIVISION

Iowa Hawkeyes

2011 Recap: 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten paints a picture of being a middle of the road team, and they were. Considering six players from the 2011 Hawkeyes were drafted one might have expected more but consistency was an issue for Iowa particularly on the road. 6-1 at home is very nice but then you can't go 1-5 on the road if you want to play in a better bowl game.

Offense: Last year's worst rushing team in the Big Ten will struggle to dramatically improve that. Running backs have been dropping like flies in Iowa City and they lose 3/5 of their starting offensive line. But you may be surprised to learn that Iowa had the third best passing game in the Big Ten last year. Led by James Vandenberg's 3,000+ yards and 25 touchdowns, Iowa was quite successful through the air. Gone is leading receiver Marvin McNutt but Vandenberg is the most accomplished returning QB in the conference and he will be leading this offense along with a new offensive coordinator.

Defense: Defensively Iowa is replacing seven starters! Defensive line was the hardest hit with three departures to go along with two DBs and their starting MLB. The back seven should still have some talent and depth but

2012 vs. the Gophers: Well, the real question is can the Gophers retain Floyd for the third consecutive season? This year we have to travel to Iowa City where we haven't won since 1999! This will be the first game of the conference schedule and I think the Gophers should have some confidence that they can beat Iowa as they've done it two years in a row. This game might be a real springboard for the Gophers if they can pull out this one on the road.

Outlook: The Hawkeyes need to find a running back and they need to hope they have the horses along the defensive line. Outside of those major questions they need to learn to win on the road again where they are 3-7 over the last two years. They are in a division where pretty much everyone else looks to be better than they were in 2011 while Iowa finds itself in an unusual scenario of replacing both coordinators while at the same time replacing more than half of last year's starters. Kirk Ferentz has a history of producing good teams and I think he is a very good coach, but this will be an interesting year in Iowa City.

Michigan Wolverines

2011 Recap: Brady Hoke was able to finally take the talent that was at Michigan and turn it into wins. 10-2 on the regular season that was highlighted by a win over Ohio State (finally) and capped off by a trip to the BCS Sugar Bowl where they beat Virginia Tech. 2011 had to have surpassed most Wolverine fan's expectations. For the first half of the year Denard Robinson was at or near the top of every Heisman prediction and to go along with his impressive production the Wolverines finally had a defense that stopped (or at least slowed down) opponents. The #2 scoring offense and the #2 scoring defense lead to the 11-2 record.

Offense: Seven starters return including Denard Robinson, Taylor Lewan, Fitz Toussaint and several receivers. This unit was dangerous last year and should be every bit as dangerous this year. Robinson will likely be an early candidate for Big Ten POY and on shorts lists for Heisman consideration.

Defense: This unit loses only four starters with three of those losses coming on the defensive line. This side of the ball was a bit fortuitous last year recovering 20 fumbles (20!!) and finishing second in the conference in turnovers gained. But they don't need to be amazingly stout, they just need to slow down opponents while their offense does the scoring. This unit was better than expected last year and returns most of the unit so I can't imagine they'll be any worse.

2012 vs. the Gophers: This was the most embarrassing loss of the year for Minnesota. Well after the New Mexico State loss. And I guess after the North Dakota State loss. So most embarrassing Big Ten loss of the year. We never got off the plane in Ann Arbor and we got rolled 58-0. I'm not expecting a 59 point turnaround this year, but hopefully we can make it competitive. What I'm really looking for is a game where MarQueis Gray gets to showcase his unique talents facing off against a QB like Denard Robinson.

Outlook: Michigan probably lays claim to the most dangerous offense in the league and they should be in the race for the Legends division crown. Much depends on the health of Robinson and the consistency of the defense.

Michigan State Spartans

2011 Recap: The defending Legends division champs, Big Ten title runner-ups and winner over Georgia (take that SEC) in the Outback Bowl. Michigan State had an impressive year with the #1 defense in yards allowed to go with an efficient offense that scored 31 ppg.

Offense: Gone is Kirk Cousins (WB), BJ Cunningham (WR), Joel Foreman (OG), Brian Linthicum (TE) and Edwin Baker (RB). But they return 4/5 of their offensive line and Le'Veon Bell at running back. The running game should be strong. Andrew Maxwell is a junior who will be taking over for Kirk Cousins who started for Michigan State the past 9 seasons. Maxwell is a former four-star recruit who was brought in for exactly this moment. Unfortunately he hurt his knee and was unable to play in the spring game so his progress is still unknown. On the other end of his passes the Spartans need to find a few new receivers as well.

Defense: This is where the Spartans figure to dominate. Gone are only two starters from what was a top 10 defense nationally. Granted Jerel Worthy will not be easily replaced and Trent Robinson was drafted as well. But returning 9 starters is impressive. Five of those nine were either first or second team All-Big Ten at the end of last year. FIVE, with a few others receiving votes! This unit will be dominant.

2012 vs. the Gophers: Surprisingly the Gophers had opportunities to beat Michigan State last year and this is when our season started to turn around. In fact we have played well against MSU even in recent seasons. We get to host MSU but I think they are the class of the Big Ten and easily has the best defense in the league.

Outlook: I think MSU is the cream of the Big Ten this year. They have a couple of tough road games having to travel to Michigan and to Minnesota. The defacto Big Ten title game might be that October 20th battle at Michigan. Their biggest question mark is obviously at quarterback, if that gets answered this could be a special year for the Spartans.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

2011 Recap: It was a rough start to the Jerry Kill era. It is never easy to start your career with a trip to USC. But that was followed by a loss to New Mexico State and soon after a loss to North Dakota State. But the team we saw in weeks 8-12 was very different than the one we saw in 1-7. Eventually the Gophers came away with a couple of conference wins over Iowa (again!) and Illinois to build momentum for 2012.

Offense: The offense begins and ends with MarQueis Gray. The senior had a nice year as his first as the starter. He too improved throughout the season and gives Gopher fans hope for 2012. I have blogged at least a couple times about Kill's rebuilding process at his other stops and we can reasonably expect. Typically, offensively Kill's offenses improve their rushing yards and points and 3rd down conversions in year two. The passing game is relatively the same, at least at his previous two rebuilding stops. We certainly need to be a better rushing team, but who carries the load is yet to be determined. Gray should be a more accurate passer and he will be responsible for a huge chunk of our yardage but he will need help and that is big question mark for our offense.

Defense: Funny how I "feel" like we are returning basically everyone on the defense when technically we are losing five starters, including our starting tackles and starting safeties. Fortunately I feel pretty confident in our bevy of ends, our outside linebackers and our corners. I think this defense will be better than it was a year ago. A couple of well-placed JUCO defensive backs, Ra'Shede Hageman at tackle and the return of Troy Stoudermire should at the very least keep the talent level at or better than what it was in 2011. I'm looking for some improvement from our young ends and there needs to be more turnovers generated.

2012 vs. the Gophers: N/A

Outlook: I think Gopher fans are looking forward to a better team on the field. Gray is an exciting player who seems to be mature and ready to really lead the team this year. The defense returns a number of key players and should be more reliable. The question really becomes how much better will this team be and how many wins will that translate to? Given that their non-conference schedule is easier, they stand a chance at getting to bowl eligibility. They really just need to win 2 of their "more winable" games. Five to seven wins is a fair guess which would be an improvement and possibly result in a bowl game.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

2011 Recap: Nebraska faced a crazy difficult Big Ten schedule for their inaugural season. They missed Indiana, Illinois and Purdue in favor of Ohio State, Penn State and WIsconsin. The end result was a nice win over Michigan State but lopsided losses at Michigan and Wisconsin left with a third place finish in the division. Statistically they ran the ball very well but did a poor job stopping the run.

Offense: Rex Burkhead is one hell of a tough running back and he is one of the best in the Big Ten, he is the focal point of this offense. With that said the guy who might be able take this offense from good to great is Taylor Martinez, if he improves. He spent the spring working on footwork and mechanics, if he can develop into a more reliable passer this offense could be fairly explosive. The receivers are returning but they need to find new offensive tackles and a center.

Defense: On this side of the ball the Cornhuskers lose only a few guys but they lose some really talented players. Lavonte David and Alfonzo Dennard were both drafted and were both 1st team All-Big Ten. Jared Crick is equally as talented as those two but the Skurs didn't have him for much of the year anyway. This unit should still be stout against the run but whether or not they'll be able to stop the pass this year is yet to be determined. A good defense, probably not a great one.

2012 vs. the Gophers: This game in 2011 was the most embarrassing home loss for Minnesota. After physically pummeling us in the first half Nebraska was using us as a live scrimmage in the second. They were trying different plays and sets trying to simulate a live game. This year they are still more talented and likely more physical but I'd really like to see the Gophers put up a fight this time around. We do catch them a week before they face their heated rival, Iowa as they fight for the Heroes Game Trophy, maybe they'll be looking past us.

Outlook: Like every team in the Big Ten Nebraska is good, could be very good but they have some questions to answer. Good defense, great running game and if their quarterback proves to be capable of beating defenses with his arm they should take a big step forward.

Northwestern Wildcats

2011 Recap:After a rough start to the Big Ten season (0-4), NU got on a winning streak with four straight win (one being non-conference) before dropping their season finale to Michigan State. This was a team that could move the ball down the field behind the spread attack lead by Dan Persa, but they struggled to slow down opponents giving up over 400 yards of offense per game. The #1 passing offense in the league and the #12 passing defense. All of this was good enough for a bowl game.

Offense: As mentioned this unit could move the ball against anyone to the tune of 420 yards and 29 points per game. Unfortunately six seniors from this offense graduate including Dan Persa and first team All-Big Ten H-Back, Drake Dunsmore. Kain Colter is the likely replacement for Persa. He was the starting QB for three games last season, led the team in rushing and had 43 receptions. He will be the offensive focal point as Northwestern replaces a number of skill position players.

Defense: This unit returns seven starters and at least in the spring was ahead of the offense. The secondary gave up a ton of yards last season and lost three starters in the backfield, so that has to be the area of greatest concern for the defense. Redshirt freshman Deonte Gibson stood out in the spring game against the first team offense.

2012 vs. the Gophers: These games are typically close and usually result in a Northwestern win. This year it is at home and this is one of those games we need to win if bowl eligibility is to become a reality.

Outlook: Northwestern replaces a lot on both sides of the ball. I expect their offense to remain potent, though not likely to replicate the 420 yards per game they saw in 2011. I expect their defense to be in the bottom half of the conference with pass defense being the primary issue once again. Getting to a bowl and winning their first one might be too much to ask this year.

Ra'Shede Hageman Arrested for Disorderly Conduct

2012-05-10T15:12:14Z

Ra'Shede Hageman Arrested for Disorderly Conduct

Not a lot of details in this report other than he was arrested. I'm sure more info will come but for now this is all we know.

Golden Nugz - 05.09.12

2012-05-09T13:53:23Z

I'm going to lead with something not Gopher related. The Vikings stadium has cleared a second major hurdle and is getting dangerously close to becoming a reality. There are a number of differences between the House version and the Senate's but it doesn't appear to be insurmountable differences and they will all get worked out in conference committee today.

You should absolutely be regularly checking the Daily Norseman as they have been doing an outstanding job covering the whole thing.

I'm sure that many of us are also Vikings fans, at least those who are from here. A few years from now we are going to have some of the absolute best arenas in the country housing all of the local teams (with the Timberwolves being the lone exception). I have been to nearly 20 different MLB stadiums and Target Field is second to none of them. TCF Bank Stadium stands out amongst a crowd of NCAA stadiums that tend to be greater in tradition but also older. Excel Energy Center has remarkably been around for nearly 12 years and is still an elite NHL arena.

Now if only we could field some competitive teams to fill the seats in our facilities.

Anthony Jacobs performed well enough at the rookie camp to earn himself a Vikings rookie contract and an invite to training camp. Da'Jon McKnight and Brandon Kirksey could still see a rookie contract offer but for now Jacobs is the only former Gopher to sign his name to an NFL contract.
This story out of Ohio State is incredible and a must read.
CBSSports.com has a profile on Tyus Jones and states that Minnesota really is still a viable landing spot for the Apple Valley point guard. I'm not holding my breath but a successful season this year would go a long way towards keeping him interested.
GopherSports.com has a cool story on a junior long-jumper from Jamaica. Todea-Kay Willis committed to the Gophers without ever stepping foot in Minnesota and had to adjust to more than just a higher caliber of competition.

Looking Ahead to the Big Ten Leaders Division

2012-05-08T22:15:30Z

I'll be honest with you all, I've had nothing for a few weeks now. The blog has obviously been sparsely updated but I'm struggling to come up with anything to write about. I was unable to get over to any of the spring practices this year so it was hard to get excited about that. There is NOTHING going on in the recruiting world for Gopher fans. Football feels like it is months away (because it is) and basketball & hockey have promising seasons ahead but they are even further away. So this is me forcing myself to do something (anything). Often times it takes a post like this to get me back into the swing of things. Forcing myself to do some research, get prepared for next season and learn a bit sometimes gets the creative juices flowing (don't expect anything anymore creative than you've seen before, a zebra can't change its stripes!).

So...with that said I'd like to take a brief look at the other 11 teams in the Big Ten as we inch closer to the 2012 college football season.

LEADERS DIVISION

Illinois Fighting Illini

2011 Recap: This was one of the teams the Gophers actually beat last year! The Illini started the season 6-0 and it appeared as though Ron Zook's job was safe. Then came the six-game losing streak, the 2-6 Big Ten record and the Zooker was shown the door before Illinois' bowl game. This team racked up the "impressive" 6-0 record to start the season but then the wheels fell off.

Offense: Returns 6 starters, most notably Nathan Scheelhaase who is entering this third year as the program's starting QB. Steelchase may get some push from sophomore Reily O'Toole as the two of them starting splitting some time near the end of last season. But last season the junior to be completed 63% of his passes last year for over 2,000 yards and over 600 yards rushing. Neither was very good in the spring game but part of that was due to the offensive line being overwhelmed by the strong front seven of defense. The big loss on the offense will be wide receiver A.J. Jenkins who racked up 90 catches for over 1,200 yards as senior last year, which led to being a 1st round draft pick. The new coaching staff has been moving players around to get some WR depth.

Defense: On this side of the ball, Illinois looks to have a strong front seven headlined by defensive end Micheal Buchanon and linebacker Jonathan Brown.

2012 vs. the Gophers: We travel to Champaign in November. With the new coaching staff I think I'd much rather play Illinois earlier in the year. This is one team that we have had some success against over the last several years. We have won two in a row, three of the last four and even have a three-game win streak in Champaign. Their defense is solid, their offense might struggle to move the ball (especially early in the season). We are not in any position to be looking past any teams. We are not in any position to be overconfident against any Big Ten team. But this is a winable road game and if we are to get to six or seven wins this year, this might have to be one of them.

Outlook: Illinois is in transition with a new coaching staff but the good new for them is that they have a pretty solid defense returning seven starters. They are not going to contend for the Leaders title and they will be closer to their two conference wins last year than they will be to being above .500 in the league. Typically a new staff, implementing a new system takes some time to adjust but there is some talent to work with. They will be an interesting team and an intriguing match-up for the Gophers.

Indiana Hoosiers

2011 Recap: Hard to imagine but there is a worse football program in the Big Ten and it is the Indiana Hoosiers. 1-11 last year and 0-8 in the Big Ten was not what the new coaching staff was hoping for. But Kevin Wilson has hope for thinking 2012 will be better as the Hoosiers return 17 starters, the most in the Big Ten. Last year the offense struggled early but eventually a couple of true freshman emerged to offer a glimmer of hope. Overall the Hoosiers played 32 (16 true and 16 redshirt) throughout the season so there is reason for optimism that if these kids mature the Hoosiers could once again be relevant.

Offense: Tre Roberson and Stephen Houston are those two freshman. Roberson took over as quarterback mid-way through the season and showcased some game breaking speed while showing he may also be capable of passing the ball too. Running back, Houston really began getting more carries at the start of the Big Ten season and finished with three 100-yard games including 135 against Wisconsin. Houston will certainly be the team's feature back but the team needs to take strides in the passing game. Roberson is a threat with his legs but as a freshman in five starts he did throw just three touchdowns to six interceptions. Tight end Ted Bolser reportedly had a good spring and capped it off with six catches in the spring game. He looks like the security blanket in passing game for Roberson.

Defense: This unit was quite dreadful last year, imagine the Gopher defense then add 50 yards and six more points per game. They return nine starters but also have brought in five JUCOs to infuse some talent and competition. Incoming linebackers David Cooper and Jacarri Alexander are going to be counted on to pay immediate dividends.

2012 vs. the Gophers: Unfortunately we do not play the Hoosiers (I'm sure they are saying the same thing about us)

Outlook: This team may be much improved but they have a long ways to go. They were last in rushing yards allowed by over 50 yards per game. They were last in points allowed by nearly six points per game. In five of their Big Ten games they allowed 45 points or more. Their offense wasn't nearly as bad but they will need to see more consistency in 2012. I expect that they will be better but that will take from losing by an average of 24 points per game to a much smaller margin of losing. I would also expect that they will win a couple more non-conference games and possibly steal a Big Ten win.

Ohio State Buckeyes

2011 Recap: A 6-7 season is unheard of in Columbus. In the wake of the Jim Tressel scandal, with suspensions and a freshman quarterback the Buckeyes struggled and ended with a four-game losing streak and an overall losing season. Did anyone feel sorry for Buckeys fans? I don't think so. Defensively this team was OK finishing in the middle of the Big Ten in points and yards allowed. Rushing the ball was OK as the Buckeyes finished fourth in the league with just over 190 yards per game on the ground. But the passing game was awful. 13 touchdown passes to only 4 interceptions for the true freshman Braxton Miller isn't all that bad. But as a team Ohio State threw for 127 yards per game which was good enough for dead last in the Big Ten, just ahead of 11th place Minnesota. Enter Urban Meyer to help OSU forget about what was a forgettable 2011 season.

Offense: Looking for an area where you can expect Ohio State to improve? It will clearly be in the passing game. And if the spring game was any indication they will be much improved through the air. Miller threw for 258 yards on 24-31 passing and Michael Thomas may have emerged as a dangerous receiver after catching 12 balls for 131 yards. Nobody on last year's roster caught more than 14 balls on the season! Thomas is a four-star prep school recruit who is enrolled early and may become a boost to the passing game. Along with improving their passing game, Ohio State will need to replace both starting tackles and their starting center.

Defense: This unit was solid by say Gopher standards, sub-par by Buckeye standards. Luke Fickel will move from the interim head man to the co-defensive coordinator along with former Gopher defensive coordinator Everett Withers. Expect this unit to be much improved this year

2012 vs. the Gophers: We do not play the buckeyes, this is a good thing. I want to be in a place to be competitive with OSU but we are not there. And our schedule is tough enough with @Iowa, @Wis, Mich, @Neb and MSU.

Outlook: They'll be much better but they are still unable to participate in the Big Ten Title game.

Penn State Nittany Lions

2011 Recap: It was a pretty uneventful 2011 for Penn State wasn't it? OK so this was the season from hell for PSU fans. Possibly the one coach who was thought to truly be untouchable was brought down amidst the scandal and not too long after that Joe Paterno passed away. This was a season and an offseason that will never be forgotten. On the field Penn State was one of the lowest scoring offenses and also one of the lowest scoring defenses in the Big Ten. Now with a new coaching staff they will also have a number of new starters as they only return 5 on each side of the ball. This should be an interesting year for Penn State.

Offense: Returning their skill position players but losing 4/5 of their offensive line and starting tight end. This was the only offense to score fewer points per game than the Gophers. For the season the Nittany Lion quarterbacks threw 12 interceptions to 10 touchdowns. This position along with replacing the offensive line are two significant question marks heading into 2012. Silas Redd is certainly not a question mark for the Nittany Lion offense. The soon to be junior rushed for 1,200+ yards in 2011 and established himself as one of the better running backs in the Big Ten.

Defense: Another former Gopher defensive coordinator is leading an opposing defense. Ted Roof will nee to replace his entire secondary which graduated and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Devon Still. There are some very talented linebackers returning but there is some work to do around them.

2012 vs. the Gophers: We do not play the Nittany Lions. I think this would be the year to play them. We certainly would not be favored but assuming some modest improvement from the Gophers I think this game could be competitive. Especially if Penn State continues to struggle at quarterback.

Outlook: Replacing your secondary, replacing your offensive line, replacing your coaching staff and not having anyone emerge from a three-way battle at quarterback are all troubling for Penn State. Those are a lot of question marks to answer before September. They seem to have a favorable schedule and of course there is plenty of talent to reload at Penn State, but this will be an average year in Happy Valley.

Purdue Boilermakers

2011 Recap: It was really an up and down season for the Boilermakers. After losing to Rice the destroyed SE Missouri St. After losing to Notre Dame by 28 they dominated the Gophers. After getting dismantled by Wisconsin they rebounded with a win over Ohio State. But this was a younger team that is returning 15 starters. Overall this team was around the middle of the pack or slightly lower in all offensive and defensive categories. Eventually they finished .500 in the Big Ten and won their bowl game as they move toward bigger things in 2012. It was a solid year for a team who lost their starting QB to an ACL tear before the season began.

Offense: We have another quarterback competition! Rob Henry tore his ACL in August he is returning. Caleb TerBush stepped into the starting role and did a fine job last season. Robert Marve and Sean Robinson are also in the running. All four of these kids are fighting to be the starting QB. Most of the rest of the offense is also returning with the exception of two starters along the line who were both drafted and wide receiver Justin Siller. This was an offense that was well balanced and had some talent. They need to figure things out along the offensive line and be sure that continues to be a strength. And finally an answer at RB is needed after the late season ACL tear that sidelined Ralph Bolden.

Defense: Defensive tackle Kawann Short and corner back Ricardo Allen were both very good players who return to lead this defense. Both safeties have to be replaced and one linebacker also graduated, but the rest of the defense is returning. There needs to be some improvement but this defense could be very solid.

2012 vs. the Gophers: Sandwiched between a trip to Ohio State and a home game against Penn STate is a trip to Minnesota. Purdue beat up the Gophers last year. I don't feel that was truly "that" much better than Minnesota and this being a home game I think gives us a chance. We haven't shown anything where we should be favored or really very confident in a Big Ten game but Purdue is not yet in that upper echelon of the Big Ten that is significantly out of reach for Minnesota.

Outlook: With that said, Purdue has a chance to sneak into the Big Ten Title game out of the Leaders division. Ohio State isn't allowed to play. Wisconsin loses a ton of key starters from last year's team. Penn State has a number is issues. They get Wisconsin and Penn State at home and they avoid Michigan State and Nebraska. Things are lining up for the Boilermakers to have a unique season. Unfortunately they have ACL tears like the Twins have Tommy John surgeries, so the mission between now and September should be to stay healthy (duh right?).

Wisconsin Badgers

2011 Recap: Your Big Ten champs that were very close to playing in the BCS Title game were it not for two last second losses. The transfer in of Russell Wilson gave the Badgers a legitimate passing attack to go along with one of the best ground games in the country. It was a great regular season that was capped by a very entertaining Rose Bowl loss to Oregon. Most programs would be thrilled with their 2011 season but it really was so close to being more.

Offense: Gone is Russel Wilson, gone is Nick Toon and gone are three starters along your offensive line. So questions will abound at quarterback and offensive line. Assuming Montee Ball doesn't trespass at parties where he isn't wanted, he will be the Badger feature back and one of the best backs in the conference. As per usual there will be a host of dangerous backs who will carry the load when Ball needs a rest. James White and Melvin Gordon would likely be starting for many other Big Ten teams. But until a quarterback emerges teams will be focusing on stopping the run. This does not appear like it will be a balanced offense but its ground game should be very strong.

Defense: They return two outstanding linebackers but lose a lot of talent throughout the rest of the defense. Six starters return overall for a defense that was 3rd in yards allowed and 4th in points allowed. I would be surprised if this defense is as good as it was last year but I'm not expecting a major drop off.

2012 vs. the Gophers: The battle for the Axe has not been very entertaining the last couple years as the Badgers have dominated the line of scrimmage and muscled their way to big wins over the Gophers. This year should be closer as I don't believe Wisconsin will be as good and I believe we will be better. The gap hasn't closed enough where I'm expecting a win, but I am expecting a better game.

Outlook: The one thing we have yet to discuss with Wisconsin is their drastic coaching staff turnover. For the first time in years they are going to have new coordinators and the vast majority of Brett Bielema's staff moved on to other jobs. We are used to swapping coordinators every year but this is a new thing in Madison and it might be an adjustment. Wisconsin will be an interesting team to watch this year.

Gophers sign kicker of the future?

2012-05-08T19:23:52Z

Gophers sign kicker of the future?

"Gophers officials watched and instructed Fodness during a couple of kicking camps and also viewed videos of Fodness in action.

Those officials were impressed with what they saw and in late April Fodness received a phone call from Gopher coach Jerry Kill.

"Coach Kill called to say that he wanted me to come to Minnesota," Fodness said. "I’m very excited to kick for the Gophers but it’s a bittersweet moment because I am ending my soccer career.

"But I also am going to kick for a great program.""

Gopher Baseball Playing at Target Field on Saturday

2012-05-04T16:45:21Z

Gopher Baseball Playing at Target Field on Saturday

We have a one-game lead over Penn State in the standings and we trail first place Purdue by 3 games. Should be an important series and it would be fun to get over to Target Field to catch some Big Ten baseball.