As I sit in SoCal trying to be an honest, devoted Gopher Football fan, I am stunned at the separation of the two sides when discussing PJ. I do not understand the vitriol and malice towards him from those who do not care for him.

I remember my first year at any job and it was never pretty. Then factor in that he has no QB, injuries are everywhere and we all know the culture was in dire need of change. While I am not naive to our fringe bowl status or lack of positive support from any media outlet, I am truly stunned at the way so many Minnesotans view him. My Uncle, who is a 45 year ticket holder compared him to Trump and my best friend for three decades thinks we are a one loss team with Claeys. I am honestly baffled.

We are a bad team with bad skill players. Only the mediocrity of our opponents has kept us in games. I follow the recruiting and it is better than anything since Holtz. Former Players (more than 3 years removed), fans and media from every other B1G programs and national sports outlets all think he is going to succeed, but a large representation of the passive-aggressive midwesterners are angry and vocal about their unhappiness.

What am I missing? When Brew and Kill arrived, they both got “three years to prove it with their players.” Brew was exposed early, but a few recruits kept him relevant until he was too much. Kill and Claeys left this current roster void of anything resembling a QB, DE or TE, but yet were difference makers? We all know how I feel about JK as a person and am forever appreciative of what he did for myself and wife during her fight, but he was not the long term solution.

I would like an open discussion about why PJ has already failed to his detractors. Why are we already sure that he is not what he was at his former program? Is Claeys more missed by that crowd or Sawvel? Why are anti-Fleck fans so angry?

Both USC and UCLA want PJ on their short list, so why are they wrong?

According to Chris Fowler . . .

http://www.ketv.com/article/espns-c...and-scott-frost-deal-done-for-awhile/13929541

Confirmed with a couple people that Demry Croft was not at the end of season banquet today. I'll keep you posted if I hear more.

Pretty balanced review of the 2017 season from Shama. His conclusions:

- It's too early to judge Fleck in any comprehensive way
- He inherited massive problems at QB & WR, nothing he could materially do about that in season one (year zero)
- 9-4 was unrealistic - but 5-7 to 7-5 was.
- Fleck's recruiting is the hope - he's good at it and could have one of the best classes in the B1G West when the 2018 rankings settle.
- Shama believes that Fleck and Co did not get the most out of the 2017 team. Close losses to Maryland, Iowa, and Purdue could/should have been wins.
- Execution was poor at times and the team also lacked focus and effort at times (Maryland & NW come to mind)
- Fleck is unfazed by negativity - he stays positive.
- Fans should think twice about piling on - recruiters will use that against us.
- Shama looks to the Pitino arc as a pathway forward for Fleck, featuring, you guessed it, recruiting.

Pretty solid summary, our fan base will again be asked for patience. I walked out of TCF as the Badgers paraded around with the axe, and I had no idea if we are at the beginning of something special or whether it is the familiar rinse/repeat cycle of our fringe bowl program. None of us know for sure, it will be interesting to see how we play in 2018.

Sagarin's USA Today power ratings are out after the last games of the regular season. In order of strength-of-schedule player, listed below are the teams, SOS, win-loss record and rank:
Maryland (1) 4-8 and (80)--that's right, MD played the toughest schedule in the nation.
Iowa (4) 7-5 (22)
Nebraska (6) 4-8 (73)
Michigan State (9) 9-3 (26)--MSU won two more games than IA and beat them head-to-head, yet ranked lower. Go figure.
Purdue (28) 6-6 (35)
Rutgers (29) 4-8 (4-8)
Michigan (21) 8-4 (21)
Illinois (35) 2-10 (125)
Indiana (39) 5-7 (52)
Ohio State (42) 10-2 (6)
Penn State (45) 10-2 (4)
Northwestern (49) 9-3 ((19)
Minnesota (56) 5-7 (61)
Wisconsin (61) 12-0 (5)

http://www.twincities.com/2017/11/2...four-more-on-senior-day-versus-wisconsin/amp/

I can confirm Greder's report that Everett Williams, Melvin Holland Jr., Will Reger, and Logan McElfresh will all walk today.

Thank you to all of them for their time in Minnesota!

That also frees up two scholarships for the 2018 class (class is still projected to add three more, that doesn't change).

Glad our new HC wears sparkly clothes and doesn't wear a sweatshirt like Chryst does and Claeys did

Confirmed that Rashad Still is no longer with the team.

I hope this guy is in Fleck's sites. Forty-six touchdowns, over two thousand yards. He doesn't run; he glides. Weighs around 220, still fast. He's only a junior, though. He scored five rushing touchdowns yesterday and another one on a kickoff return that was supposed to be a pooch kick. He made Elk River look bad; they're actually pretty good.

leads the Toronto Argo(naut)s to a CFL Championship in the 105th Grey Cup game today. This is his 3rd Grey Cup as head coach. Led the Argos from worse to first.

Looking for updated lists. Still won't be back, neither is Croft.

Will probably lose a few more of our current players, usually backups.

Will probably have some recruits struggle with grades/admissions.

So does that mean our staff is aggressively recruiting another 8 to 10 players?

I am still wondering why Moorehead at Penn State and Brent Venables at Clemson are not being pursued more publically as assistants for head coaching opportunities. Maybe both have already said they arent interested in leaving their present positions, I dont know.... Heck, Moorehead had a successful run for a few years as head coach at Fordham...Venables is from Kansas originally so I thought he may be at a point in his career that he wants a head coaching job back in the plains or even in the SEC. Turned down numerous head coaching opportunities in the past and may be satisfied to work the rest of his career as a top flight assistant..

I heard that if the Mississippi jobs opened up that geographically, it would make sense to get Mike Norvell from Memphis, which is on the Mississippi border..Or maybe former Memphis coach, Justin Fuente who is at Virginia Tech.. Gus Malzahn has a team that has a great chance at making the college football playoffs at Auburn since they have beaten Alabama yet he may want to go home to Arkansas in the same conference... Kinda strange to me, really to go from a school that potentially can win the national championship to a rebuild but it is "home"... Neal Brown at Troy has to be foaming at the mouth as I am sure he would be under consideration to move up to the Auburn job if Malzahn leaves. Brown was OC at Kentucky and has had decent offenses at Troy, which is in Alabama. I have even heard from a person who I dont think has much credibility that Bielema could go to Iowa State if Matt Campbell takes on a bigger job..One thing I am pretty sure is that Nebraska will be the only Big Ten team to change head coaches this off season. Schiano and Mullen are good hires at Tennessee and Florida, in my opinion. McElwain will probably go back out west somewhere, at some point..Butch Jones may end up at a smaller school, perhaps a MAC school. These 2 big hires in the SEC should start the dominoes falling, so this is going to be quite a ride to sort out wild rumors and actual hires.

Cryptic post on twitter. @Littlefinger. Maybe you could post it. Not sure technology wise how to. Doubt he comes here but worth talking about

what did Fleck learn most ya think?

52-26, what a flop

Good grief, not everybody can be Bama

Interested to hear the thoughts from those in attendance.

and the Vols boards are apoplectic

I think I’m fine with PJ Fleck

2-3 years ago the discussion was that many sports, Men's and Women's, the Head Coach had some kind of attendance clause in their contracts. Not sure which, but maybe Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Hockey?

If so, does anybody have an idea what the attendance clause is in Fleck's contract?

I resisted the urge to read but I will post. Physicality. I have been attending Gopher football games for five decades. I have never seen a team as physically imposing as Wisconsin. Forget the crap about current and past coaches. We don’t have players that look like those fielded by Wisconsin on Saturday.

Am I missing any Minnesota offers (or interest) in the High School Finals? Please help fill in the blanks, will be great to take a look live on TV.

Sapp from E Prairie (but not playing)
Owatonna player (RB but do not see an offer?)
Cole Kramer EP (but probably no offer?)
Caledonia TE/Safety was mentioned in a thread
Blue Earth was upset by Pipestone, so the big lineman did not make it. (Side note, there was a kerfuffle at a party after that game, several Blue Earth Players possibly involved)

Any upcoming juniors playing that anyone can recommend?

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The influence Barry Alvarez still has over WI football is enormous. Three people have been head coaches at WI since Alvarez retired and all have won there in a big way. Two of those coaches moved (unwisely) to other jobs and one was fired by Oregon State earlier this year and the other was fried by Arkansas over the weekend.
Why hasn't MN had WI's success? Our ADs did not hire a Hayden Fry like Iowa did, a Bill Snyder like Kansas State did or an Alvarez like WI did. In college football, it's all about the head coach. MN has had some real dandies over the past fifty years.