The Gophers average margin of victory/defeat was 13 points worse in 2017 than in 2016 among common Big 10 opponents. For instance, in 2016, the Gophers beat Maryland by 23, but lost to Maryland by 7, which means there was a negative 30 point swing. For Iowa, the Gophers lost by 7 both years, so there is no change in margin. For Nebraska, the Gophers lost by 13 in 2016, but won 33 in 2017, making it a 46 point positive swing. Performing almost 2 touchdowns worse signals that there was more than just deterioration in the quality of the roster in play this last season. Hopefully, both the remaining players and the staff learned a lot from this year.
