Worst Big Ten Team You've Seen?
We've certainly had our highs and lows in recent years, from the horror to the Illinois game of last season (I guess each of those are lows). But at least we are not the Gophers.
I believe that we played an a very high level today, but they were aweful on each side of the ball.
A poster at the Minneapolis Star Tribune stated that not one Gopher player could start at Michigan!
Without Gray at QB, is this the worst Big Ten team you've seen (ever) or in recent memory?
October 1st, 2011 at 5:03 PM ^
Recent memory, yes.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:03 PM ^
Against Michigan today ... yes ... Against USC in week 1 .... No
October 1st, 2011 at 5:09 PM ^
The game was only close because Gray was in the game. Without Gray this team is atrocious.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:34 PM ^
They actually came back when they inserted Shortell into the game.
October 1st, 2011 at 11:48 PM ^
But that doesn't explain how Minnesota held USC to 19 points.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:06 PM ^
Michigan 69 Northwestern 0
October 1st, 2011 at 5:08 PM ^
Minn isn't that good but I think Michigan had a lot to do with it today. As soon as we knew MG was out I didn't think the Gophers would do a lot of scoring, but putting up 58 against any Big Ten team is impressive.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^
They lost 37-24 to North Dakota State and it wasn't that close.
Michigan played fine but Minnesota is really that bad.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:09 PM ^
I'll probably get ripped for this, but Michigan '08 was pretty brutal besides the Wisconsin game.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:11 PM ^
Even the worst defense RR ever fielded never lost by 58.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
I think you should rephrase this to say that the offenses we fielded during that era never let the team lose by 58 points. If we had an anemic offense, I think our D during the RichRod era would have gladly lost by close to that amount on a few occassions.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:03 PM ^
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think any of RichRod's defenses gave up 58, at least not in regulation.
October 1st, 2011 at 11:56 PM ^
If we had an anemic offense, I think our D during the RichRod era
Were you out of the country in the fall of 2008 by any chance?
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:06 AM ^
I don't believe so. I just can't remember anything from the fall of 2008. It's completely blanked out for me like some sort of repressed memory...
October 2nd, 2011 at 12:15 AM ^
Regardless, having said offense is something that distinguishes us from this version of Minnesota and disqualifies us from the discussion. Bad as the 2008 team was, the defense was not totally miserable that year. Not, like, gave-up-58-points-to-a-non-juggernaut miserable.
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:35 AM ^
some really bad INdiana teams
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:35 AM ^
some really bad INdiana teams
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:35 AM ^
some really bad INdiana teams
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:35 AM ^
some really bad INdiana teams
October 3rd, 2011 at 9:35 AM ^
some really bad INdiana teams
October 1st, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
Didn't we have a better Big 10 record in '08 than '09?
October 1st, 2011 at 8:29 PM ^
Correct. UM was 2-6 in B1G in 2008 and only 1-7 in 2009.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:09 PM ^
When UofM played Northwestern in 1991 they were awful. Also Indiana has had some very horrible teams. This Minnesota team has to be up there though.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:12 PM ^
But not by much.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:32 PM ^
In 2008 we were bad. Yes. Atrocious even by our lofty standards. However, we never came anywhere near being blown out 58-0, including our games against Penn St and TSIO (who both ended the season in the top 10). It would be lucky if Minnesota wins a single Big Ten game this entire year, especially with Gray out.
I honestly think there is no way that those two can be compared. But hey, thats just me.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:30 PM ^
That '08 team won the "Little Brown Jug" at the Metrodome (I was there) against a Minnesota team that was almost certainly better than this year's version. The '08 Michigan team wouldn't have hung 58 on this year's Gophers, but they'd have won by at least a couple touchdowns.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:13 PM ^
The fact that Michigan played the way they did against such a bad team says a lot. It takes a lot to get up and play hard against a team that you know is terrible.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:25 PM ^
Wisconsin & Northwestern both had some horrific teams in the mid to late 80's as well.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:31 PM ^
October 1st, 2011 at 5:32 PM ^
was 2000 against Indiana...also a 58-0 victory. So no, Minnesota isn't the worst team ever. But they certainly are terrible. A couple posters above said 2008 Michigan. Let me go one step further...Minnesota reminded me of a combination of the 2008 Michigan offense and ST with 2010 Michigan defense. Which is bad. For real.
It's nice to win by a lot against teams not named Delaware State, isn't it?
October 1st, 2011 at 5:40 PM ^
...that IU game was amazing awful. They were sooooo bad. This game was much like that one.
I think Marquise Walker may have blocked a punt in that IU game.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:37 PM ^
I knew things were bad in Minnesota's program, but seeing it on the field today.....YIKES!
October 1st, 2011 at 5:41 PM ^
Crack is a helluva drug.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:42 PM ^
Didn't win a game; were shut out five times.
October 1st, 2011 at 5:57 PM ^
October 1st, 2011 at 6:19 PM ^
1975 game UM 69, NW 0.
October 1st, 2011 at 10:08 PM ^
I was at that game. It is the last game under 100,000 I believe. Freezing cold in a downpour against NU and it still drew 96,000 b
October 2nd, 2011 at 11:10 AM ^
I saw this game and it was absurdly one-sided. Bo pulled out his starters pretty early and even our 2nd and 3rd stringers kept scoring, It was like playing a high school team. In the 70's (the days of the Big 2 and Little 8) there were quite a few really one-sided games. The 1976 Minnesota game was maybe even worse than yesterday's game. We won 45-0 and the only thing that kept the score that low was the nasty cold rain that fell the entire game. Minnesota never even got past their end of the field the entire game. By halftime, more than 50% of the crowd had bailed.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
Yeah, pick a Northwestern team from about 1980 through the mid-90s. But that Minnie team today was bad. I think they didn't make a single 3rd down all day.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:10 PM ^
Was in the Big House for a beat down of Indiana, 58-0 vs. IU when Antwaan Randle El was supposed to be good. Michigan's 3rd string was scoring on them. Minnesota in this game wasn't as well regarded.
October 1st, 2011 at 11:59 PM ^
Was that the game where IU had a first and goal and then, after multiple sacks/penalties, ended up punting at midfield (which we then blocked)?
October 1st, 2011 at 6:32 PM ^
2011 Ohio State.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:35 PM ^
Ohio looks like the second-worst team in the conference today.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:47 PM ^
Minnesota played badly today but for whatever reason they were completely out of the game mentally and psychologically. Many mental mistakes and what appeared to be a lack of effort. Part of that is us taking the fight out of them but they looked defeated almost from the start.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:48 PM ^
They're pretty bad, but some of the Northwestern teams from the 60s, 70s, and 80s were significantly worse.
October 1st, 2011 at 6:50 PM ^
We just abused them repeatedly. IU got a bit better when Corso became their coach, and Iowa did a complete turnaround under Hayden Fry when he started there in 79, but during the early years under Bo they were beaten like the rented stepsister.
October 1st, 2011 at 7:05 PM ^
Northwestern '75 to '81 is as bad as you'll ever see in the B1G.
October 1st, 2011 at 7:30 PM ^
recall at executing anything, they could barely field kickoffs for crying out loud. Are they the worst Big Ten team, probably not but I go back to the late 70's, early 80's when the scholarship numbers were different. There were some BAD Big Ten back then.
I think they're a better team (by better I mean not 58-0 horrible with Gray and their coach, they still probably wouldn't win a game in the Big Ten) , but a) new coach, new systems then said coach is out because of seizures b) best QB and main reason the offense works is out = a team lacking in confidence and in complete disarray. On the other hand its nice to know USC struggled with this team.
Michigan took care of bidness and compared to the last couple Big Ten openors when everyone thought Michigan would roll and we ended up in dogfights with freaking Indiana, this was an excellent day.
October 1st, 2011 at 8:36 PM ^
Northwestern and Indiana have had worse teams in my lifetime (im in my 30s).
October 1st, 2011 at 9:51 PM ^
team in each of the last 4 or 5 decades that were as bad or worse than 2011 Minnesota.
And to be fair, you have to base it on Minnesota's total year, not just today's game.