PJ Fleck's Gophers Row Right Past the Nittany Lions

Published on 9-Nov-2019 by Alan Adamsson

Football - NCAA    NCAA Football Daily Update

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PJ Fleck's Gophers Row Right Past the Nittany Lions

Seems like maybe Minnesota shoulda been taken more seriously all along.

It sure didn't look like the Golden Gophers were having an exceptional day during their 31-26 takedown of the vaunted Penn State Nittany Lions.

They spent the afternoon playing with and staying with a national big-brand, and when the rubber met the road, being the dudes who didn't blink.

 

Based on what the all-knowing Selection Committee determined after a plush weekend of viewing video and scrutinizing stats, Penn State was 13 slots better than Minnesota.

Why?

Surely, it wasn't strength of schedule. Compare their non-cons:

 

Gopher coach PJ Fleck's schtick is constantly reminding his team to row a damn boat. Whatever. The important thing is his players have bought in.

Big time.

There's lotsa Scandinavian heritage in Minnesota, and for clashes such as this, it'd be natural for those fans to think of only one boat: the feared dragon ships of their ancestors:

 

It was the first sign that dudes meant business.

 

Fortunately, there's now another way to say scoreboard, baby.

Which is what the Golden Gophers did:

 

A frustrated Nittany Lion Nation had a hard time accepting parity, whether or not it was for the day or the season.

 

Being real, the Minnesota secondary was doing an impressive job of mixing coverage that Penn State's offense never really did figure out.

There's little time for the Gophers to bask in their accomplishment. They're off to Hawkeye country next weekend, and Wisconsin looms two weeks after that.

Dudes well know a loss to Iowa means the Badgers could then win the division by knocking them off.

Penn State's still well in the hunt for their division title.

If they ever were tempted to look past the quite capable Indiana Hoosiers in front of the Ohio State game, they aren't now.

This is the sorta multi-faceted scenario that college football should have, and whoever emerges as the Big Ten titlist damn well deserves a Featured Four berth.