The chief complaint about the last three full Gophers football seasons, at least in terms of results, is that P.J. Fleck's program couldn't secure the one win toward that end of the year that would or could catapult them into the Big Ten title game.
In 2019, it was losses to Iowa and Wisconsin that put a slight stain on an otherwise brilliant 11-2 season. In 2021 and 2022, late losses to Iowa proved decisive even in nine-win seasons.
Given how most of the last half-century of Gophers football has gone, these complaints feel a bit greedy. It is preferable to come up a little short of a big goal than to languish at the bottom of the standings.
Fleck's Gophers have created a relatively high ceiling for expectations in good times: Be in the mix for a conference title.
But when the schedule gets more difficult in 2023 (and likely beyond, with four Pac-12 schools joining in 2024) and the Gophers turn to less experienced players at offensive skill positions, this might be just as important: Maintaining a high floor, as Chip Scoggins and I talked about on Tuesday's Daily Delivery podcast.
What that means, in essence, is that even in what might be viewed as a bit of a rebuilding year, against stiff competition, the Gophers need to be a seven- or eight-win team if they are going to build program stability.
For good examples, look at Wisconsin and Iowa. The Badgers haven't had a losing season since 2001. Iowa has only had two losing seasons in that same span. Both programs have been able to capitalize on their special seasons while also treading water during other years.
The Gophers haven't fully capitalized on their best years (2003 under Glen Mason, 2014 under Jerry Kill and the aforementioned Fleck seasons). But they also didn't maintain a high enough floor other seasons. Mason's Gophers went just 10-14 in the Big Ten after the 2003 season. Kill's Gophers fell to 2-6 in conference play in 2015.
