Pete Najarian with another smart forecast: Gophers football headed in right direction

Pete Najarian was invited to speak to the Gophers football team before its rivalry game against Wisconsin last month, and his message summed up Minnesota's season to that point.

"I explained to them, 'Look, you only get 12 games every single year. Yeah, you get a bowl game, but you really get 12 games a year," the former Gophers linebacker and current television personality and market analyst said. "You have to be up for all 12. You can't look by anybody.

"It's why I love football as a game, and it is great. It's also heartbreaking because there's a limited amount of games and that makes every single game important, including Bowling Green. Including Illinois."

The Gophers' 8-4 season is difficult to judge. They fumbled a chance to win the Big Ten West division with losses to Illinois and Iowa, and suffered an unacceptable home loss to Bowling Green.

But the season can't be summarized without acknowledging that the running back room was decimated by injuries to the point where linebacker Derik LeCaptain was flipped to be a ball carrier. Former Gophers coach Glen Mason's golden rule of having "a pair and a spare" of running backs needed an edit: "Find a pair of spares or face more despair." On top of that, former offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. could not unlock the passing game.

Did the Gophers have a successful season? Or did they survive the season?

One thing can't be denied as coach P.J. Fleck watched commitments roll in on National Signing Day on Wednesday: When the Gophers defeated Wisconsin 23-13 in the regular-season finale and clutched Paul Bunyan's Axe for the first time since 2018 — and the first time at home since 2003 — it was as if they yanked a magical sword out of stone.

The Gophers have been on a roll since then.

After beating the Badgers, Mohamed Ibrahim, one of the top running backs in the country who was lost for the season in Week 1, announced he was returning to Minnesota for 2022.

Quarterback Tanner Morgan, looking to regain the form of two seasons ago when he was accurate and dangerous throwing the ball, pledged to play another season. Wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell then informed Morgan while the two were in the football offices that he, too, was returning.

This week, standout center John Michael Schmitz joined the reunion party and committed to another Gophers season.

Sanford, whose schemes were increasingly under criticism, was not brought back as offensive coordinator. Kirk Ciarrocca, who worked wonders with a younger Morgan, was brought back. And talented defensive coordinator Joe Rossi had his contract extended. It's been an impressive streak of positive developments for the Gophers before their Guaranteed Rate Bowl matchup with West Virginia on Dec. 28.

Najarian has been encouraged by what he has learned about the Gophers' recruiting class, pointing out the school was able to land a handful of prospects from the state of Florida, which hasn't happened often. He's stood on the sidelines at games and has noticed bigger and more athletic players in maroon and gold.

Combined with the returning players and adjustments to the coaching staff, he likes where things are headed. The next step, Najarian argued, is that the athletic department needs to do more to consistently sell out Huntington Bank Stadium while the Gophers are on the upswing. Announced attendance averaged 46,140 this season in a stadium that holds 50,805 — but it looked much less than 46k a few times.

So, Pete, did the Gophers have a successful season or did they survive the season?

"I just think the program is in a really good spot," Najarian said. "It is great when we should be mad that we are 8-4. I think if you go back far enough, you would say, wow, we would kill to be 8-4 some seasons."