Has Minnesota improved enough to win the Big Ten West? - SB Nation
Mason is Minnesota's most successful coach of the last five decades. In 1999 and 2003, he led the Gophers to their first two ranked finishes since 1962. In 2003, they won 10 games for the first time in 98 years. They went to seven bowls in eight seasons between 1999 and 2006 after going to just five ever. Mason finished with a winning record more times in 10 seasons (five) than the last four Minnesota coaches had combined. Minnesota went 7-5, 7-5, and 6-7 after his 2003 breakthrough, and while the 2005 squad ranked a healthy 17th in F/+ (easily the Gophers' best mark of the last 10 years), they lost five games, and after going 6-6 in 2006, they blew a huge bowl lead... Projected S&P+ ranking : 42. 5-year recruiting ranking : 65. Biggest strength : This secondary could be nasty with any hint of a pass rush. Biggest question mark : Can the offense avoid regression without its best rusher and receiving target. You can understand frustration when growth slows, but Minnesota was bowling and still recruiting to a clear identity. For the first time since 2006, Minnesota played at a level that exceeded the Big Ten average. Source: www.sbnation.com
