Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[ShireNiner]

losing by two in the CCG, then by 1 to Georgia.....heartbreaker.

hoping you can at least keep Taylor, but judging by your post in the CB that may be wishful

He went pro.. but that’s not even the issue. Losing him was kind of expected but the rest..damn. Posting it later

[ShireNiner]

Wow so close. Hate to lose games like that.

Lost on a failed 2pt and a blocked xtra point. Can’t get closer than that.

[The JZA]

[ShireNiner]

I have no words. We have no clutchness.

[ShireNiner]

2025 College Football Season Recap: Miami Rises, Chaos Unfolds, and a Wild Offseason Begins
Gopher Observer| Jan 10, 2026

Mark Fletcher lead the Hurricane's all season, leading to the first National Title since 2001.

The 2025 college football season delivered everything fans could ask for—fireworks, chaos, breakthroughs, heartbreak, and a national champion few saw coming. When the dust finally settled, it was Miami standing alone, completing a remarkable 14–2 season by defeating Texas Tech (13–3) in the College Football Playoff National Championship. For a program long searching for national relevance, the Hurricanes’ return to the top of the sport defined the year.

A Year of Surprises at the Top
The top of the final standings tells the story of a season without a dominant team. Miami surged late, Texas Tech shocked the sport with its toughest, most resilient team in decades, and Ohio State—despite falling short in the CFP—posted a strong 12–3 campaign that solidified their standing as a perennial contender.

But the biggest surprise among elite programs came from Indiana. The Hoosiers rode a tenacious defense, disciplined offense, and several close-game victories to finish 10–4 and No. 4 in the nation—their highest postseason ranking of the modern era.

Other notable finishes include BYU (11–4) and Tulane (13–2) crashing into the top six, Notre Dame rebounding to 10–4, and Texas A&M and Baylor returning to top-15 form.

Minnesota’s Breakthrough
The Minnesota Golden Gophers, finishing No. 15 at 9–5, delivered one of the program’s strongest seasons in recent memory. Their résumé included ranked wins over BYU, Nebraska, Oregon, and a dominant rivalry victory over Wisconsin. Despite losing in both the Big Ten Championship Game and the Citrus Bowl, Minnesota’s physical run game and much-improved defense signaled a program on the rise.

Running back Darius Taylor cemented his status as one of the nation’s elite players, earning First Team All-American honors. His absence in the bowl game only underscored his immense value to the Gophers’ offense.

Coaching Carousel
The offseason has already begun with one of the most dramatic coaching carousels in recent history. Major programs changed hands, blue bloods gambled, and several familiar faces jumped to new opportunities:

Steve Sarkisian left Texas for Michigan, shocking both fanbases.
Dabo Swinney, after a turbulent final year at Clemson, took over at Alabama, signaling a major philosophical shift in Tuscaloosa.
Kalen DeBoer departed Alabama after one season for Nebraska, creating a domino effect across the Big Ten.
Lance Leipold took over Wisconsin, giving the Badgers their most proven program-builder in years.
Matt Campbell resurfaced as the new head coach at TCU.
Butch Jones landed at Purdue, while Matt Rhule made a surprise move to UCONN.
Multiple coaches, including Jay Norvell, Jim Mora, and Brian Brohm, made the jump to the NFL.

The 2025 All-American Team
Byrum Brown USF QQ
Darius Taylor MIN HB
Cam Cook Jack St HB
Kole Wilson Baylor WR
DJ Riles Georgia St WR
Caleb Douglas TT WR
Max Klare OSU TE
Kadyn Proctor BAMA LT
Cayden Green MISS LG
Logan Jones Iowa C
Jaeden Roberts BAMA RG
Blake Miller Clemson RT

David Bailey TT LEDG
Rueben Bain Jr Miami REDG
Eddrick Houston OSU DT
Braxton Fely Boise DT
Rasheem Biles Pitt SAM
K’von Sherman Toledo MIKE
Stanquan Clark Louisville WILL
Josh Moten S. Miss CB
Daniel Harris Georgia CB
Caleb Downs OSU FS
Kendal Daniels OK SS


Looking Ahead to 2026
With Miami raising the trophy, Texas Tech emerging as a new power, and the Big Ten facing seismic shifts in leadership, the sport heads into 2026 loaded with intrigue. Miami appears poised to repeat, Georgia looks to regroup after a volatile 9–4 season, and programs like Duke, Tulane, and BYU have cemented themselves as legitimate top-25 threats.

This off-season, the only thing we know for certain is no teams are changing conferences. The Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12 remain the powerhouses untouched while the Pac12 is in discussions with the Mountain West, Conference USA, and others for a possible 2027 shake up.

[ShireNiner]

Minnesota’s 2025 Season Ends With Momentum — but an Offseason Defined by Massive Departures Kills the Buzz
Gopher Observer| Jan 16, 2026



The Minnesota Gophers closed the 2025 season with a 9–5 record, a Big Ten Championship Game appearance, and a near-upset of Georgia in the postseason. But as the final whistle sounded in Orlando, it became clear that the real story of Minnesota’s year might not be how it ended—but how dramatically the roster will change moving forward.

This offseason, Minnesota faces one of the largest single-year talent exoduses in program history. Graduation, the NFL Draft, and a flood of transfer portal departures have stripped away staggering levels of production across all three phases. Nearly every veteran skill-position contributor is gone. Most of the starting offensive and defensive fronts have departed. And many of the team’s most promising young players are moving on before having played a full season in maroon and gold.

Offensive departures include -
Drake Lindsay (backup QB, Transfer)
Darius Taylor (1st string RB, NFL), Johann Cardenas (2nd string RB, Transfer), Cam Davis (4th string RB, Graduated)
Le'Meke Brockington (Starting WR, Graduated), Logan Loya (WR/KR, Graduated), Quentin Redding (WR/KR, Graduated), Javon Tracy (Starting WR, Transfer), Malachi Coleman (Starting WR, transfer)
Frank Bierman (TE, Graduated), Jameson Geers (2nd string TE, graduated), Drew Biber (Starting TE, Graduated)
Aluma Nkele (RT, Graduated), Dylan Ray (Starting RT, Graduated), Marcellus Marshall (Starting RG, Graduated), Tony Nelson (Backup RG, Transferred)

In total, 7,306 snaps, 808 pass yards, 4 passing TDs, 2,376 rush yards, 21 rushing TDs, 2,451 receiving yards, 21 receiving TDs, and the offensive lineman leaving have allowed 1 sack total between them.

The players returning have combined for 1,764 pass yards, 16 passing TDs, 535 rush yards, 5 rush TDs, 0 receiving yards, 0 receiving TDs.

The defensive side was hit just as hard.
Anthony Smith (LEDG, Transfer), Lucas Finnessy (REDG, Graduated), Rushawn Lawerence (LEDG, Graduated)
Jalen Logan-Redding (DT, Transfer), Deven Eastern (DT, Graduated), Abu Tarawallie (DT, Transfer)
Maverick Baranowski (MIKE, Transfer), Jeff Roberson (WILL, Graduated), Joey Gerlach (MIKE, Transfer), Devon Williams (WILL, Graduated), Derik LeCaptain (SAM, Graduated)
Koi Perich (FS, Transfer), Za'Quan Bryan (CB, Transfer)

In total, 6,243 snaps, 24.5 sacks, 8 interceptions are leaving. The top four tacklers, top five leaders in sacks and top three in takeaways are leaving the team.

Retuning is 3,664 snaps, mostly by four players Kerry Brown (SS), John Nestor (CB), Aidan Gousby (FS), and Evan Redding (CB). The players returning combined for 1.5 sacks and 4 takeaways.

[redsox907]

can't believe that exodus after the stellar season. I hope they all transfer to Big Ten opponents and you dog walk each and every one of em

[djp73]

29 players?
We lost 40 going into year two at Delaware, total overhaul.
Hopefully you can bring in enough talent to avoid a big drop off.