P.J. Fleck’s signature win over No. 4 Penn State in 2019 generated hope and excitement within the Gophers football program that hadn’t been felt in decades. They’ve played six games against top-10-ranked Big Ten teams since that game, and they’ve lost all six by an average of 26.5 points per game.
The Gophers’ 29-point loss against the No. 8-ranked Ducks on the road was their fourth straight loss on the road. The introduction of NIL and the transfer portal has seemingly evened the playing field across the country, but Friday’s result was more evidence that Minnesota is further away from the top tier of the Big Ten than ever.
“They’ve got every resource known to man, but they also coach really, really hard, and they’re really good coaches. When you combine that really good athlete with really good coaching, and that environment, and that type of talent, that’s what you see,” Fleck said after the game…