The Gophers were blown out at home by Mississippi State 38-13 in Week 2, and the game didn't even feel that close. Was it a difference in talent? Coaching? Let's play the blame game and figure out what went wrong for Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday's result was completely different than Minnesota's blowout losses at Oregon or Ohio State last season. Mississippi State has been near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) over the last two seasons. Its preseason win total was set at over/under 4.5 wins, and the Gophers were favored to win Saturday's game, according to some sportsbooks. So what happened?
Recruiting site 247Sports makes a "Team Talent Composite" every season, which gives us a data point to use when comparing talent. Mississippi State is ranked 20th in the country with 26 four-star players on its roster. Minnesota is ranked 36th with 15 four-star players on its roster, according to the site.
If talent dictated results on the field, the Gophers shouldn't have lost 41-3 at Iowa last season, as they ranked one spot higher than the Hawkeyes on last year's team talent composite. Minnesota beat teams like Wisconsin and Nebraska last season, which ranked higher on the list.
The Gophers have two legit NFL Draft prospects in the trenches with Greg Johnson and Anthony Smith, an NFL-hopeful QB with Drake Lindsey, and plenty more talented playmakers across the field. 247Sports' points system gives Mississippi State's 2026 roster 798.6 compared to Minnesota at 745.8. Is that big enough of a difference for a 25-point loss at home?
#gophers
Saturday's result was completely different than Minnesota's blowout losses at Oregon or Ohio State last season. Mississippi State has been near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) over the last two seasons. Its preseason win total was set at over/under 4.5 wins, and the Gophers were favored to win Saturday's game, according to some sportsbooks. So what happened?
Recruiting site 247Sports makes a "Team Talent Composite" every season, which gives us a data point to use when comparing talent. Mississippi State is ranked 20th in the country with 26 four-star players on its roster. Minnesota is ranked 36th with 15 four-star players on its roster, according to the site.
If talent dictated results on the field, the Gophers shouldn't have lost 41-3 at Iowa last season, as they ranked one spot higher than the Hawkeyes on last year's team talent composite. Minnesota beat teams like Wisconsin and Nebraska last season, which ranked higher on the list.
The Gophers have two legit NFL Draft prospects in the trenches with Greg Johnson and Anthony Smith, an NFL-hopeful QB with Drake Lindsey, and plenty more talented playmakers across the field. 247Sports' points system gives Mississippi State's 2026 roster 798.6 compared to Minnesota at 745.8. Is that big enough of a difference for a 25-point loss at home?
#gophers
4 hours ago
