2020 Minnesota football predictions on the HG

By Jake Wimberly

What’s to like:

Right now, everything. P.J. Fleck has Minnesota headed down the pipe of the right barrel headed into 2020 and his fourth season.

The Gophers had their first double digit winning season a year ago since 2003 and only their second since 1905; yes, you read that correctly.

But this is no normal Minnesota team nor coach.

A year ago, this team averaged 34 points per game and gave up 23, which is right in line of where our average score grader is to get to 10 wins. Minnesota returns one of the best quarterbacks in college football in Tanner Morgan, and he returns Rashod Bateman, Chris Autman-Bell and Demetrius Douglas as experienced pass catchers.

The Gophers also return Antoine Winfield Jr. in the secondary, who led the team with seven interceptions.

Minnesota also plays the easiest schedule in our Big 10 schedule rankings.

Click here to learn about all our great products.

What’s not to like:

Minnesota must replace 1100-yard back Rodney Smith to graduation and six of their top eight tacklers from a year ago. Minnesota has improved their recruiting profile under Fleck, but we will see how the quality and depth play out this year.

Also – how well can this team handle success? They will not sneak up on anyone in 2020.

What does the Hourglass Say?

2020 Minnesota pick:  12-0; but losing to Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship

2019 HG analytics pick: 5-7; Actual Record 10-2 (58 percent)

 2018 Analytics Pick 4-7; Actual Record 6-6 (83 percent accuracy)

2017 Analytics Pick 5-7; Actual Record 5-7 (100 percent accuracy)

Three-year analytic percentage on Minnesota = 81 percent

 2020 Minnesota Analytics –

Hour Glass National Recruiting Ranking (three-year metric) 35th – Outside our College Football Playoff bust line. Minnesota does not have a roster worthy of

College Football Playoff just yet. A trip by this roster would be a record setting feat on roster talent to the playoff.

2020 quarterback ranking for Minnesota – 6th in the country. Quarterback metric value at 26.7. Average quarterback metric in the Power Five is 11.66. Minnesota quarterback play is well above average in the country – bordering on elite.

National Coaching Rank for P.J. Fleck on HG Scale: 21st (P.J. Fleck 2020 coaching value set at 8 – Average coaching value for 2020 set at 6.5. – Fleck is considered above average.

ODE Analytics – NOTE: ODE is our offensive and defensive scoring efficiency ranking for each team. We use a two-year evaluation of each program.

Minnesota ranks 26th in the country in our 2020 ODE evaluation. Offensively they have a ranking of 33rd in the country and defensively 39th in the country.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

2019 was a banner year for Minnesota football and 2020 could be even better. P.J. Fleck has built the Maroon and Gold machine back quickly and this year they have the schedule and talent to make noise in college football.

The big question is how will they handle being the hunted as they will not sneak up on anyone this year.

Key weekends in mid-October, at Wisconsin and hosting Michigan, plus an early season matchup with Iowa will define their season.

We feel if they can stay healthy, the schedule sets up so well, this team goes undefeated, but loses the Big 10 championship to Ohio State.

Projected Hour Glass W/L record: Games in red denote games that could be a one possession game or even a different outcome than projection.