What the rest of the world thinks of the Gophers

Things inside the borders of Minneapolis can get pretty stifling when the Gophers aren't doing very well. When the team is playing poorly, sportswriters are more likely to go off, and fans are more likely to speak up. Sometimes it's hard to step back and get some perspective, positive or negative (I'll give you a hint, it's mostly negative).

Let's take a look at what the outside world is saying about this Gophers' team and their tourney chances:

• Tom Dienhart at Big Ten Network said he's officially off the Gophers bandwagon after Thursday's loss to Wisconsin – and points out how tenuous the Minnesota future is.
• CBS Sports' Jerry Palm still has Minnesota getting an at-large bid.
• Wins at Northwestern and against Indiana are crucial for the Gophers to stay on the bubble says the Daily Big Ten.
• The folks at Basketball Predictions say Minnesota was seriously considered in their final bracket projection, but just missed out.
• Rob Dauster of Ballin' is a Habit knows Minnesota will have to "prove they belong" in the tourney.
• ESPN's Joe Lunardi dropped the Gophers to the "last four in" category of his bracket field – and that was before the Wisconsin loss.
• Big Ten Powerhouse has taken a pitying tone regarding the Gophers after the loss to the Badgers, and says one more loss will be the difference between the big dance and the big disappointment.