Nobody should complain about the Gophers' 34-24 loss at Wisconsin on Saturday, not with the Maroon and Gold coming closer to winning a Big Ten title than just about any point since their last one in 1967.
The Gophers wound up 8-4 in the regular season for the second year in a row under Jerry Kill. This year, though, they won five Big Ten games for the first time since 2003 under Glen Mason, and they entered the final week of the season with an opportunity to win the conference crown.
Kill and his capable coaching staff won road games at Michigan and Nebraska, a feat that didn't seem possible only a few years ago. Remember that they went 3-9 in both 2010 and 2011, with 2011 the first year of the program under Kill.
There will be a reward for the Gophers, who are expected to get a New Year's Day bowl invitation. If so, it would be their first Jan. 1 bowl game since the 1962 Rose Bowl.
And remember, the Gophers are competing with facilities that are far inferior to most of their opponents, including the team they lost to on Saturday.
Second quarter turning points
Kill made it clear before the game that for his team to win, it would have to not turn the ball over and not be the subject of key penalties.
But the Gophers had chances to expand their lead beyond the 17-3 point it got to but failed to execute, leaving the Badgers in the game.
The Gophers had two drives in the second quarter that were big turning points. Leading 14-3 with about 11 minutes left they drove to the Wisconsin 10-yard line, setting up a third-and-5. Mitch Leidner took a broken play and dove headfirst to set up what looked like first-and-goal from the 5, which would have given the Gophers a good chance to go up 21-3 early. But Tommy Olson was called for a personal foul, a hands-to-the-face penalty — a call that is never made. The penalty moved the Gophers back to the 22-yard line and they had to kick a field goal.