Marc Trestman has been called many things lately: mad scientist, Willy Wonka, Quarterback Guru, Quarterback Whisperer. Tony Dungy, who was Trestman’s roommate for road games in college described the Chicago Bears ’ new offense: “You’re not seeing Canadian football. What you’re seeing is University of Minnesota 1974 football.”
If Marc Trestman mania hadn’t already started last night…well it’s morning now in Chicago, Marc Trestman mania has officially begun.
Of course, Dungy is the NBC equivalent of Jon Gruden, everything is positive. Everybody is good. Never a discouraging word is heard. To Gruden’s credit, he said on media conference call recently that he’s well aware of people criticizing him for being too positive all the time. It would be good if Dungy did the same.
So what is ’74 Gophers football exactly?
Well, I’m sure Dungy was giving Marc Trestman a complement, or at least trying to. After all, the Bears are 3-0 and averaging exactly 30 ppg. However, Minnesota didn’t even win the Big Ten that year. The ’74 Gophers didn’t even go to a bowl game. They won less than seven games.
So really this was not much of an endorsement of Marc Trestman at all. I’m sure Dungy was referencing the schemes and the system, not the end result. The Gophers have only one Rose Bowl victory in their history, and they haven’t been to a New Year’s Day bowl or won their conference since 1967. Minnesota only has one 10 win season since 1905.
Yet despite all this mediocrity, and losing, they somehow accrued seven national titles. They also won 28 straight games in the 1930s, winning three consecutive national titles (no other other college football team has done that, believe it or not) in 1934-1936. So as bad as the Gophers have been lately, they actually have a distinct place in college gridiron history.
Catch me every Friday at 7:30 AM CDT talking Chicago Bears on WAOR 95.7 The Fan, Michiana’s home for Bears football
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An analyst for 95.7 The Fan and 1620 The Zone, he also writes for Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and Facebook