ESPN College Football

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(All information as of July 1, 2005)

Expectations are a double-edged sword. Without them, a football coach can fly under the radar, hiding mistakes and mediocrity, but also seeing successes met with little fanfare. On the other hand, high expectations focus the glare of the spotlight on failures and bring great accolades for the program's achievements.

Last season, for the first time in years, fans of the Minnesota Golden Gophers had high expectations for their football team. After all, their squad was coming off its first 10-win season in a century, sporting a tandem of elite running backs, a veteran offensive line and a promising defense.

But instead of cashing in on those Rose Bowl dreams, the Gophers ran their Pasadena drought to 44 years and counting with a late-season collapse reminiscent of some of the program's most profound failures.

Minnesota charged out of the gate with five straight wins last year. A season-opening rout of Toledo was probably the Gophers' most impressive effort, as the offense ripped off three touchdowns in each of the first three quarters en route to a 63-21 thrashing of the Rockets.

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