As we said this summer, Northwestern football needs to get at least a split in their two match-ups against similarly privilege, elite institutions (or as the coaches and administration refer to them “the academic comparables”) this non-conference season. They beat the first offspring of 1%ers school handily at Ryan Field in week one. The Wildcats 16-6 victory over Stanford was a lot more lopsided than the score indicated.
Now the Wildcats venture south of the Mason-Dixon line to take on the Duke Blue Devils, and hopefully dampen the mood at a few debutante balls Saturday by pulling the mild upset.
My morning segment previewing this game, talking Illini and Northwestern on KOZN 1620 The Zone:
It is odd though how both Northwestern and Illinois hosted FCS Directional Illinois last weekend, and now both head to Tobacco Road to take on basketball blue blood schools this Saturday. We’ll see if the Land on Lincolnites will triumph. Or perhaps The South Shall Rise Again?
Spread: Duke -3 (?!?! Why is Duke favored over a ranked team? This makes absolutely no sense)
TV: 11:30 AM Saturday ACC Network (yeah, I have no idea what that channel is, and if we get that here in Chicago) NU is the 23rd ranked team in the nation. They deserve a much better television assignment than this.
#23 Northwestern Football Preview:
NU obliterated Eastern Illinois 41-0 last week. They also beat Stanford handily in week one, and that Cardinal team could end up being a contender in the Pac 12 North. They bounced back by trouncing UCF 31-7 in week 2. This Northwestern football team does most of their damage on the ground, with sophomore star running back Justin Jackson again leading the way. Jackson had 78 yards rushing and a touchdown through three quarters versus EIU last week. Back-up Warren Long added 72 yards and a touchdown.
When Northwestern football does take to the air they have a go-to and keep-the-chains moving on 3rd down receiver in Christian Jones.
He is one really important, but very overlooked, story line. This past spring Jones underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee (the same knee where he tore his ACL in August 2014). So he missed all of last season and spring ball this year. However, the last time Northwestern had a possession type of playmaker like this it was Zeke Markshausen.
Duke Football Preview:
They’ve outscored their first two opponents (North Carolina A&T, Tulane) 92-7. However, that taught us nothing. Duke was picked to finish 6th in the ACC Coastal this year, and that says something, given how the ACC is undeniably the runt of the power five conference litter this year.
Still let’s give David Cutcliffe credit for all that he has accomplished in Durham. Getting Duke to a conference title game, as he did in 2013, is really something, because most people at Duke do not care at football; at all.
Duke does have a couple of really good players in S Jeremy Cash (of course, a Dukie is named Cash) and Center Matt Skura. Still the Duke OL versus the NU DL is a bad match-up for them. Not quite as bad a match-up as hard-drinking Southern Belles are for me, but close. (Yes, there’s some hard livin’ behind the text of this Northwestern game preview)
Score Prediction: Northwestern 20, Duke 9
Northwestern football has not surrendered a touchdown yet this season. That will change at some point, but not this week. Yes, NU often suffers one inexplicable non-conference loss to a team that has no business beating them. (Don’t make me break out this list) You’re also right in that Northwestern football usually succeeds when no one expects much of them, and often falls once they get ranked.
However, these trends need to end at some point.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is part of the FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous talk radio stations all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 the Zone.