For the Northwestern Wildcats, it’s the first of two unexciting weeks, leading into what will be an exceedingly exciting week (or two) of build up versus #4 Ohio State. After they destroy Maine on Saturday, it’s a bye week, and then…ESPN College Gameday coming to Ryan Field?? For the showdown with the Big Ten’s best team, THE Ohio State University.
ESPN hasn’t announced it yet, but it’s very likely, given the slate of games NU vs tOSU will have to compete with that weekend. Gameday has their annual novelty contest this Saturday when they travel to Fargo. The North Dakota State Bison host Delaware State in a battle of FCS……..YAWN. So hopefully Gameday does come to Evanston on October 5th for a real game, what should be a battle between two top 15 teams.
But it’s not really ESPN’s fault they got stuck with such junk for this week.
This week is that NOTORIOUSLY TERRIBLE Saturday which occurs every September- where it seems every BCS conference team schedules a mid-major, low-major, or FCS team. The Big Ten usually does it in week four, as a final preseason tuneup before conference play begins. The Big Ten isn’t alone, all the major conferences are doing it, hence Chris Fowler and company are doing a league-previously-known-as-Div-1AA-game. So as much as I rip on the NFL for how bad preseason has become, and I praise college football for not having a preseason at all…this is that dreadful preseason.
SPREAD: Northwestern Wildcats -30
TV: BTN- Josh Lewin, J Leman, Antwaan Randle-El, 2:30 CDT
Hashtags: #B1GCats #B1G
Maine Analysis: They are undefeated. But they haven’t beaten anyone you’ve heard of. This is the third all-time meeting between Northwestern
and a school currently in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Northwestern Wildcats suffered a loss at Ryan Field to New Hampshire in Pat Fitzgerald’s inaugural season as head coach (2006). They trounced Towson in the 2009 season-opener.
Since losing to New Hampshire in 2006, Fitzgerald has since guided the Northwestern Wildcats to six victories over FCS teams by a combined score of 224-52. Northwestern has scored at least 21 points in 17 straight games. Maine comes in averaging close to 250 yards passing per game and about 28 points per game. And I believe their mascot is the Black Bears.
The last time the Northwestern Wildcats did not hit 21 points in a game was Nov. 26, 2011, vs. Michigan State. Oh and don’t expect to see Venric Mark in this one. Don’t expect to see Venric Mark in the game versus Bye Week either.
Back to how terrible this week is for finding fun, exciting games to watch: you got Michigan State versus Notre Dame, Wisconsin versus Purdue in the lone conference game. And Indiana likely to get smoked by Mizzou.
Everyone else in the league…..is taking on a mid-major, low-major or FCS opponent. #exciting
Brutally Honest Prediction Northwestern Wildcats 49, Maine 7
Northwestern has won 16 of the last 20 regular season games it has played. The Northwestern Wildcats are first nationally with eight interceptions and are second in the country in passes defended (25).
Of course, to reiterate one of Fitzgerald’s all-time favorite sayings, which he said after the Western Michigan game:
“You guys know philosophically that I think stats are for losers. I don’t care about stats, I care about wins.”
Listen to me every Tuesday at 10:30 AM CDT talking Illinois Fighting Illini and Northwestern Wildcats on 1620 The Zone
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