It’s the NU Bowl.
Both the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Northwestern Wildcats lay claim to the title of NU, although most people use NW in place of NU when referring to Northwestern University and it drives NU grads crazy when you do that. Some of them take offense if you call them NW instead of NU. Their trademark school chant is “Go U! NU!” Well I blame ESPN, Fox Sports and all the other college sports broadcasting outlets for this, as they always use NW.
Besides the Nebraska Cornhuskers deserve to be NU; they have the history and tradition. Except in 2011, when NU was upset in Lincoln by NU. Or should I say NW. Don’t look for a repeat of that on Saturday.
SPREAD: Nebraska Cornhuskers -7.5
TV: Big Ten Network 2:30 Central, Chuck Long, Eric Collins and Jon Jansen
Northwestern Wildcats preview:
Haven’t we learned now that obfuscating or “spinning” injury news gets you nowhere?
Eventually the truth will come out, you can’t hide it. Being covert and misleading on injury information will only take you so far. You need players, good players, and you need them to be healthy. You can’t scheme your way out in the long term. Or use psychological ploys to overcome physical and talent mismatches; eventually the jig is up.
Use all the NHL style “lower body injury” and Chicago Blackhawks “upper body injury” terminology you want, that still won’t solve the issues in your running attack, and it won’t bring back Venric Mark, who is rumored to have a fractured leg. If Purple Blaze doesn’t run again this year he’s eligible for a NCAA medical hardship exemption, and he’ll probably get it. If that’s the way Northwestern and Mark decide they want to go. Probably a good idea as there isn’t anything left to play for at this point, other than the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and the 15 extra practices that come with preparing for it.
We all knew something was up with Venric Mark when Pat Fitzgerald decided to burn the shirt of freshman running back Warren Long back in week three versus lowly Western Michigan. Of course, Fitz denied it then and was Bill Belichick style with the media when asked about it in the WMU postgame press conference, but we knew something was amiss. Especially given the way NU handled the public knowledge of the Dan Persa injury, and then his re-injury. Don’t get me started on how they obfuscated the Persa rehabilitation.
And now with Mark gone and Kain Colter not 100% anymore the ground game is gone. Ever since Ohio State on Homecoming, which was indeed the Super Bowl of the Pat Fitzgerald era, team morale, emotion surrounding the program and the play of the offensive line all went into a tailspin. As fast as the “NW” bandwagon filled up in September, it’s been deserted even faster in October.
Northwestern was 4-0 averaging 41.3 PPG before ESPN College Gameday arrived on campus, but 0-4 averaging 15.8 PPG since then. And you’ve had dismal moments by the caseload since then. The back-to-back holding penalties on back-to-back sacks at Wisconsin, the regression of QB2 Trevor Siemian (the strip sack versus the Gophers was his nadir) and the inability to stop Minnesota QB Phillip Nelson from icing the game on a naked bootleg when the whole coaching staff new exactly what was coming.
And of course, the ultra-conservative play-calling and questionable decision making by Pat Fitzgerald at Iowa.
He seemed to not have faith in his offense; at least not enough to give them a real chance to win in regulation; this despite having one of the best placekickers in the game. Instead Fitz played for overtime. Well, this is just yet another reason why the luster is off him now as a big school head coaching prospect. Fitzgerald is 4-15 versus ranked teams and 26-34 in his career in the Big Ten. I never bought into the Fitzgerald to USC/Texas rumors. They seemed like complete B.S. drummed up to sell newspapers at the time, and those ideas are certainly extinguished now.
Nebraska Cornhuskers preview:
On ESPN College Gamenight Final, during that silly mock trial segment they have every week (I’m still yet to meet a college football fan who says they look forward to that by the way) Lou Holtz referred to the Nebraska defense as “great.” That’s why they pay him the big bucks folks! For brilliant insights such as those.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers defense is so “great” that it ranks 9th in the Big Ten in rushing , 9th in total defense and 11th in red zone defense.
Last week was a total disaster, as all three phases of the team had issues in Minnesota. Taylor Martinez definitely appeared rusty. What had seemed to be progress for “NU” since the UCLA debacle is now all back to square one. The Nebraska Cornhuskers look right on track to finish 8-4; because four losses is exactly how Bo Pelini rolls. He’s still yet to get his first conference championship, and it was thought he had an easy road to Indy; given the way the schedule set up nicely.
So much for that.
Michigan State has the inside track in the division now, and when they come to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers; they’ll have revenge on their minds. You’ll notice I haven’t talked at all about the 2011 upset of “North Platte’s Big Ten Team.” I just don’t see that game as relevant here. I get why you’d bring it up, there are plenty of similarities between now and then, but I just can’t see lightning striking twice in the same place.
Faux Pelini said it best
If we had a game today Armstrong would start. Also we would win by forfeit because Northwestern isn’t even here
— Fake Bo Pelini (@FauxPelini) October 28, 2013
@TeddyGreenstein @NebraskaFireBo I DO NOT LIKE PEOPLE WHO ANONYMOUSLY RUN SMART ASS TWITTER ACCOUNTS wait let me rephrase that
— Fake Bo Pelini (@FauxPelini) October 28, 2013
Brutally honest record 65-25
Brutally honest prediction: Nebraska Cornhuskers 27, NU 19
I’m more likely to go on to a mommy blogger’s facebook fan page and jump right into the online conversation about whatever boring minutia mommy bloggers talk about than I am to pick Northwestern to win any game this season; other than Illinois. Because this Wildcats team is reliving 2001 all over again. It was the last time the cats entered the season with a national ranking; they entered conference play undefeated, lost to Ohio State in the opener, and finished with four wins. Past is prologue.
Catch me every Tuesday at 10:30 AM Central talking Northwestern and Illini for 1620 The Zone Omaha
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a regular analyst on news talk radio stations across the world; with weekly segments on NBC and Fox Sports Radio. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks) and RSS