It’s still Fitz’s program, and it’s atrocious

[NUCat320]

Now that we’re not blinded by history and good vibes and ‘Go Cats’ and a 25-year relationship and a name in the rafters, geez, Fitz had built a program that had turned to complete garbage.

Awful line play. Four senior starters who couldn’t protect another transfer quarterback because the program can never get any out of high school. A DLine of castoffs and walkons — high effort but limited. Talented back seven defensively, but it doesn’t matter because the game is won on the line. And an offense totally devoid of playmakers — our great hope is a dude who managed 400 scrimmage yards in three seasons at Michigan.

The staff has an unaccountable OC and an unaccountable OLine coach and those playmakers are so weak because of a decade of an unaccountable WR coach.

Pat Fitzgerald built a program to respectability on Mike Hankwitz’s broad shoulders, and he lucked out with Thorson and JJTBC.

Watching this club will subject us all only to misery.

We’re gonna party like it’s 1999 (3-8). Nah, 1989 (0-11)? Actually, probably 1979 (1-10).

Gross.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Its Schill's team.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Cats against the world.

 

[kaTNap]

Its Schill's team.

Schill didn't hire Anderson, Bajakian, or Springer.

 

[curdog]

Now that we’re not blinded by history and good vibes and ‘Go Cats’ and a 25-year relationship and a name in the rafters, geez, Fitz had built a program that had turned to complete garbage.

Awful line play. Four senior starters who couldn’t protect another transfer quarterback because the program can never get any out of high school. A DLine of castoffs and walkons — high effort but limited. Talented back seven defensively, but it doesn’t matter because the game is won on the line. And an offense totally devoid of playmakers — our great hope is a dude who managed 400 scrimmage yards in three seasons at Michigan.

The staff has an unaccountable OC and an unaccountable OLine coach and those playmakers are so weak because of a decade of an unaccountable WR coach.

Pat Fitzgerald built a program to respectability on Mike Hankwitz’s broad shoulders, and he lucked out with Thorson and JJTBC.

Watching this club will subject us all only to misery.

We’re gonna party like it’s 1999 (3-8). Nah, 1989 (0-11)? Actually, probably 1979 (1-10).

Gross.

Yeah man, Kurt Anderson is just hot garbage as a coach. Oline has been a weak spot forever. I fully believe there is talent at this position but the production is awful. Can’t wait for him to leave town

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

Schill didn't hire Anderson, Bajakian, or Springer.

So what? In effect he kicked a bunch of players off the team and slammed the remaining student-athletes as unethical barbarians -making it pretty clear that they are not supported by the administration.

Then he promoted a guy with no FBS experience from defensive coordinator to head coach and gave him two months to get ready.

Given as much thought as if the Intro to Political Science professor needed to be replaced at the last minute because he wasn't paying his parking tickets.

 

[NUCat320]

So what? In effect he kicked a bunch of players off the team and slammed the remaining student-athletes as unethical barbarians -making it pretty clear that they are not supported by the administration.

Then he promoted a guy with no FBS experience from defensive coordinator to head coach and gave him two months to get ready.

Given as much thought as if the Intro to Political Science professor needed to be replaced at the last minute because he wasn't paying his parking tickets.

None of this changes the fact that NU was a one-win team last season. The attributes that contributed to that season, and the three-win season before it, remain.

The performance today was embarrassing. And it looked a whole lot like Wisconsin and Illinois and Iowa last season.

 

[PurpleWhiteBoy]

None of this changes the fact that NU was a one-win team last season. The attributes that contributed to that season, and the three-win season before it, remain.

The performance today was embarrassing. And it looked a whole lot like Wisconsin and Illinois and Iowa last season.

NU won one game last year. Thats true.

The difference between us is that I won't be embarrassed by NU football, no matter how bad it gets, because the administration has cut the legs out from under the program as it was attempting to rebound.

So I blame no coaches. I blame no players. They aren't deliberately wrecking the program.

 

[stpaulcat]

Schill didn't hire Anderson, Bajakian, or Springer.

No, but he now owns it.

 

[NUCat320]

NU won one game last year. Thats true.

The difference between us is that I won't be embarrassed by NU football, no matter how bad it gets, because the administration has cut the legs out from under the program as it was attempting to rebound.

So I blame no coaches. I blame no players. They aren't deliberately wrecking the program.

Miserable, not embarrassed. My purple flag still flies.

How different would today have looked if the two-week suspension had stood?

 

[Jaguar 88]

NU won one game last year. Thats true.

The difference between us is that I won't be embarrassed by NU football, no matter how bad it gets, because the administration has cut the legs out from under the program as it was attempting to rebound.

So I blame no coaches. I blame no players. They aren't deliberately wrecking the program.

The program had rebounded, it just went off the rails in '19, with a brief spike of success in'20 to only go off track again in '21-probably '23 at least! Even with Fitz, you still have the crappy assistants and an underwhelming starting roster. If we would play my alma mater next week(EMU) the Cats would probably lose. Shoot, if UTEP gets their crap together and come out swinging they might just embarrass us at home. Fitz wasn't going to get the program back to 2015-18 form stuck with a ball control offense, and his defensive guru/ crutch gone, along with a gaggle of hack coordinators/assistants, who for the most part couldn't recruit even when we were winning. Our lines suck!!! The D is decent thus far, but will be constantly gassed by mid third quarter without a functioning offense.

 

[Katatonic]

Can't recruit/develop a home grown QB (this is important as getting a notable QB recruit can help recruiting at the skill positions), can't recruit/develop home grown receivers and now TE, the defensive front 7 is devoid of talent, etc.

But the worst thing is that this program, time and time again, has failed to recruit/develop even an average O-line.

Heck, Wake Forest, with significantly less resources, has been able to run out above average to pretty good O-lines numerous times.

Even Franklin has appeared to have fixed PSU's O-line woes.

So much for improved recruiting from the 2 division championships; Fitz and his staff clearly blew it when it came to evaluating recruits.

There was better individual talent on some of the Peay teams.

 

[kaTNap]

So what? In effect he kicked a bunch of players off the team and slammed the remaining student-athletes as unethical barbarians -making it pretty clear that they are not supported by the administration.

Then he promoted a guy with no FBS experience from defensive coordinator to head coach and gave him two months to get ready.

Schill's comments didn't make our O line stink today, and neither did Braun taking over as HC. Schill's comments didn't make Bajakian stick with an offensive game plan that requires an O line that can pass block competently, even when it's clear he has no such thing.

 

[zeek55]

NU won one game last year. Thats true.

The difference between us is that I won't be embarrassed by NU football, no matter how bad it gets, because the administration has cut the legs out from under the program as it was attempting to rebound.

So I blame no coaches. I blame no players. They aren't deliberately wrecking the program.

I don't see how the offense would've been any better today with Fitz as HC.

Bajakian's been running that side of the ball the past 2 years with the same exact results as today's..., what exactly would be different there?

 

[PurpleFaze]

NU won one game last year. Thats true.

The difference between us is that I won't be embarrassed by NU football, no matter how bad it gets, because the administration has cut the legs out from under the program as it was attempting to rebound.

So I blame no coaches. I blame no players. They aren't deliberately wrecking the program.

The program was already in the dumpster before this past offseason. Three of the last 4 seasons were basically unwatchable. If Fitz was still here and no players left this might have been a 3 win team instead of 1-2 (I’m assuming we can somehow beat Howard and maybe UTEP)

And I think it’s very fair to blame coaches that have been here for multiple years and are doing poor jobs. Our OC and online coach are just stealing paychecks

 

[Eurocat]

I just don't get it,

Stanford gets it. They see the value in a winning football team. (And they have had basketball success with coach Montgomery too).

Duke gets it. They have missed on some hires but they mean well, they want to win. They "get it". Surely I don't have to talk about their basketball program.

I don't understand why we do not. What the hell?

 

[zeek55]

I just don't get it,

Stanford gets it. They see the value in a winning football team. (And they have had basketball success with coach Montgomery too).

Duke gets it. They have missed on some hires but they mean well, they want to win. They "get it". Surely I don't have to talk about their basketball program.

I don't understand why we do not. What the hell?

I feel like we had things going well with Hank and McCall (Hank's brilliance in churning out regularly top-flight defenses papering over most of our issues as well as McCall putting together offenses that could hold onto the ball and win tight games often enough with timely production), but the moment Hank left everything has gone off the rails.

As others have pointed out, this is what happens when you whiff so massively on the DC and OC hires and some others as well.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Now that we’re not blinded by history and good vibes and ‘Go Cats’ and a 25-year relationship and a name in the rafters, geez, Fitz had built a program that had turned to complete garbage.

Awful line play. Four senior starters who couldn’t protect another transfer quarterback because the program can never get any out of high school. A DLine of castoffs and walkons — high effort but limited. Talented back seven defensively, but it doesn’t matter because the game is won on the line. And an offense totally devoid of playmakers — our great hope is a dude who managed 400 scrimmage yards in three seasons at Michigan.

The staff has an unaccountable OC and an unaccountable OLine coach and those playmakers are so weak because of a decade of an unaccountable WR coach.

Pat Fitzgerald built a program to respectability on Mike Hankwitz’s broad shoulders, and he lucked out with Thorson and JJTBC.

Watching this club will subject us all only to misery.

We’re gonna party like it’s 1999 (3-8). Nah, 1989 (0-11)? Actually, probably 1979 (1-10).

Gross.

Even with Thorson and JJTBC, our offense was middling at best. It’s clear that any success that Fitz had as a coach was due to the greatness of Mike Hankwitz. Period.

Braun could have been a decent DC. But, we will never know now. Bajakian? He’s as bad as JON and why Fitz kept him on after last year (and the several before it) is why Fitz should have been fired.

Clean house. Bring in a new coach and transfers. And the Air Raid. Coach Prime showed what you can do if you get someone in here who knows what he is doing.

 

[KnottSlim]

Yeah man, Kurt Anderson is just hot garbage as a coach. Oline has been a weak spot forever. I fully believe there is talent at this position but the production is awful. Can’t wait for him to leave town

Just wish he could coach olineman half as well as he smokes meats

 

[phatcat]

Cats against the world.

I'll give the points and take the world

 

[FanatiCat]

Clean house. Bring in a new coach and transfers. And the Air Raid. Coach Prime showed what you can do if you get someone in here who knows what he is doing.

I’m curious, how highly rated are the dozens of guys that transferred into CU? It’s not an easy thing to look up but I suspect they are not higher rated than TCU’s guys. And they were certainly undersized in general. Wait - under recruited and undersized is NU’s hallmark, right? And CU was 1-11 last year just like NU?

Yet Coach Prime was able to get this team to come out both barrels blazing and beat a TCU team that was playing for the national championship 8 months ago.

 

[CappyNU]

I’m curious, how highly rated are the dozens of guys that transferred into CU? It’s not an easy thing to look up but I suspect they are not higher rated than TCU’s guys. And they were certainly undersized in general. Wait - under recruited and undersized is NU’s hallmark, right? And CU was 1-11 last year just like NU?

Yet Coach Prime was able to get this team to come out both barrels blazing and beat a TCU team that was playing for the national championship 8 months ago.

Good enough to get the #1 rated transfer class per TOS: https://247sports.com/college/colorado/Season/2023-Football/Commits/

 

[NUCat320]

I’m curious, how highly rated are the dozens of guys that transferred into CU? It’s not an easy thing to look up but I suspect they are not higher rated than TCU’s guys. And they were certainly undersized in general. Wait - under recruited and undersized is NU’s hallmark, right? And CU was 1-11 last year just like NU?

Yet Coach Prime was able to get this team to come out both barrels blazing and beat a TCU team that was playing for the national championship 8 months ago.

It’s a little different. Hunter was the top rated recruit in the country when he chose to play at Jackson State. Moore was a Notre Dame decommit. Little Prime was a top recruit as well.

There’s way more talent on Colorado than there’s ever been at NU. Colorado was just about as bad as NU last season, but there’s perhaps *no* coach that can replicate what Deion has done.

How funny/cool/whatever that everyone’s just gone with ‘Coach Prime’. A shame that ‘Coach Neon’ didn’t stick instead. Coach Prime is a recruiting advantage like Coach K’s ‘ultimate leader’ commercials a decade or two ago.

NIL is a bigger advantage tho.

 

[ColumbusCatFan1]

I’m curious, how highly rated are the dozens of guys that transferred into CU? It’s not an easy thing to look up but I suspect they are not higher rated than TCU’s guys. And they were certainly undersized in general. Wait - under recruited and undersized is NU’s hallmark, right? And CU was 1-11 last year just like NU?

Yet Coach Prime was able to get this team to come out both barrels blazing and beat a TCU team that was playing for the national championship 8 months ago.

Sanders brought in several highly rated transfers, outside of just his sons. Travis Hunter was the #1 rated prospect coming out of his class and committed to Deion at Jackson State. It was a whole thing (and one that left Nick Saban looking like a jerk…surprise, surprise).

Deion is a phenomenal marketer and channels that into his recruiting pitch. His bluntness/directness also rings true with many young people.

 

[IGNORE2]

Good enough to get the #1 rated transfer class per TOS: https://247sports.com/college/colorado/Season/2023-Football/Commits/

Could that relate to volume?

 

[FanatiCat]

Sanders brought in several highly rated transfers, outside of just his sons. Travis Hunter was the #1 rated prospect coming out of his class and committed to Deion at Jackson State. It was a whole thing (and one that left Nick Saban looking like a jerk…surprise, surprise).

Deion is a phenomenal marketer and channels that into his recruiting pitch. His bluntness/directness also rings true with many young people.

I stand corrected, I just found the transfer class rankings on TOS. That’s a good amount of high end talent that we would never see here. Also helps if coach’s son is a 4* QB. Though Fitz should be just as proud of Jack’s 4.0/36 ACT!

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Miserable, not embarrassed. My purple flag still flies.

How different would today have looked if the two-week suspension had stood?

A lot.

 

[phatcat]

Miserable, not embarrassed. My purple flag still flies.

How different would today have looked if the two-week suspension had stood?

I think about the same. The lines are so thin.. I expected 2-10 before Bryant and Henning arrived, then upgraded that slightly, We lost a few portal guys but I don't think they'd have made a difference in the outcome yesterday. We had negative yards rushing until the garbage time drive...against Rutgers. Imagine this offense against Iowa.

Also, if fitz had been retained, what leads us to believe anything would have changed? Maybe no fake punt? Jake's gonna Jake, apparently. There would still be a hailstorm of lawsuits and other distractions, possibly worse

 

[NUCat320]

A lot.

What do you think would have changed if Fitz were here?

Quarterback play was *better* than it was in the Freeman games. Probably more playmakers outside, though no Hull.

And NU played the innovative 2-3-4 defense — just letting the tackles lay down — as they did all last season.

What changes if Fitz is here? Does it look different or better?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

What do you think would have changed if Fitz were here?

Quarterback play was *better* than it was in the Freeman games. Probably more playmakers outside, though no Hull.

And NU played the innovative 2-3-4 defense — just letting the tackles lay down — as they did all last season.

What changes if Fitz is here? Does it look different or better?

I think the team took as hard of a gut punch as possible when they unexpectedly lost their leader. The majority of the players were/are upset. Teams at this level are not plug and play when changes are made. We all love Braun, but he has never even been.a P5 DC let alone HC. He needs to tell the team “I got this” instead of all of the uncertainty he projects with the “I am learning” stuff. The learning is true, but I would want to say “ I got this dammit, and so do you”. Learning can’t be an excuse for Braun, if he expects players not to make excuses for being new. I hope we don’t hear this anymore and the expectations are increased.

 

[CappyNU]

I think the team took as hard of a gut punch as possible when they unexpectedly lost their leader. The majority of the players were/are upset. Teams at this level are not plug and play when changes are made. We all love Braun, but he has never even been.a P5 DC let alone HC. He needs to tell the team “I got this” instead of all of the uncertainty he projects with the “I am learning” stuff. The learning is true, but I would want to say “ I got this dammit, and so do you”. Learning can’t be an excuse for Braun, if he expects players not to make excuses for being new. I hope we don’t hear this anymore and the expectations are increased.

Fitz also hadn't been a "P5 DC let alone HC". Obviously not apples to apples given his history as a player and asst coach.

 

[NUCat320]

I think the team took as hard of a gut punch as possible when they unexpectedly lost their leader. The majority of the players were/are upset. Teams at this level are not plug and play when changes are made. We all love Braun, but he has never even been.a P5 DC let alone HC. He needs to tell the team “I got this” instead of all of the uncertainty he projects with the “I am learning” stuff. The learning is true, but I would want to say “ I got this dammit, and so do you”. Learning can’t be an excuse for Braun, if he expects players not to make excuses for being new. I hope we don’t hear this anymore and the expectations are increased.

Again, you didn’t answer what was asked because you don’t like the answer.

To refresh:

How different would today have looked if the two-week suspension had stood?

A lot.

What changes if Fitz is here? Does it look different or better?

What about the team that we saw last November would lead you to expect anything different than what we saw yesterday?

Reminder: NU lost its four November games (including the OSU windstorm) by an average of 22 points per game, and closed the season by losing to Illinois, at home, by 38.

If Fitz were here, if Fitz hadn’t been fired, that math says it would’ve been worse.

What do you think and why?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Fitz also hadn't been a "P5 DC let alone HC". Obviously not apples to apples given his history as a player and asst coach.

Correct, and his start wasn’t terrific. Can’t remember back that far, but don’t have a recollection of him emphasizing that he is new and learning. Just not what I would want to hear as a player.

 

[kaTNap]

Correct, and his start wasn’t terrific. Can’t remember back that far, but don’t have a recollection of him emphasizing that he is new and learning. Just not what I would want to hear as a player.

Nothing screams "I'm new and I'm learning" quite like taking 3 points off the board in order to ensure a loss to Duke. It would have been honest and humble for him to have admitted it.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Again, you didn’t answer what was asked because you don’t like the answer.

To refresh:




What about the team that we saw last November would lead you to expect anything different than what we saw yesterday?

Reminder: NU lost its four November games (including the OSU windstorm) by an average of 22 points per game, and closed the season by losing to Illinois, at home, by 38.

If Fitz were here, if Fitz hadn’t been fired, that math says it would’ve been worse.

What do you think and why?

Why is everything so black and white with you? The defense will be better coached. The offense is a train wreck, but has better skill position players, especially at WR and QB. I have way more confidence in Fitz to get the attention of the team than I do in Braun despite recent results. He has ACTUALLY had winning seasons and a few can’t after a pathetic performance or two in the first month of the year. What am I not answering for you? Just because you disagree doesn’t make it a non-answer. You act like the HC makes no difference at all. Fitz’s faults are clearly moving too slowly in replacing underperforming Coaches. No argument there. However, he finally dumped JON, Springer and Long, and all those areas improved from last November. I believe he should have dumped Jake and said so at the end of last year. Clearly, the players are in an incredibly difficult position. Everyone but a few people on this board wants to see them fail. If you don’t think that impacts performance of college aged kids, I don’t know what to tell you. This is not business as usual.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Nothing screams "I'm new and I'm learning" quite like taking 3 points off the board in order to ensure a loss to Duke. It would have been honest and humble for him to have admitted it.

Here is the thing. Fake it til you make it. The team has to have confidence in the leadership. I would hate to have my HC sounding overmatched even if he made those errors. Admit it to the team and make sure you are committed to never f@&$ up like that again. Being new is an excuse to be bad if you let it be. Stop talking about being new or expect your players to use the same Alibi. Braun was put in a terrible spot but at some point he is going to have to take charge like a non-interim Coach.

 

[mesacat]

But crickets from Skip. Is Braun going to get anything beyond a soundbite from him?

 

[EvanstonCat]

Sanders brought in several highly rated transfers, outside of just his sons. Travis Hunter was the #1 rated prospect coming out of his class and committed to Deion at Jackson State. It was a whole thing (and one that left Nick Saban looking like a jerk…surprise, surprise).

Deion is a phenomenal marketer and channels that into his recruiting pitch. His bluntness/directness also rings true with many young people.

But we were told by the know it alls that it was all a Schtick. Anyone who understood football couldn’t possibly believe he’d have a chance at being successful. We are told that historical track record can’t be overcome. That we have all these disadvantages that we can’t recruit against. How can we possibly convince young men to come to a program that has been as poor as we have been the last 2 years, and with no facilities, errr… I mean stadium, uh…. no money, ummm… I mean academic restrictions, yeah academic restrictions (nevermind Duke and Stanford) to come to NU

 

[EvanstonCat]

I stand corrected, I just found the transfer class rankings on TOS. That’s a good amount of high end talent that we would never see here. Also helps if coach’s son is a 4* QB. Though Fitz should be just as proud of Jack’s 4.0/36 ACT!

Never under Fitz. Maybe if we had someone who could actually recruit like hmm…. St. Gary who actually did get a ton of 4 star talent to Evanston (who not coincidentally all left with B1G rings) we could again

Oh, but we recruited character.

 

[Jaguar 88]

But we were told by the know it alls that it was all a Schtick. Anyone who understood football couldn’t possibly believe he’d have a chance at being successful. We are told that historical track record can’t be overcome. That we have all these disadvantages that we can’t recruit against. How can we possibly convince young men to come to a program that has been as poor as we have been the last 2 years, and with no facilities, errr… I mean stadium, uh…. no money, ummm… I mean academic restrictions, yeah academic restrictions (nevermind Duke and Stanford) to come to NU

Facilities are low priority for a teenager. Whenever I have read an article when sportswriters ask NFL players what got them to go to the school they chose, the top reasons given were the promise to start from the get go, and the ability of said program to get the kid into the NFL. Facilities were mentioned, but the guys used that if they were on the fence with some programs. Getting lucky at recruiting events was cited more than facilities.