All times CENTRAL, and all games played on Saturday, December 2. Rankings come from the CFP poll. All games available nationally unless otherwise indicated. This is the Big Ten Championship.

Northwestern is off this week.

And the rest:

Big Ten Championship
#2 Michigan vs. #16 Iowa @ Indianapolis, IN
7:00 PM, FOX
PxP: Gus Johnson
Color: Joel Klatt

All other Big Ten teams are off this week.

Here's @mshelton33's summary of the Cats who were recognized by the conference.

NIU is a lengthy team that possesses similar athletic abilities to NU. However, NU is clearly the superior team as a whole. NIU have a few players who excel at scoring, especially Amos, who was on fire during the game. Number 2 for NIU was a mismatch displaying impressive speed and strength while getting away with a few push-offs. Additionally, NIU has some talented individual defenders, and their guard is exceptionally quick.

Defensively, NU played well, demonstrating good communication and smooth switching. I appreciate how their guards actively contribute to rebounding. One area where the team needs improvement is taking better care of the ball. Nevertheless, offensively, this team has made significant improvements compared to last season, thanks to the development of several players. Their focus on defense remains centered around forcing turnovers, which they were successful at generating during this game.

Martinelli showcased some impressive moves with his left hand and had a fantastic defensive possession, where he blocked an opponent's shot, despite a questionable foul call. He responded to this questionable call by draining a three-pointer from a beautiful assist courtesy of Nicholson. Martinelli's scoring abilities off the bench are a valuable asset to the team.

Buie is so skillful at drawing fouls. He also excels at distributing the ball and has been very active defensively this year, especially in getting hands in passing lanes. He gave up an easy basket to feed Nicholson for a dunk. Buie understands the importance of involving his teammates in scoring to secure victories but needs to work on minimizing turnovers. One of Buie's strengths is his driving ability, particularly when he drives to his right. At times, he displays exceptional performance and becomes almost unstoppable. Among the team, Buie possesses unmatched passing ability, which opens up opportunities for players like Matt and others on the offensive end. He significantly impacted this game with his play.

Langborg started off quietly but later became more involved in the game. He found himself in foul trouble throughout the game but managed to make a three-pointer to kick off the second half. Even when his shots aren't falling, Langborg remains a valuable player due to his intelligence, offensive skills, and decent defense. He showcases more athleticism than I expected.

Barnhizer should look to pass the ball when he's trapped near the low post, as sometimes he takes shots when he's not in the ideal position. However, he does possess a smooth shooting stroke from beyond the arc, and his shooting percentage is likely to improve this year. Like others, he needs to work on reducing turnovers. Despite not scoring, Barnhizer continues to contribute significantly on the defensive end and with his hustle plays.

Hunger, undoubtedly, possesses the highest offensive potential among all the centers for NU. However, he simply needs to become more comfortable within the team's offensive system and improve his defensive positioning. There is still significant room for growth on the defensive end of the court. On the offensive side, I appreciate his size and ability. It was impressive to see him score from midrange with a faceup move. He also had another impressive drive to the basket in this game. The coaching staff has a proven track record of developing big players, and Hunger possesses more natural skills than both Nicholson and Olah. His shooting form suggests that he is capable of hitting three-pointers, although it would be great to see him actually make one. If he can play defense well enough to take the backup center's minutes, it bodes well for NU's bench strength.

Clayton made an excellent move after receiving a handoff from Nicholson. Unfortunately, he struggled defensively and allowed his opponents to score 10 points on him in the first half.

Berry displayed quick hands and had a few outstanding defensive possessions. He was able to generate numerous steals by disrupting passing lanes and challenging driving players. He caused three steals early in the game, with the third leading to an easy dunk for himself. However, he landed awkwardly after being undercut while attempting a beautiful three-point shot. Prior to that, he had showcased solid defensive plays and seemed to be gaining momentum. It was encouraging to see him back in the game after that incident. Berry displayed great awareness as he grabbed a rebound and immediately passed to a wide open Buie. He also made some impressive shots. His defensive contributions have a significant impact on the team.

Nicholson continues to display excellent passing skills from the top of the key. It was satisfying to see him finish strongly in traffic while also drawing a foul for a successful dunk. The dunk, where he was not initially aware of the contact, gave him an early boost of confidence. It is evident that he is currently the team's best center in terms of defense. He displayed his defensive skills by preventing an easy score after the opposing guard beat Martinelli off the dribble, showcasing Nicholson's ability as a help defender. If he had performed this way against Mississippi State, the outcome could have been different. His court vision has significantly improved this season. He should focus on utilizing his size to secure more rebounds. Overall great game for the big man.

This was a definitive victory against a solid MAC team. Onto the next one. Go cats.

I did not catch the whole interview but he did well. Interesting note he did not mention or thank the NU administration once (don't blame him). Also, they asked where would we be playing next year and he had no real answer. Interesting Braun goes on the radio before Gragg. Oh welp......

The PFF player grades get adjusted throughout the week, so I'll start out with snap counts and other stats then update it as the week goes on:

Frank Covey IV: First snaps for the freshman! Covey was identified as a possible impact player in his first season before being sidelined with injury the first 11 games. Looks like he'll be in the slot/speedster type role that has been Ray Niro III's in the past, and maybe take on a bigger role there if Henning moves up the depth chart.

"Y'all have to get somebody else! He ain't the one no more!" That's what WR Cam Johnson said after making his fifth straight catch on Illinois DB Zachary Tobe. He finished with five catches on five targets for 96 yards with Tobe across from him. Illinois made a switch soon after that play.

Ben Bryant, dual-threat quarterback: Bryant had four carries for 29 yards rushing, removing sacks from the total. He got tripped up behind the line once on a scramble, but otherwise every time he kept the ball on a read-option or scramble he picked up a first down (3) or a touchdown (1). I wouldn't hold my breath for his 40 time, but he's still done a ton of work to be more mobile in, around and outside the pocket.

The four horseman: Gallagher, Mueller, Heard and Turner: The first three played all 71 snaps, Turner played 70. Next highest was Hollis with 61. Take your pick of platitudes, those four guys meet the mark. Not their best game defensively and some tackling struggles reemerged, but they're the rock of this defense and the four players Braun trusts the most (with Azema out).

Old reliable: After giving the keys to the young guns over the last few games, senior players like Sean McLaughlin and Richie Hagarty joined staple starter Jaylen Pate with the most DE snaps. There's also been a bit of a shuffle at DT as Bastone and Spencer started together and Story moved into the second wave with Reggie Pearson, then Brendan Flakes as the utility fifth.

One-hit wonder: Anto Saka is a pass-rush specialist to say the least. He had nine snaps but still got a key sack to end an Illinois drive. With older guys like McLaughlin and Hagarty it's understandable why he's in a smaller role, but I really look forward to seeing what he can do in a larger, 25-35 snap serving next year alongside Kilbane.

Kenny Soares back in action: While Coco Azema unfortunately couldn't go, Kenny Soares returned from missing the Purdue game with his usual workload of 27 snaps. Great to have him back in the mix as the staff didn't have full faith in Metz to step directly into that role

Thank God Bernstein is not conducting this interview. Mully and Haugh are pretty capable interviewers.

paraphrasing a few things:

"We have to be the most physical team in the Big Ten."

"[vs. Minny]I remember walking up and down the sideline vs. Minnesota. You want to see if the team believes. You are looking for body language, for positive energy. And I saw it. They believed."

Just made aware of this. The good news is NU has applied for a Demolition Permit and as the article states.........The state historic preservation office cannot permanently stop a project, but process will delay teardown



Ryan Field Demolition Delayed

@lou v and I give our thoughts on David Braun being named the consensus 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Do you still fire Bajakian and Anderson?

This LoL game feels like it took years off my life, but what a win for our Cats, 45-43 (on a 2nd onsides kick attempt after an 80 yard TD play).

7-5 and I still can't believe we have a record like this after the offseason, and 5-4 in Big Ten play.

And to win it on a game in which Illinois needed this win to guarantee a bowl slot and instead we put Bielema's Illinois at 5-7 in his 3rd year there.

5-1 at Ryan Field in its last year of the current stadium and the HAT to top it off. All credit to the players and coaches for sticking through it and making this happen.

I appreciate it a lot more seeing Illinois at 5-7 and a program like Nebraska in their 7th year of losing records. It's hard just to get to 6 wins these days and will get harder still in the years to come, so I'm going to treasure what this team gave us.

Braun earned his job 2 weeks ago, and the team kept delivering these past 2 games (though there are probably things to clean up after this Illinois game, but what a feeling after the past 2 years of uncompetitiveness in this game).

Northwestern has expanded its recruiting efforts across the pond this season, and secured the commitment of British CB Timi Oke. @lou v has the story on his commitment.

I'm only considering players who played MOST of their Wildcat career between 2010-2019.

This just hit my inbox from the NU Football Office. Is this the same award as that referenced in the USA Today awardings subject of a prior thread?

Coach of Year in B!G

We need an AD worthy of this group…or they won’t be sticking around for long.

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@lou v and I give our thoughts on David Braun being named the consensus 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota are all denied their 6th win.

We avoid Detroit, right?

I've been following along, but not closely. Any thoughts on which way the vote will go today?

Odds are that a resurgent Wisconsin will keep Minnesota from becoming bowl eligible and #20 Iowa will likewise deny Nebraska their chance to go to a bowl. That would leave the contractual Big Ten bowl slots filled only if Illinois can squeeze in by a win against Northwestern. Northwestern wins and The Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit, as the last in the pecking order, will remain unfilled. That would move us up to Phoenix based on the just released bowl projections from the Detroit press:

Here’s how the rest of the Big Ten’s teams are projected - (with Illinois winning Saturday)

• Citrus Bowl: Iowa vs. LSU
• Music City Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Texas A&M
• Las Vegas Bowl: Maryland vs. USC
• Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers vs. Georgia Tech
• Guaranteed Rate Bowl: Illinois vs. Kansas
• Quick Lane Bowl: Northwestern vs. Toledo

The Detroit Paper has Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State all going to the higher non-contracted bowls.

Detroit Free Press Big 10 Bowl Projections

Interested to see where he ends up.

even though only 5 wins.....not enough 6 win teams...and Minni got a tiebreaker based on academic performance (graduation rate I believe)....It only grinds me cuz I just do not like the fleckster...but good for the kids and more money for BIG10 and us ?

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opi...ntly-northwestern-michigan-scandals-editorial

And many of the coaches who supervised the football program for years — including Dave Braun, who replaced Pat Fitzgerald as head coach after the university cut him loose — are still there as well.

Click to expand...

Should someone tell them that Braun joined in January which is AFTER the hazing was reported?

Nick Hill, the current HC at SIU looks to be an intriguing OC candidate for NU. @AdamOnFirst brought this up on the freeloader board and I thought it deserved its own thread over here.

Hill has an impressive resume. He’s a former QB at SIU who runs the Air Raid. Looks as though he’d get a nice salary bump at NU. He would also be an excellent recruiting resource downstate.