Josh Dobbs and Justin Fields are very similar players.

Quarterback Kain Colter is also pretty similar. Let’s run, and let’s throw sideways.

JON and Mick were gone by now in non-bowl seasons. And you’ll see patchwork staffs stick around with an interim coach after a head coach is fired in a Jimbo-like bowl season.

But, if Bajakian is gone, could that happen soon? Or are we mostly waiting until late December?

If the decision has been made, I assume that NU is actively pursuing candidates now regardless.

I’ve seen all the sniping on here about Fitz. Full disclosure: I’m a Fitz fan who thinks he has done so much for this program and this school. I think he was railroaded unfairly by the awful, gutless administration, and he is going to make them pay. Literally. If Fitz deserved firing, it was for the JON hire and the results of the previous two seasons, which were atrocious.

I have been extremely impressed with Braun, starting with that impossible press conference at B1G media day, which he nailed — despite aforementioned “leaders” hanging him out to dry. For this team to have pulled off a winning season (overall and in conference!) is just extraordinary. The loyalty and respect this man has engendered from his guys is palpable. Adversity into success. Who knows how he’ll recruit / perform as a HC, but year one — under the worst circumstances — was incredible. He should be B1G COY. And despite the mess at IL (in a win thank God), the D was dramatically improved, which was Braun’s top task in the first place.

He was hired to perform that task by Pat Fitzgerald. A very strong hire. And, in ways that I’m sure have been unexpected and painful for him, Fitz has given us the gift of our next head coach. Thank you, Fitz.

Let’s go win a bowl game.

I don’t think this game is going to be easy. They have length at guard and can shoot. Not a good matchup for Big Matt, and I think Preston and Hunger will get bigger minutes, along with that small lineup that had Martinelli at 5(IIRC).

This one is for all the marbles. @lou v and I stand tied at 8-3 and have picked different teams to take home the Hat.

Check out this week’s fearless forecast to see our picks.

Is there one today/this week with no upcoming game this weekend?

Reading the Athletic’s ranking of all 133 FBS teams, there are no 0-12 teams and only 1 (Kent State) at 1-11. Somehow, that makes me feel worse about the Cats in 2022, so I guess it’s a sad fact, not a fun one!

A lot of moving parts with the coaching carousel but a name to potentially keep an eye on is Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes running back Justus Savage, a current Indiana commitment. After Tom Allen was fired Sunday, he says the Wildcats were among the coaching staffs to make contact with him.

Savage ran for 1,257 yards and 18 touchdowns a year after helping LHHS to a state title as a junior.

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anyone know what that network is and where to find it--not on my Xfinity list.

I was talking to @lou v about the last year in Northwestern sports and this debate popped up. Which team had a more improbable run: 2023 Northwestern football or 2022-23 Northwestern basketball?

The basketball team responded to their fifth straight season under .500, and a public letter from athletic director Dr. Derrick Gragg casting doubt on the future of Chris Collins as head coach beyond that season. They were almost unanimously picked to finish at the bottom of the conference and responded with a 22-12 season and the second NCAA Tournament in school history.

The football team rallied from a hazing scandal that wracked the program and caused the firing of long-time head coach Pat Fitzgerald to finish with a 7-5 record, earn a bowl berth and finish second in the last season of the Big Ten West under interim, and then permanent, head coach David Braun. Much like hoops, this team was predicted preseason to finish in the basement of the Big Ten and proved everyone wrong.

Football hasn't played their bowl game yet, which could factor in here, but I still think it's neck and neck.

After retaking the Hat, @mikefitz77 has three things we learned, two questions we're asking and one bold prediction as Northwestern prepares for their bowl game.

After retaking the Hat, @mikefitz77 has three things we learned, two questions we're asking and one bold prediction as Northwestern prepares for their bowl game.

So if we had pulled out that Iowa game, and everything else this season happened exactly as it did, we would be the Big Ten West champs. Amazing to think about it. The last minute of that game was crazy. (Especially if you were there, standing anll game, and surrounded by screaming Iowa fans.)

This is the first time that Northwestern will play UTEP in its history, @mikefitz77 has ten things to get you up to speed on the Miners before Saturday.

Who's number 1, Michigan, Georgia, OSU? Who cares because we are not far behind. Thank you to Nicole Auerbach, who ranked us as her #10 team this week!

10. Northwestern (6-5)​

What a week for the Wildcats! First, the school took the interim tag off of David Braun, making him the program’s full-time head coach. Then the Northwestern players added to the celebrations with a 23-15 win over Purduethat made them bowl eligible. It’s a remarkable moment for a program that kicked off this season in disarray, just weeks after a hazing scandal cost longtime head coach Pat Fitzgerald his job and thrust Braun into the spotlight without any FBS coaching experience. Braun did more than just steady the ship, as the Wildcats played hard all year and battled through injuries to get to this point. Quarterback Ben Bryant threw for 230 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown pass to Cam Johnson that helped Northwestern pull away.

Considering where this program was in August, the Wildcats may be the biggest pleasant surprise of the season.

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(Before you jump on me or her, she notes "The final spot each week will go to a team that may not actually be the 10th best team in the country but still deserves a little shine.")

Allen gone after 7 years pocketing 20 million in buyout.

In his post game, Bret Bielema was upset about the non-call of holding at the two point conversion. Said that NU (Gallagher) was holding before the pass was thrown off the helmet of Bastone and that the officials should have conferred prior to calling off the holding call due to the tip. As you may recall, the TV rules expert suggested the same thing plus indicated that the play was unreviewable by replay.

It seems to me the officials did speak to each other prior to waiving off the holding. The replay did show holding before the pass but in defense of the officials, without the benefit of the replay which wasn't allowed, it would have been surprising for any other official to have seen the hold as they were otherwise occupied watching other aspects of the play.

Bielema didn't rant, he just was disappointed. Good coach. NU caught a break in a season where they got their fair share.

CBS/Jerry Palm: NYC vs GaTech

Saturday Blitz: PHX vs Iowa State

247: PHX vs Kansas

CFN: PHX vs Kansas

Athlon: PHX vs Kansas

ESPN:
Schlabach: PHX vs West Virginia
Bonagura: Nashville vs Auburn

Transfer Cat leading Virginia receiver by a wide margin with 68 / 935 / 6. Really having a good year. UVA is 2-6 but lost 4 games by a total of 10pts.

With a strong finish, he could be getting all American votes. Good for him. Always a fan of his

JMU and JSU are now bowl eligible, since there were not enough schools that qualified for bowl consideration. You would not want to draw JMU but it will at least introduce them to the big leagues and possibly embarrass an unmotivated team.

How does the revenue work for bowl games? Assuming NU gets revenue from the game?

Both 247 and Action have Northwestern playing Kansas in the Phoenix Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Assuming that that becomes our destination there is another team that could well be our opponent there if they become bowl eligible tomorrow. That is BYU whose fan base is legion in the closer West and Southwest States to include Arizona. It would basically be a home game for BYU and certainly attractive to a bowl committee seeking to fill seats.

Today Nebraska was eliminated from bowl contention. If Wisconsin can defeat Minnesota tomorrow and Northwestern holds off Illinois the Cats are assured of not going to Detroit with Phoenix becoming the most likely landing spot. Even if Illinois becomes bowl eligible at least two sites (247 and Action) see Northwestern going to Phoenix.

So now returning to the question at hand, what is the likelihood of Northwestern's opponent being BYU?

Standing at 5-6, BYU needs to beat #21 Oklahoma State to get a bowl invite to one of the contracted Big 12 Bowls which include Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix. Last week BYU played #13 Oklahoma with a one score heartbreaking loss at 31-24. If against lesser Oklahoma state they can make up the difference for that one score loss we could well see BYU as our opponent in Phoenix.

Just like the Wildcats are not being predicted by practically anybody to beat Illinois tomorrow, their feline counterpart, the Cougars, are underdogs. One of the betting sites has the Oklahoma Cowboys scoring 37 and the BYU Cougars being held to 17. It is a home game for Oklahoma State where they are 5-1 at home and a road game for BYU which is 1-4 on the road.

So as to whether the Wildcats will be playing the Cougars in Phoenix on December 26th, it looks like it comes down to whether tomorrow is upset Saturday in Champaign and Stillwater.

While Northwestern was out retaking the Hat, four of its commits played in their state semifinal games. Two advanced, read about how each of the four did in this week’s roundup.

While Northwestern was out retaking the Hat, four of its commits played in their state semifinal games. Two advanced, read about how each of the four did in this week’s roundup.

He guided the program through a tumultuous stretch. Made the right hire making Braun the intern when a lot of people wanted him to look outside the program.