Running down Tracy on that play caused Purdue to waste a bunch more time to punch it in. Maybe would have made a difference

There, I said it.

Coach Anderson - result - (and not jut the OL, but the running back) -


Coach Jake - you can say the same thing. The fact is we are field goal away from playing against OSU or UM in Indianapolis (and frankly it was the defense that did not stop Iowa, not the OL, not the offense, I was in my den with the tv on during Wrigley screaming at the top of my lungs for God's sakes STOP THEM. That's not on the offense.). The fact is the prior head coach did NOT prioritize offense in recruiting. Heck I am glad my neighbors are friends or they would have called the authorities.

There have been times when the offense "turns it on" and we have been like a machine on those occasions.

Hurl the marshmallows my way, but I am not convinced we need a new OC or OL coach. Sorry. Hate to be the skunk in the room. I say keep everyone and just get better.

Northwestern dropped its first game of the season to Mississippi State, 66-57. Here are our takeaways from the game with some brief postgame comments from Chris Collins.

So saddened to have just learned from Gladeskat's posting from last weekend that Wildcat Family Member Steve Fridley, known here on the WildcatReport Boards as Alan Smithee passed away suddenly on February 9th. It was heartening to read on the thread "Some Sad News" how Steve's life has touched so many here in so many ways and how all share the loss.

Like so many others here my personal acquaintance with Steve revolved around comradeship at Purple Parties and West Lot Tailgates. I was also the beneficiary of his generosity as he shared an extra ticket he had for a game at Ryan Field that we then watched together. If I recall correctly we were doomed to lose it as the final minutes began to run off the clock and I made some smart aleck remark about all we had to do was get a score and then then add a successful onside kick with one more score to win it. Sure enough that is exactly what happened and Steve somehow ended up crediting me with the team's win.

On another occasion for some reason I had a stuffed animal monkey that I had brought to a tailgate and insisted he take it home so it could continue to bring good luck as a Rally Monkey for the games ahead. That was before the Mojo Moose.

At a subsequent tailgate he was pleased to be the recipient of a jar of raspberry jam made from the berries that I had harvested from the raspberry patch in my front yard where the Mojo Moose had begun making their pre-game appearances bringing good karma to the Wildcats.

Here are some photos which include Steve a/k/a Smithee from one of the first West Lot Tailgates we mutually attended. In the first photo he is pictured in the front row, second from the left. I'll check back later and add some more photos taken from over the yeas.

.

Happy for any Bowl but may be time to aim higher.... we are a compelling story to a bowl committee and a fun team.

Our OC has shown some elements of creativity in 4thQ vs Minni and.first half vs Wisconsin.. Can he do this for the next two games? If he can, it might make a case for retention

The Cats’ DLine may not be a fearsome foursome, but the rotation based unit Smith has cobbled out of spare parts and retreads this year has improved from being absolutely manhandled in the Rutgers game to competitive, and in the case of very short yardage play, inspiring. Watching the interchangeable parts members play with discipline and precision down the stretch, I have been amazed at how far they have come. I really thought this unit was absolutely hopeless early in the season, and, considering the way B1G teams are generally biased toward bruising O Lines, doomed to be pushed around like rag dolls. While they aren’t dominant, they are able to compete and even, at times, make big plays. To me, this may be the best position coaching job I’ve seen in a long time.

From the Athletic regarding college football programs currently on the rise:

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 Purdue that 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.

WEST​

CONF
W-L
HOME
AWAY
PF
PA
STRK
1
Iowa
6-2
9-2
6-1
3-1
203
136
W3
2
Northwestern
4-4
6-5
5-2
1-3
228
243
W2
3
Wisconsin
4-4
6-5
4-3
2-2
246
213
W1
4
Illinois
3-5
5-6
3-3
2-3
251
308
L1
5
Minnesota
3-5
5-6
4-2
1-4
228
295
L3
6
Nebraska
3-5
5-6
4-2
1-4
206
206
L3
7
Purdue
2-6
3-8
2-4
1-4
252
334
L1

All times CENTRAL. All games available nationally unless otherwise indicated. I will add announcers and future opponents as they are assigned except for BTN+ games.

First, the NU games:

Western Michigan @ Northwestern
Tuesday, November 14
7:00 PM, BTN+ (streaming only)

Northwestern vs. Rhode Island @ Uncasville, CT (Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament)
Saturday, November 18
1:30 PM, ESPN+ (streaming only)
PxP: Derek Jones
Color: Chris Spatola

Northwestern vs. Mississippi State @ Uncasville, CT (Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament)
Sunday, November 19
12:00 PM, ESPN2
PxP: Derek Jones
Color: Chris Spatola

And the rest:

Monday, November 13

Michigan @ St. John’s (Gavitt Games)
5:30 PM, FS1
PxP: Gus Johnson
Color: Bill Raftery

Rider @ Nebraska
7:00 PM, BTN
PxP: Kevin Kugler
Color: Nick Bahe

Xavier @ Purdue (Gavitt Games)
7:30 PM, FS1
PxP: Jason Benetti
Color: Jim Jackson

Tuesday, November 14

Wisconsin @ Providence (Gavitt Games)
5:00 PM, FS1
PxP: Alex Faust
Color: Bill Raftery

Michigan State vs. Duke @ Chicago, IL (Champions Classic)
6:00 PM, ESPN
PxP: Dan Shulman
Color: Jay Bilas

St. Francis (PA) @ Penn State
6:00 PM, BTN
PxP: Wayne Randazzo
Color: Myles Dread

Marquette @ Illinois (Gavitt Games)
7:00 PM, FS1
PxP: Jason Benetti
Color: Jim Jackson

Iowa @ Creighton (Gavitt Games)
9:00 PM, FS1
PxP: Kevin Kugler
Color: Nick Bahe

Wednesday, November 15

Merrimack @ Ohio State
6:00 PM, BTN
PxP: Jeff Levering
Color: Dane Fife

Stony Brook @ Nebraska
7:00 PM, BTN+ (streaming only)

Georgetown @ Rutgers (Gavitt Games)
7:30 PM, FS1
PxP: Alex Faust
Color: Bill Raftery

Thursday, November 16

Wright State @ Indiana
6:00 PM, BTN
PxP: Kevin Kugler
Color: Stephen Bardo

Missouri @ Minnesota
8:00 PM, BTN
PxP: Cory Provus
Color: Shon Morris

Friday, November 17

Butler @ Michigan State (Gavitt Games)
5:30 PM, FS1
PxP: Kevin Kugler
Color: Robbie Hummel

Robert Morris @ Wisconsin
6:00 PM, BTN+ (streaming only)

Morehead State @ Penn State
6:00 PM, Peacock (streaming only)
PxP: Jason Knapp
Color: Stephen Bardo

Valparaiso @ Illinois
7:00 PM, BTN+ (streaming only)

Arkansas State @ Iowa
7:00 PM, BTN+ (streaming only)

Long Beach State @ Michigan
7:00 PM, BTN+ (streaming only)

Maryland @ Villanova (Gavitt Games)
7:30 PM, FS1
PxP: Brandon Gaudin
Color: Bill Raftery

Saturday, November 18

USC Upstate @ Minnesota
1:00 PM, Peacock (streaming only)
PxP: Steve Schlanger
Color: Tre Demps

Nebraska vs. Oregon State @ Sioux Falls, SD
3:00 PM, Peacock (streaming only)
PxP: Steve Burkowski
Color: Robbie Hummel

Howard @ Rutgers
5:00 PM, BTN+ (streaming only)

Sunday, November 19

Indiana vs. Connecticut @ New York, NY (Empire Classic)
12:00 PM, ESPN
PxP: Karl Ravech
Color: Jay Williams

Western Michigan @ Ohio State
3:00 PM, BTN
PxP: Jason Ross Jr.
Color: Robbie Hummel

Alcorn State @ Michigan State
5:00 PM, BTN
PxP: Matt Schumacker
Color: Bruce Weber

Southern @ Illinois
7:00 PM, BTN
PxP: Wayne Randazzo
Color: Stephen Bardo

Both of these guys walked on senior day, but both have one or more year remaining (by my count). Are they gone/transferring?

Check out this FB post, some good food for thought. One might point out Colorado’s schedule has been harder but he has valid points.

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Edit: looks like it will not post. Here’s the text:

“Two Power 5 teams went 1-11 last year. Both teams ended up with new coaches.

One team promoted an FCS defensive coordinator who has never been a head coach to the position of interim head coach. That coach inherited the 1-11 team as well as the OC, and he has coached his players in front of empty home stands, all while dealing with a demoralizing hazing scandal.

The other team hired an FCS head coach who also benefits from being a Super Bowl champion player and a World Series participant. That coach built his own team almost entirely from vaunted transfers. He brought in his own OC. That coach has coached his team at home in front of a packed house of adoring, cheering fans.

The record of those two Power 5 teams in 2023? 4-5.

Which coach would you say has been more impressive? I say be careful thinking yet another new head coach can be a panacea, especially given all of the obstacles NU faces that won't change.”

Can senior players that were celebrated before the game come back next year or does that mean they are done?

Northwestern has reportedly promoted David Braun to be their permanent head coach. @lou v and I reached out to Northwestern's 2024 commits and prospects to get their reaction on the decision.

Louie and I are at the football game so there won't be any live coverage from WR, but Northwestern (3-0) tips off against Rhode Island (3-0) in Uncasville, Conn. at 1:30 for the Hall of Fame Tip Off.

The game will air on ESPN+

At this point BYU has only five wins and one regular season game to play. With this being their first year playing in the Big 12 that record already exceeds the preseason expectations given the quality of the Big 12 Opponents they were slotted to face. Their wins against Big 12 opponents have typically been as underdogs. This week's game against highly ranked Oklahoma came within one score of a major upset. If they play as well against next week's lesser competition (Oklahoma State) they have a good chance of getting that 6 win record needed to play in the Big 12 vs. Big Ten game slotted for Phoenix.

Prior to this week's win, at least one of the prognosticators (Action Network) had slotted NU for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to be played in Phoenix on December 26th. FWIW, today's also became bowl eligible Wisconsin will not be competing with Northwestern for the slot since they played there last year.

Just noticed that instead of human bylines for the stories on the official Northwestern Sports website, this is what one finds:

"This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive"

Are our Medill graduates being replaced by AI?

By the way this weekend could end up with a cool Trifecta as today's Bowl Eligibility game will be followed by the Championship Game in the Basketball Championship Hall of Fame Tip-Off and the Field Hockey team also plays in a championship game.

There have some incredibly coached seasons in NU football history. Barnett 95 or 96, Walker 2000, Fitzgerald 2018 or 2020, and I am sure Ara had some as well. Where does Braun's season rank in pantheon of NU Football?

College football is the best. This is so cool. Be sure to watch to the end. Better than Rudy.

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That’s pretty huge. We immediately moved from 3 point dog to 1 point favorite.

Bwaaaahahahahahahaaohohohohohoohoh(gaspgasp)okayImokayImokayokayImgoodImgdoooooooodimokaaaaaaayyyyy.........bwahahahahahahahaha,......................

Braun should be the unanimous choice for B1G Coach of the Year. No other coach in the league improved their squad so much from 22 to 23. And on top of getting the interim job just shortly before the start of fall practice and having to deal with all the noise around the Fitz firing.


All this should also put him at the top of the list for National COY.

He's done a truly remarkable and impressive job.

Place is pretty dead…

Can't think of better bona fides for Coach of the Year.