It’s been a rough football season, but we still have a lot to be thankful for, starting with this community right here.

Hope your day is filled with the three Fs…Family, Food and Football.

1. Is Danny Devito a gnome?
2. Whatever happened to Men Without Hats?
3. What’s up with these Progressive ads featuring undistinguished retired NFL players?
4. Anyone else like gladiator movies?
5. When will we be good again?

I'm not saying anything novel here, but the way the season has (predictably) crumbled against OSU and Michigan doesn't bode well for Braun/Lujan (after next year) or Lausch (after this year). I like all of them. But now we know that NU will have to go to the transfer portal for QB yet again. Lausch doesn't have the best line or receivers or OC, but he's also not doing enough to warrant getting handed the job for next year. And Braun isn't likely to field a better team in 2025, barring some kind of shocking IU talent infusion. So that means he's got the most expensive CFB stadium of all time in 2026, and a new AD doesn't want to get stuck with a program in three years of decline and no sign of recovery. If you're gonna fire Braun, it's after 2025, not after year one of Ryan Field in 2026. If you're gonna lose big in the new stadium, it needs to be with a new coach who's plausibly building toward something. And they will need to completely turn the page on the Fitz regime, including all the staff he hired and developed.

Braun/Lujan and Lausch will have a chance to shock the world next year, or even next week. But that's what it will need to be at this point, a shock, and without the talent that Fitz had accumulated before they arrived.

Dylan Harper is on a scoring tear and has taken over the scoring lead in the Big Ten. With 30 points today, Martinelli regains his rightful place at the top.

I know individual stats aren’t as important as a win, but it’s cool he’s in contention right now.

2 tix for Saturday’s game . Section 227, row 20 seats 1 and 2. $40/each
Email 920 lab at gmail

Has there been any discussion on the playing surface in the new stadium. I assume it will be field turf seeing growing actual grass may be challenging with the partial roof. Does anybody think they will do something wild like purple turf with gold numbers and line markings and hash marks? Or will they stay to a traditional field design?

I am grateful to be part of this community of passionate Wildcat sports fans. I am thankful to wake up with the blessings of my faith, family and freedom. G-d bless America. Go Cats! Keep the 🎩 in Evanston!

He played his first truly meaningful minutes in the NBA last night. Instead of watching the ESPN broadcast; if you were watching the local one, you’d hear the truly knowledgeable announcers actually gushing about his play. His stat line may not show, but was an amazing point guard last night and Kerr trusted him to bring the ball up and initiate play. He was directing everyone and even telling Draymond where to position on offense and pointing at personnel for defense. Kerr even put him in for extended periods in crunch time in the fourth and back in with 1 min left in the game when the game was on the line. He had a great game, is a phenomenal athlete with court vision and smarts. Wish we had him another year at NU!! Keep an eye on Pat!!!!

Isaiah Brutus out of Kissimmee, FL lands an NU offer. Has offers from TCU, Ole Miss, Miss State, Cincy, Purdue, Kansas and Houston.

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When I looked last week I thought it was a 2:30 game. Now I look and it is listed as 11 am. Did they change it? Plus high of 28 degrees and wind chill real feel 15.

DaRon Holmes is off to the NBA, but apparently the Flyers have another NBA prospect in 6'8" G/W Hamad Mousa. Based on this scouting report, he sounds like he has ample physical talents and is just developing his game.

The Flyers may have even less frontcourt size than Lehigh, but safe to say they are much more talented. Zed Key (OSU transfer) plays center. IIRC, we handled him fairly well last year (we slowly destroyed OSU last January at home). The Flyers also have a first year French kid, L'Etang, who stands 7'1" and played 16 minutes vs. St. Francis, putting up 7 points and 8 rebounds.

The Flyers have G Malachi Smith after he missed all but one game last year when he tore his meniscus. Enoch Smith is another G to watch. The good news is that G Koby Brea transferred to Kentucky.

You might recall Geneva IL product Nate Santos from last year's game. He was their second leading scorer last season.

9 Flyers saw double-digit minutes vs. St. Francis. 4 guards saw over 20 minutes each.

Buckeyes adding 91 scholarships across all sports. Seems like they will have quite a competitive advantage (assuming others don’t add). Will have an even greater advantage over NU. 🤦‍♂️


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Blaming Jack is too easy, but a lot insist on it. Start by looking at our OL, as bad as I have ever seen it at NU. It is the root of all of our problems on O. The Freshman might have. Been our best OL today. Do we have an OL Coach?

Our vaunted defense sucks. The game ended when Michigan went right down the field to end the half.
I hate to say this but it looked like the Illinois game two seasons Ago where it w looked like we gave up. Horrendous tackling. Is it just me, or does our opponent score on the first drive of the second half every game. Coaches and Timmy McTackler get your heads out of your ass. Almost every second half we get destroyed and don’t give me that bs about the D being tired from being out on the field too much. Have we come out with any positive half time adjustments? What are these guys doing at half time?

This staff has been awful all season. Braun is proving to be overmatched in every respect. Very nice man, but let’s call it like we see it. He ain’t it as a HC and his hires have flunked the exam too. He better look in the mirror and actually do more than rah rah when we hold a team to three on a drive.

TEAM: 62.9

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Talk about a buzzkill. I open up the roster, and whom do I find but that Irritant Patrick McCaffery. I thought we were done with him.

He's playing well for Butler, getting 33 mpg and shooting 50% from 3 for 14.1 ppg. He rebounds a bit and doesn't turn the ball over. His dad probably beat him any time he turned it over in middle school.

Butler gets most of its offense from its 3 minute-gobbling forwards: McCaffery, Pierre Brooks (33 mpg, 16 ppg) and Jahmyl Telfort (33 mpg, 15.2 ppg). That's 3 guys taking up 100 minutes, which is half of the total team minutes in regulation time (unless there is a penalty kill and some guy sits for 2 minutes).

They have a center with the delicious basketball name of Andre Screen, who averages 6.2 ppg on only 16 mpg, but also pulls in 6.2 rebounds.

So this is going to be an interesting matchup between our Barnelli monster and their guys. Brooks is 6'6" 240, but he appears to spend more time outside (he's shooting 50% from 3 while taking 5 3s per game). Telfort spends his time closer to the basket.

The other Bulldog getting starter minutes is another guy with a great name, Finley Bizjack. That's his real name. Ask his parents. He's more a distributor/rebounder type, averaging 8.8 ppg, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 28 mpg.

G Kolby King (18 mpg) and and Augusto Cassia (17 mpg) round out the main rotation. Cassia is from Brazil but loves central Indiana because Brazil does not have a Culvers.

This will be an interesting game. I think we match up fairly well. They don't have a mobile center for Matt to chase around. I like our combination of size and athleticism (Mullins and Gelo) on the wings. But we will have to do a better job of guarding the perimeter.

Memphis and MSU duking it out for 1st place atm.

Incredible…will be a huge selling point for NU!

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There's also a new entrant to Feast Week this year: The Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, which could revolutionize future holiday tournaments

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The event, anchored by Houston, Alabama and Rutgers, is being held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and will give $1 million in NIL payouts to every participating team. Pay-for-play events are against the NCAA's rules, which means the Players Era Festival organizers are trying to ensure compliance even as all signs point to the games moving forward.

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It will be closely watched by not just the NCAA, but the entire college basketball world. Because the format, and importantly the financial benefits, could become the norm in this new era if it goes off without a hitch. If it doesn't, it will be an anomaly in a strange time for college basketball.

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I hadn't heard about this minor aspect of the "Festival". $1 million in NIL to every participating team? Seems like a whole new can o worms opening up.

I love beating Illinois...some of my favorite memories are watching Tim Beckman get penalized twice for being on the field...and watching Justin Jackson score on about a 55 yard run that is still the best I have seen for an NU back......BUT this game takes on increased significance after the way the Michigan game went down. It created a lot of doubt on a lot of levels. The Illinois game will be the last impression that many have of NU football. Imperative, win or lose, that we COMPETE and put up a respectable FIGHT.
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In his last press conference of the regular season, David Braun evaluated the team’s quarterback play, discussed its transfer portal outlook, and more.

With that backbreaking turn of events before halftime, I’m looking ahead to next year. I know we don’t have the top players but previous coaches have won with similar talent.

I now think (as others have already) that next year will be the audition for the coaching staff to get at least bowl eligible and keep their jobs, or for NU to show they can put up an investment in coaching commensurate with the new stadium to bring in a big name. Not even a Cignetti type that you take a chance on but a proven Power 4 program rebuilder.

Braun has a lot of promise but unclear if he can rebuild beyond last year’s excellent season saving performance. If the D can’t maintain its performance under McGarigle then he is not the right guy despite how much we want the former Wildcat to be. And clearly Lujan has to prove a LOT next year to show that he’s not just successful with superior talent as he was in FCS.

As noted below Kevin Wilson was let go from Tulsa.

Army's schedule 2024:

Patriot League Team
Fired Coach
Fired Coach
Fired Coach
Fired Coach
Trent Dilfer (Almost certain to be Fired Coach soon)
Fired Coach
Air Force
North Texas
Notre Dame
Navy

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Absolute corporate speak from DB.

No bowl this year and based on the schedule plus the QB situation I’m guessing next year gets even worse. New AD and hopefully a lot of the lawsuits are cleaned up and the new guy wants to get his guy in place for the opening of the shiny new building.