Please bet Iowa

Wasn't he 4/4 in FGs and and 3/3 PATs? And his 48 yg FG was his longest and pretty key. I think he has missed one all year at NEB that looked like it was just short. Quietly having pretty solid season

The Cats would have the same record as a team that played in last year’s championship game, and also as a team that beat a team that played in last year’s championship game in its opener and got huge national attention as a result?

I feel like the administration wants an excuse to hire him to replace Fitz. Is in large part because they don’t want the embarrassment of getting turned down by 75% of the coaches they inquire about. They also likely don’t want to pay big money for a new head coach.

Still……

Hiring Braun as full time coach would show that the administration is not serious about athletics. He’s a nice guy and proving himself to be a good DC hire. However he’s not qualified to run a Big Ten program and would be a disaster hire.

Did it go well?

After today's nine-point performance against Nebraska, Northwestern is averaging 20.1 points per game. Bajakian's offense averaged less than 20 ppg in 2021 and 2022, and is now teetering on the edge of a third straight year below that mark. Here's some historical context for getting to this point.

Power Five play callers since 2000 with two consecutive seasons of fewer than 20 points per game: (12)

Baylor 2001-02: Greg Meyer
Mississippi State 2001-02: Sparky Woods
Duke 2005-06: Bill O’Brien
Illinois 2005-06: Mike Locksley
Stanford 2005-06: Walt Harris*
Vanderbilt 2008-09: Ted Cain
Colorado 2011-12: Eric Bienemy
Kentucky 2011-12: Randy Sanders
Kansas 2012-13: Charlie Weis*
Illinois 2016-17: Garrick McGee
Rutgers 2021-22: Sean Gleeson
Northwestern 2021-22: Mike Bajakian

*Play calling head coach

Play callers who returned the following season: (4)
Mike Locksley (Locksley had committed five-star wide receiver Arrelious Benn, the Illini made the Rose Bowl the next year)
Charlie Weis (fired four games into 2014)
Mike Bajakian
Ted Cain

Play callers since 2000 with three consecutive seasons of fewer than 20 points per game: (4)
Duke 00-02: Carl Franks*
Vanderbilt 2002-04: Ted Cain
Miss St 2004-06: Woody McCorvey
Washington State 2008-10: Todd Sturdy

*Play calling head coach

Play callers who returned the following season: (2)
Ted Cain
Woody McCorvey

Franks gave up play calling duties in his final season at Duke.


Conclusion: If Bajakian’s offense averages under 20 ppg, he will be the first P5 OC to do so three years in a row in 13 seasons. He will become one of just four play callers to reach that illustrious mark in the 21st century.

It may be time to make Braun the head coach. I never thought we would be 4-4. Go Cats!!!!

*

How did NU come out for the Maryland game injury wise? I didn't see anyone who didn't come back into the game.

Northwestern's Class of 2024 has seven commits still playing their senior seasons, and picked up three playoff wins last week to boot. Check out how they did in this week's roundup.

Northwestern's Class of 2024 has seven commits still playing their senior seasons, and picked up three playoff wins last week to boot. Check out how they did in this week's roundup.

Sad.

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The young man has grit, leadership, competivness, and skill. The coaches and teammates obviously see it in practice. The light just hasn't gone on for him yet. Those are starts over two years so he is still very much a rookie. I think we can win with him if all the parts execute at a higher level. Does he need to be much better? Yes, but he is capable of delivering some wins in the last five games. OL absolutely needs to step up as well. Go 'Cats!!!

Seeing references but have not witnessed. Is it because Olsen is reliable? Is he Olsie the Cow

I'm wondering how people feel about the next four games compared to the schedule so far given the Cats results so far. It seems to me that Purdue and Illinois may be weaker teams than any B1G teams Nu has faced so far and Iowa and Wisconsin are comparative to Nebraska and Maryland.

I think NU should get to six wins.

Secondary market tickets going for next to nothing. I couldn't pass it up. Two more times on the cold bleachers of Ryan/Dyche

Just FYI, there’s a YouTube channel that posts extended highlights usually the same day as games (both football and basketball). Really nice way to “rewatch”, especially if you were at the game and didn’t catch some things.

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I believe that Northwestern is currently at the top of the APR rankings. If I am correct, what is the possibility that the Cats could get a bowl invitation if we win just one more game? It’s probably too early to try to calculate how many teams will get to the required six victories for bowl eligibility, but are we in a good position if we win five and there are not enough six-win teams to fill out all the bowl slots?

Somehow in the 5 home games we have averaged almost 29ppg at home. And that is with two QBs, questionable OL etc. Pretty good fro all the crap we give Jake. Unfortunately we have only averaged about 10ppg on the road

Of course, I hope we win (at least) 2 more to remove all doubt.

Really, really empty. Pretty cold. Great day for football.

Missed Howard due family obligation, but my crew was here.

Only game this empty was the frozen Ellet game against Minny in 2016 or17.

Go Cats.

I actually think he’s done a reasonable job this year with this group. Clearly the weak link on the staff is Kurt Anderson.

Day after I google NU news stories after wins and came upon this article.

Outworked us. Outplayed us. My kind of team!

They are like the Washington Sentinels of the movie The Replacements. 🤣

This team has heart and guts. They are really easy to cheer for. And I do hope Braun keeps it up to bowl eligibility and Sully seizes the starter reigns for a WIN over ioa. Special story indeed Braun.