watching the Packers vs Jets, GB looks like NU.

GCG, you might not want to answer this, but do you feel Fitz has it in him to turn this ship around? There are so many glaring issues and this university is about to spend $800M on a new stadium. I think there is no real accoutability with Fitz's status and an AD with no real power.

Fans wanna know:

Looks like #8 Ryan Johnson will be out for the year now with a lower body injury.

For years, Fitz could count on our West opponents to employ boneheads. Neb, ILL, PU and MN had a hilarious clown-car coaches rotation. I_wa kept Ferentz, who beats Fitz half the time, even WI had some turnover.

Now, let's say WI and Neb simply hire their interim coaches. Where does that leave Fitz in that pecking order. Even Ferentz fields a defense.

First to worst?

I looked it up and the last time we finished with less than 2 wins was 1989, when we finished 0-11.

We lost to Duke (sound familiar?), Air Force, and Rutgers that season.

Lowlights included a 43-11 loss to Indiana, 52-27 loss to OSU, a 63-14 loss to Illinois, and a 76-14 loss to MSU.

Highlights included the individual seasons of Bob Christian and Richard Buchanan who had nice stats and earned All B1G honors.

Were any of our posters around that season? Are there any lessons you could share?

Go back say 5 years and I had a lot of faith in Fitz. Was more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Fast forward to today and he’s used all that capital up.

What bothers me most is I want to believe the guy gets the bigger picture and is a true leader, but at some point you have to start questioning that very concept if he keeps putting his adult best buds above the young student athletes in his program. That’s the direct opposite of the persona he wants to portray.

If Fitz wants to be loyal to JON, he makes enough money to build him a residence on his property and pay him to be his personal assistant.

Tennessee-Alabama, TCU-Oklahoma St. so fun.

I've done no research other than Googling "best defense FCS". Good old Dennis Thurman came up.

It is time to get real about the reason for our performance the past two years. it is not on the coordinators.

One of the commentators on the Big Ten Network was speaking about Brett Bielema as a great program builder. He specifically mentioned that he has hired two coordinators who are excellent and that Bielema deserves credit for the turnaround. Coaches build programs through who they hire as their coordinators. When the coordinators don't perform they get fired or the coach gets fired.

How many empty stadiums or stadiums filled with the opposing team's fans, and how many decommits do we have to experience before we are willing to put the full responsibility of what is happening on Patrick Fitzgerald??

If Fitz is unwilling to fire these guys, we will have to wait out the administrators. Right now the program is unwatchable except for the die-hards (myself included). But even NU has to see the problem.

Northwestern cannot allow this go on forever. Either they put the pressure on Fitz or they move on. With Fitz's contract, not sure they can move on. But let's stop blaming our coordinators! It stops and starts with the Head Coach!! And he has built a slow-developing disaster...those are icebergs ahead!

…is that it so feels like Fitz and the program just don’t care.

4-14 last two seasons.
Average margin of defeat over 19 points.

Not making changes, not acting as if it’s understood there are major problems within the program…..it’s just infuriating.

And in an era when you can lose your whole roster overnight. The image of just standing pat really feels like there isn’t any concern at all by those with the power to do anything about it.

Brett Beilema already has three Big Ten Championships! Now he has Illinois in contention with easy games versus hapless Northwestern and Nebraska coming up! Shall we crown em champs?

I was looking at the roster, and saw a new walk-on…Blake Smith…6’6” G from Blue Bell, PA.

Does anybody have any info on him?

13 listed on the roster, so at least they’ll be able t practice 5 on 5, to start the season, anyway.

I'm as interested in what has happened to Fitz in the past few years as in what's happening to the football team. Not keeping up with the game? Too comfortable now that he apparently has it made? Lost interest in coaching? Poor judge of coaching ability? Nothing, same old Fitz? People have posted various theories, but I thought to get it all in on place might be informative.

So if a student athlete failed miserably in each of their first six quarters, would Northwestern let them stay on campus? I’m thinking no - such a person would be long gone.

JON’s defensive system is an abject and miserable failure after what we saw from before. He’s had a season and a half to show what he can do and we’re now basement dwellars in our conference, with a well earned Bottom 10 ranking.

How is he still here after the bye week? He’s had his six quarters and I think everyone objective would give him a failing grade.

Sorry if I’m being simple. The analogy just hit me. Fitz wouldn’t let a football player fail academically and stick around for this long.

So why JON? Does he have dirt on somebody, or something?

Seems someone at NU has realized their errors regarding basketball season ticket pricing. Behold, a comparison between last year and this year:

Upper deck seating
2021:
First row of 201-207 and 211-217 (baseline sections), $100 donation for 1-2 tickets, $150 for 3-4 - cost of ticket $350
First row of 208, 210, 218, 220 (sideline except middle), $150 donation for 1-2 tickets, $250 for 3-4 - cost of ticket $375
First five rows of 209, 219 (midcourt), $400 donation for 1-2 tickets, $600 for 3-4 - cost of ticket $375
All other seats, no donation - cost of ticket $350

2022:
First row of 201-208, 210-218, 220, first two rows of 209, 219, $100 donation/ticket - cost of ticket $350
All other seats, no donation - cost of ticket $350

Lower level seating
2021:
102, 106, 110, 114 (corner sections), $600 donation for 1-2 tickets, $1000 for 3-4 - cost of ticket $400
101, 107, 109, 115 (sideline except middle/Wilson), $1500 donation for 1-2 tickets, $2500 for 3-4 - cost of ticket $450
108 (mid-court opposite Wilson), $2500 donation for 1-2 tickets, $4000 for 3-4 - cost of ticket $500
Wilson, $6000 donation for 1-4 tickets - cost of ticket $1700
Courtside, $12500 donation for 1-4 tickets - cost of ticket $1800

2022:
102, 106, 110, 114 (corner sections), last two rows of 101, 107, 109, 115, $200 donation/ticket - cost of ticket $450
All but last two rows of 101, 107, 109, 115 (sideline except middle/Wilson), $350 donation/ticket - cost of ticket $450
108 (mid-court opposite Wilson), $750 donation/ticket - cost of ticket $450
Wilson, $6000 donation minimum, but only $1500 required to go to seating/ticket - cost of ticket $1700
Courtside, $12500 donation minimum, but only $3000 required to go to seating/ticket - cost of ticket $1800

So actual ticket cost is flat or cheaper for all sections except lower corners, which sees a modest $50/ticket bump, and donation requirements slightly increase in upper deck except for mid-court sections, while dropping significantly in the lower level.

Will this be enough to bring anyone back to the arena given the expectations of the team this year? Who knows, but it's certainly a step in the right direction and the way they should've gone from the start.

There’s a long feature on Peter Skoronski in the Tribune today by Brad Biggs. It may require a subscription, but it’s a good read.

I can’t find a link, but maybe someone can find and post it. The Cliff Notes: he’s lived up to his billing and then some, he’s very similar to Slater, Slater is still his mentor, some question whether he’ll be a guard or tackle in the NFL, Fitz and Slater think he’ll be a left tackle.

Never did I think Pat Spencer would be playing in a NBA game (preseason to be fair). He played really well and had this monster jam that fired up Steph Curry and the crowd! I'm hoping he catches on as a 15th man somewhere.