…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.

You da man CappyNU. The Cannoli pasta way.

Here's an interesting angle on the game. Our Jason Boue sat in the student section on Saturday at Ryan Field and wrote about the experience.

You guys may have noticed by now, but I’m happy to announce that @CappyNU is joining the WildcatReport team as a board moderator. He started late last week, but I’m just getting around to posting the news.

Moderating message boards is a difficult job and he has some extra large shoes to fill, but I’m confident that Cappy will be up to the task.

Please make Cappy happy by following the Rivals Message board rules, and you won’t even know he’s here. That’s the goal.

Welcome aboard, Cappy!

Back on track with a 3 - 1 win over MSU!

All times CENTRAL, and all games played on Saturday, October 15. Rankings come from the AP poll. All games nationally televised unless otherwise indicated.

Northwestern is off this week.

And the rest:

#10 Penn State @ #5 Michigan
11:00 AM, FOX
PxP: Gus Johnson
Color: Joel Klatt

Minnesota @ #24 Illinois
11:00 AM, BTN
PxP: Brandon Gaudin
Color: Jake Butt

Maryland @ Indiana
2:30 PM, ESPN2
PxP: Anish Shroff
Color: Brock Osweiler

Wisconsin @ Michigan State
3:00 PM, FOX
PxP: Tim Brando
Color: Spencer Tillman

Nebraska @ Purdue
6:30 PM, BTN
PxP: Cory Provus
Color: Matt Millen

Iowa, #2 Ohio State, and Rutgers are off this week.

Fitz’s Record with Hankwitz as DC:
Overall: 96 wins, 67 losses (59%)
Conference: 58 wins, 49 losses (60%)
Bowl games: 5-5 (50%)

Fitz’s Record without Hankwitz as DC:
Overall: 14 wins, 28 losses (33%)
Conference: 7 wins, 21 losses (25%)
Zero Bowl Game Appearances

Updated post Wisconsin 2022.

The data confirms it again.

The results are in and 100% of the posters now agree that the DC should go.
CatManTrue was right, after the msu game when he highly suggested ie., JON doesnt know what he is doing.

But there is 1 holdout to side with madness and it is Fitz.

If we carefully look at TPOF this is the exact sorta thing we should expect.

Fitz caught a break and has a new AD who wants to play it safe so the only way to stop Fitz' madness is for Pat Ryan to have a meeting telling him that he needs to make the wanted changes.

Separately, i think the problem is greater than JON. Fitz must go. It simply isnt good enough to say nobody real wants to come here and coach under him and that recruits avoid us like the plague now.

It’s time for our AD to put on his big boy pants and earn his paycheck.

Although it’s probably justified I don’t see them firing Fitz, but he needs to be provided the appropriate activation energy to make certain changes especially to his staff.

The program needs to aspire to be better- the Big 10 is one of the top 2 conferences in football, we have or are in the process of investing huge amounts of capital into the facilities, and will soon be reaping even more $$ from the conference media deals. Having 3 seasons out of 4 with 3 or less wins shouldn’t be acceptable in the current environment. No way, no how should we be losing back to back home games to the likes of SIU and Miami of frickin Ohio. If a coach can turn around the worst program in major college football (Kansas) then there is the right match for NU, and the “intelligent“ people making lots of money need to adjust and figure it out or also be shown the door.

I’m wondering if he still thinks he made the right move. Thoughts.

Can anyone on the board give me the direction as to the appropriate way to share info about a local high school football player who might be a potential recruit down the road with NU? I want to make sure I don't step on any NCAA rules etc. I just would like to know the proper communication channels for such info.

1996 USC, Rose Bowl (ABC) - 30.4 million (19.4 rating)
1997 Tennessee, Citrus Bowl (ABC) - ~13 million (8.3 rating)
2018 Ohio State, Big Ten Championship (FOX) - 8.659 million (5.0 rating)
2020 Ohio State, Big Ten Championship (FOX) - 8.031 million (4.65 rating)
2013 Ohio State (ABC) - 7.36 million (4.4 rating)
2008 Missouri, Alamo Bowl (ESPN) - 6.076 million (4.6 rating)
2010 Auburn, Outback Bowl (ESPN) - 5.685 million (3.5 rating)
2020 Auburn, Citrus Bowl (ABC) - 4.781 million (2.79 rating)
2022 Ohio State (ABC) - 4.76 million (2.7 rating)
2017 Kentucky, Music City Bowl (ESPN) - 4.626 million (2.8 rating)
2022 Nebraska, Dublin (FOX) - 4.419 million (2.52 rating)
2020 Wisconsin (ABC) - 4.245 million (2.35 rating)


Joins the list of 4+ million viewer Northwestern games under Fitz and 3rd highest for a win behind the Citrus Bowl and Music City Bowl wins. Now our highest rated Big Ten win under Fitz above 2020 Wisconsin.

Past 5 years has seen a lot of big games for Northwestern (including a lot of 2-4 million viewer games), which is obviously good exposure for the program. Will only increase in the future as there's more opportunities in the new media deals to get major TV slots, but also 2 more schools in the conference fighting for those slots.

Just shows how important a game like this Dublin game can be; it's on par with bowl games (which are typically the highest viewed games outside the conference championship and other Ohio State games).

A little serious a little tongue in cheek.

1. northwestern fans on this board don’t know much about coaching football. I’ll keep O’Neil another year

2. frost won’t get fired as Nebraska may win 7-8 games

3. we have an o line

4. we have a running game with unreal depth

5. fitz has balls and they have grown over the past decade

6. we have special teams. Minus the field goal

7. Please can we get rid of fox

one hilinsky spelling
Kept saying why are we running the ball
We ran it cause fitz trusted his online and running backs.
I’m sure there is more.

one more

Louie. You went out a limb and picked the cats. Keep it up.

😜