wow...amazing how quickly a subpar D1 fb program can become so good so fast! Is it because of the 23 portal tranfers?

Intense certainly, but something is amiss in Minnesota. Fleck is a terrible role model as a coach. So much anger is not good for the players, the fans or anybody. I live in Minnesota and am disgusted by his demeanor. Winning is not the only thing, if it takes this much psychopathy to do it. I'll take Northwestern's coaches any day over this insane perverted behavior, win or lose.

Check out this week's roundup to see how the next generation of Wildcats fared in their high school games.

BTN national early kick for the final game at Martin Stadium this year. In fact, the only BTN game of the day.

All times CENTRAL. All games available nationally unless otherwise indicated. Rankings come from the AP poll.

First, the NU game:

#23 Indiana @ Northwestern
Saturday, October 5
2:30 PM, BTN
PxP: Chris Vosters
Color: Anthony Herron

And the rest:

Friday, October 4

Michigan State @ #6 Oregon
8:00 PM, FOX
PxP: Jason Benetti
Color: Brock Huard

Saturday, October 5

UCLA @ #7 Penn State (FOX Big Noon Kickoff)
11:00 AM, FOX
PxP: Gus Johnson
Color: Joel Klatt

Purdue @ Wisconsin
11:00 AM, BTN
PxP: Mark Followill
Color: Jake Butt

Iowa @ #3 Ohio State
2:30 PM, CBS
PxP: Brad Nessler
Color: Gary Danielson

Rutgers @ Nebraska
3:00 PM, FS1
PxP: Alex Faust
Color: Robert Smith

#10 Michigan @ Washington
6:30 PM, NBC
PxP: Noah Eagle
Color: Todd Blackledge

#11 USC @ Minnesota
6:30 PM, BTN
PxP: Guy Haberman
Color: Yogi Roth

#24 Illinois and Maryland are off this week.

I talked to 2025 Colorado guard Josiah Sanders about his offer from Northwestern, the pitch from Bryant McIntosh and his recruitment.

@lou v files his story from Big Ten Media Days about Boo Buie’s absence, media doubters, projected roles, and more.

Should’ve known another Sanders was headed to Boulder… Side note - that NU fan on Twitter is super plugged he posted about this last week(?). Hopefully we land West and get a surprise with Mingo / Cade

Parking pass at Northwestern Place . Quick walk to stadium . Email
Dee dot lae at gmail
$100 Go Cats!

@mikefitz77 has three things we learned, two questions we're asking and one bold prediction ahead of Maryland this Friday.

@mikefitz77 has three things we learned, two questions we're asking and one bold prediction ahead of Maryland this Friday.

At least the seats were full for most of the game today, but looked to be about 2/3 Indiana fans. I guess we should be glad they paid $200 per ticket per game, but sure would like them to show up, stay the whole game, and cheer for the Cats.

Lausch made strides over the bye week. Obviously some missed throws, but he stood in there and made plays with both his arm and his legs.

Indiana is a pretty solid football team. Defensive front was fast and aggressive. Offensive scheme was pretty interesting. Too many guys running free, especially on RPO.

Our offensive line has to get a lot better. A lot.

I would have much preferred a win, but I certainly didn’t expect it. I would have been happy to know that NU was within a field goal with ten minutes left, and they were.

Obviously disappointed that the Cats forced but a single punt, but happy that NU just had three.

The third punt, coming out of the break, with NU down 7, was the last bit I could watch live. I turned the game off and fully expected that the final would be 44-10. So I was pretty happy when I returned to the game, not knowing the final, and saw two cool Henning touchdowns. That’s fun.

Lausch will be a good quarterback. He’s already the best quarterback NU has recruited out of high school since Thorson. Lausch just looks like a guy who hasn’t played so much football, which he hasn’t. His pocket presence isn’t great; he scrambles out, and rarely steps up. But all young quarterbacks struggle with that.

Right now, his accuracy is just really hit or miss. This can mean drive killing incompletions, or it can mean sliding catches instead of YACing it up.

The two linebackers are really good. The defensive line is pretty good. The losses in the secondary looked pretty significant yesterday. The way to beat NU is through the air.

Thankfully, three of our next four opponents are incapable of beating NU through the air. The exception is Maryland, who’ll be pretty darn tough next week.

Big finish: This reminds me of how I felt after the…largest blown lead (at least at the time) in college football history. Sure it sucked, and geez can’t you stop those bastards once, but at least we found a quarterback. Lausch might not be Kafka or Thorson or Persa, but maybe he’ll be Bacher, and that’s not such a bad thing to be.

Bacher was the guy through the shocking head coach transition, setting us up for lots of good to come over the ensuing 15 or so years.

More wins ahead! And hopefully, soon.

Is making Wisconsin’s QB look like a Heisman contender. They are down by 36 in the 3rd quarter. It is hard to believe that Purdue is that bad and Wisconsin is that good. When we play Purdue they may have a new interim coach. I guess we will find out soon enough.

Breaking down Northwestern's snap counts vs. Indiana per PFF.

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He’s back.

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And this is why I love college football LOL.

Maryland's QB, Billy Edwards, and their receivers have plenty of talent to cause NU lots of problems. Fortunately their OL is a bit of a mess. NU needs to wreak havoc with their DL or it will be another long day on defense. Maryland's defense is nothing special. Famous last words.

Or, USC is not as good as its ranking indicates? Darius Taylor is something.

Wondering.

Who was there?

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#33, on his 33rd carry of the day, scores the 33rd point for NU to beat OSU for the first time in 33 years.

This next stretch is our whole season, barring a meticulous win over Michigan or Ohio State (Michigan is sort of conceivable, I guess, they’re gettable). Maryland isn’t impressive, we can get Wisconsin at home, and Purdue is a train wreck who we frankly need to beat. Iowa will be tough but that’s a comforting sort of rock fight football we ought to be able to compete in. None of those offenses are remotely the threat IU’s is.

The team absolutely improved over the bye week but we need to go out there and do it.0

Here are my takeaways from Northwestern's 41-24 loss to Indiana.

Here are my takeaways from Northwestern's 41-24 loss to Indiana.