Of these, #5 is most critical. When the game could go either way, NU must learn the nasty business of putting away a tough opponent more often. The Cardiac CATS were always fun to watch because they were nearly always in it. That competitiveness has been missing for two years.
There was a time in the recent past when the NU team was so well conditioned, they were nearly always stronger in the 4th quarter than the opponents. You could easily see it on the field as NU moved with energy to line up for the next play and the opponent moved more slowly. That's a coaching edge that NU hasn't kept.
I'm confident of the QB play this season - NU is talent heavy here. The WRs will be better - C Jones is back. But the OL strength and the team's ability to make big plays are totally unknowns.
