Enough Michigan- let's talk Iowa

[Jonny2TheP]

Call me crazy, but I really like our chances this week against Iowa. I respect them and think they are a nice team, but I am in the camp of thinking we are a lot closer to the team we saw the first five games than the team we saw on Saturday. Not only did we get beat by a really good team playing with a ton of confidence, but we also got off to the worst start possible with the opening kickoff returned for a TD, and some smart scheming by Michigan that left our defense a little lost on the first two drives. We immediately were put in an extremely tough position in a challenging atmosphere, and could never get on our feet again. It happens- moving on.

I think this team has a lot of character and will bounce back. We come back home to play an undefeated team that is good, but has benefitted from an easy schedule to date (though winning at Camp Randall is always a nice win no matter what). I think we come out and are able to get back to playing the game we want to play simply due to not falling behind by two TD's before we even know what happened.

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Let's get back on track. I personally have a great deal of confidence that we will.

 

[NJCat83588]

Call me crazy, but I really like our chances this week against Iowa. I respect them and think they are a nice team, but I am in the camp of thinking we are a lot closer to the team we saw the first five games than the team we saw on Saturday. Not only did we get beat by a really good team playing with a ton of confidence, but we also got off to the worst start possible with the opening kickoff returned for a TD, and some smart scheming by Michigan that left our defense a little lost on the first two drives. We immediately were put in an extremely tough position in a challenging atmosphere, and could never get on our feet again. It happens- moving on.

I think this team has a lot of character and will bounce back. We come back home to play an undefeated team that is good, but has benefitted from an easy schedule to date (though winning at Camp Randall is always a nice win no matter what). I think we come out and are able to get back to playing the game we want to play simply due to not falling behind by two TD's before we even know what happened.

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Let's get back on track. I personally have a great deal of confidence that we will.

Good summary. I'm very optimistic about the Cats this week. I think they rebound nicely from the Saturday debacle.

 

[purple11]

Good summary. I'm very optimistic about the Cats this week. I think they rebound nicely from the Saturday debacle.

I like your thinking and I agree. We have the tools, lets sharpen them and rock Iowa.

Go Cats !

 

[willycat]

Call me crazy, but I really like our chances this week against Iowa. I respect them and think they are a nice team, but I am in the camp of thinking we are a lot closer to the team we saw the first five games than the team we saw on Saturday. Not only did we get beat by a really good team playing with a ton of confidence, but we also got off to the worst start possible with the opening kickoff returned for a TD, and some smart scheming by Michigan that left our defense a little lost on the first two drives. We immediately were put in an extremely tough position in a challenging atmosphere, and could never get on our feet again. It happens- moving on.

I think this team has a lot of character and will bounce back. We come back home to play an undefeated team that is good, but has benefitted from an easy schedule to date (though winning at Camp Randall is always a nice win no matter what). I think we come out and are able to get back to playing the game we want to play simply due to not falling behind by two TD's before we even know what happened.

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Let's get back on track. I personally have a great deal of confidence that we will.

A W is needed to cement this season. Be prepared and receive the opening kickoff if you win the flip or have Mitchell kickoff, please.

 

[willycat]

Call me crazy, but I really like our chances this week against Iowa. I respect them and think they are a nice team, but I am in the camp of thinking we are a lot closer to the team we saw the first five games than the team we saw on Saturday. Not only did we get beat by a really good team playing with a ton of confidence, but we also got off to the worst start possible with the opening kickoff returned for a TD, and some smart scheming by Michigan that left our defense a little lost on the first two drives. We immediately were put in an extremely tough position in a challenging atmosphere, and could never get on our feet again. It happens- moving on.

I think this team has a lot of character and will bounce back. We come back home to play an undefeated team that is good, but has benefitted from an easy schedule to date (though winning at Camp Randall is always a nice win no matter what). I think we come out and are able to get back to playing the game we want to play simply due to not falling behind by two TD's before we even know what happened.

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Let's get back on track. I personally have a great deal of confidence that we will.

A W is needed to cement this season. Be prepared and receive the opening kickoff if you win the flip or have Mitchell kickoff, please.

 

[theVoicefromtheTomb]

What about Iowa's defense makes you think they can be had?

 

[Hans81]

I don't think that Iowa has played that "easy" of a B10 schedule as the OP said. As acknowledged, beating Wisky in Madison was definitely a good win, but Illinois also impressed me with the strength of their front 7 on D and their o-line. Illinois had some key injuries at the skill positions, otherwise the Hawks would have been in big trouble. With the injury bug now hitting Iowa, not sure about outcome this Sat. While I think a healthy Iowa team is slightly better than Northwestern, this weekend is likely a toss-up with Beathard being the x-factor.

 

[PHazer]

Iowa tailback has legit stats to be among the tops in consideration for Silver Football. I think we can contain him with solid tackling but despite the "strip for fumble" technique in vogue today, I see us arm tackling a lot and this guy breaks arm tackles.

 

[NUCat320]

Call me crazy, but I really like our chances this week against Iowa. I respect them and think they are a nice team, but I am in the camp of thinking we are a lot closer to the team we saw the first five games than the team we saw on Saturday. Not only did we get beat by a really good team playing with a ton of confidence, but we also got off to the worst start possible with the opening kickoff returned for a TD, and some smart scheming by Michigan that left our defense a little lost on the first two drives. We immediately were put in an extremely tough position in a challenging atmosphere, and could never get on our feet again. It happens- moving on.

I think this team has a lot of character and will bounce back. We come back home to play an undefeated team that is good, but has benefitted from an easy schedule to date (though winning at Camp Randall is always a nice win no matter what). I think we come out and are able to get back to playing the game we want to play simply due to not falling behind by two TD's before we even know what happened.

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Let's get back on track. I personally have a great deal of confidence that we will.

I this one will be the 9-6 or 13-10 matchup we all expected in Ann Arbor. I would like to see NU take (and hit) a shot downfield, and early.

In my opinion, this is the type of game where the turnover battle and big plays on special teams are the key. (In all close games, the turnover battle and big play on special teams are the key.)

This is a big one for NU's season - two losses in a row would erase a lot of the positive vibes that had been built up in September.

(Fitz's teams have been bad in October, haven't they?)

 

[Seattle_Cat]

Iowa has a better QB than UM.

They also have a big athletic receiver, the kind we have trouble with.

Illinois gave them a lot of trouble with an up-tempo offense like ours.

I expect this to be a close game.

 

[ivan brunetti]

I like your chances vs the Hawkeyes. Good luck the rest of the season.

Go Blue

 

[codflyer]

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Have to disagree with that one. Iowa fan here, so take it for what it is worth, but I think NW matches up terribly with Iowa. This run-first version of the Wildcats plays right into Iowa's strength. We have had some consistency issues defending the pass, but have been more than stout against the run (and we haven't been that bad against the pass either). I would expect NW to have about as much success running on Iowa as they did against Michigan. If the running game can't get out of the gates, I don't see Thorson doing enough to keep the NW offense moving consistently. I think he will put up some stats yardage wise between the 20's here and there, but I don't think it is going to equate to much in the way of points.

Offensively, Iowa is not really a run first offense. They have been extremely balanced, and teams have not been able to cheat run against them like they have in the past. Injuries have been piling up though, and that has caused Iowa to sort of play left handed the last couple of weeks, and lean on the run more than they had been. The good news for Iowa is that they can run it pretty well if they have to. The offensive line, especially the center and guard play, is elite. The issues are on the edges as injuries have taken out both starting Tackles, which has led to some pass protection issues that NW may be able to take advantage of. Beathard has been tremendous at dealing with protection breakdowns though, and is very dangerous as both a runner and a passer when protection breaks down. He is the kind of QB that I hate having to face, who can take a play where the defense does essentially everything right and gets exactly what they wanted, and turn it into a back-breaking conversion or long play. I think NW can bottle Iowa's offense up a good portion of the time, but there are going to be some big plays hit and Iowa is going to score a decent amount of points, not necessarily in a deluge, but in a steady fashion and probably pick up steam as the game goes on.

The teams are close enough right now that turnovers could be a big factor, though Iowa has been pretty good at not giving it away too much and have been pretty good at causing turnovers themselves. I just think that Iowa is the better team, top to bottom, and that NW's offensive struggles will leave their defense on the field way too much against a frayed, but still potent, Iowa offense.

Here's to a good game, and hopefully whatever the result, we can both avoid any more injuries.

 

[EvanstonCat]

Call me crazy, but I really like our chances this week against Iowa. I respect them and think they are a nice team, but I am in the camp of thinking we are a lot closer to the team we saw the first five games than the team we saw on Saturday. Not only did we get beat by a really good team playing with a ton of confidence, but we also got off to the worst start possible with the opening kickoff returned for a TD, and some smart scheming by Michigan that left our defense a little lost on the first two drives. We immediately were put in an extremely tough position in a challenging atmosphere, and could never get on our feet again. It happens- moving on.

I think this team has a lot of character and will bounce back. We come back home to play an undefeated team that is good, but has benefitted from an easy schedule to date (though winning at Camp Randall is always a nice win no matter what). I think we come out and are able to get back to playing the game we want to play simply due to not falling behind by two TD's before we even know what happened.

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Let's get back on track. I personally have a great deal of confidence that we will.

+1

Plus, they are Io_a. Or should be. Let's get that damned W back.

 

[DodgerHawki]

Call me crazy, but I really like our chances this week against Iowa. I respect them and think they are a nice team, but I am in the camp of thinking we are a lot closer to the team we saw the first five games than the team we saw on Saturday. Not only did we get beat by a really good team playing with a ton of confidence, but we also got off to the worst start possible with the opening kickoff returned for a TD, and some smart scheming by Michigan that left our defense a little lost on the first two drives. We immediately were put in an extremely tough position in a challenging atmosphere, and could never get on our feet again. It happens- moving on.

I think this team has a lot of character and will bounce back. We come back home to play an undefeated team that is good, but has benefitted from an easy schedule to date (though winning at Camp Randall is always a nice win no matter what). I think we come out and are able to get back to playing the game we want to play simply due to not falling behind by two TD's before we even know what happened.

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Let's get back on track. I personally have a great deal of confidence that we will.

Game will be close (as line indicates). Really won't be surprised to see either team win. Both teams probably like the matchup against the other's offense. Little things will decide it, as they usually do in close games.

 

[cidsports]

Pittsburgh and Wisconsin are good opponents. Iowa State is your typical rivalry game.

Northwestern has played a better schedule, 2-1 vs. Top 25.

This is conference play, so six games into the schedule not sure it really matters too much.

Northwestern lost at home, after a road conference loss twice last season.

Of course, after the Iowa blowout loss last year; Northwestern followed it up with a close loss to Michigan.

The schedule is reversed this year.

Iowa is improved in all three phases of the game. Injuries have hit Iowa. A lot of teams are hit with injuries around the B1G.

QB Beathard offers a better run-pass combination than Jake Rudock. He has been good on road thus far. Rudock wasn't consistent at Iowa, at times.

RB Jordan Canzeri is having a career season. Leads B1G in rushing over first two games. Among NCAA leaders in TDs after Week 5. Had two more on Saturday.

Iowa's defense has improved this year. Special teams are much better.

More experience overall and strong senior leadership, much like mantra found at Michigan.

Close games favor Northwestern, especially in Evanston. Will this be a one possession game or not?

We shall see ... year 4 of Iowa's OC and DC doing well. Iowa had similar success in Kirk Ferentz's 4th season at Iowa, in 2002.

This team is a sum of the parts group pulling together very well.

Turnovers, penalties and field position will be huge components ...

peace

 

[stpaulcat]

Call me crazy, but I really like our chances this week against Iowa. I respect them and think they are a nice team, but I am in the camp of thinking we are a lot closer to the team we saw the first five games than the team we saw on Saturday. Not only did we get beat by a really good team playing with a ton of confidence, but we also got off to the worst start possible with the opening kickoff returned for a TD, and some smart scheming by Michigan that left our defense a little lost on the first two drives. We immediately were put in an extremely tough position in a challenging atmosphere, and could never get on our feet again. It happens- moving on.

I think this team has a lot of character and will bounce back. We come back home to play an undefeated team that is good, but has benefitted from an easy schedule to date (though winning at Camp Randall is always a nice win no matter what). I think we come out and are able to get back to playing the game we want to play simply due to not falling behind by two TD's before we even know what happened.

I like how we matchup against Iowa. They are a run first offense, though they do have a nice QB in Beathard. I expect our defense to get back on track (they actually didn't even play that bad against Michigan when you look at that game closer). Having Harris back is going to be very important though. I also think Iowa's defense can be had, and think Thorson (who was far from the problem at Michigan) is going to have possibly his best game to date.

Let's get back on track. I personally have a great deal of confidence that we will.

I don't see it. I see a team suddenly in disarray and I believe we are back in the rut of the past two years. Michigan is good, but we played such a poor game in enough areas that I don't see how we beat Iowa. Maybe Nebraska. That could be it except for Purdue. Until we can put all aspects of the game together in tough games, we're a middle of the pack team at best going forward. Do we have a good to great defense? Possibly, but we're looking at the third year in the row of dismal offense. This, in spite of some great playmakers. For one thing we need an QB who's going to lead this team. Is CT that QB? Also, possibly, but then there's the OL problem or the WR problem or whatever. I hope I'm wrong, and if we have a good enough game across the board to win on Saturday, I'll eat the crow.

 

[EvanstonCat]

I don't see it. I see a team suddenly in disarray and I believe we are back in the rut of the past two years. Michigan is good, but we played such a poor game in enough areas that I don't see how we beat Iowa. Maybe Nebraska. That could be it except for Purdue. Until we can put all aspects of the game together in tough games, we're a middle of the pack team at best going forward. Do we have a good to great defense? Possibly, but we're looking at the third year in the row of dismal offense. This, in spite of some great playmakers. For one thing we need an QB who's going to lead this team. Is TS that QB? Also, possibly, but then there's the OL problem or the WR problem or whatever. I hope I'm wrong, and if we have a good enough game across the board to win on Saturday, I'll eat the crow.

TS is assuredly not that QB, but hope that CT is. Time to step up. He's no longer inexperienced. 6 games in now. Time to put the big boy pants on and lead.

 

[mikewebb68]

I don't think that Iowa has played that "easy" of a B10 schedule as the OP said. As acknowledged, beating Wisky in Madison was definitely a good win, but Illinois also impressed me with the strength of their front 7 on D and their o-line. Illinois had some key injuries at the skill positions, otherwise the Hawks would have been in big trouble. With the injury bug now hitting Iowa, not sure about outcome this Sat. While I think a healthy Iowa team is slightly better than Northwestern, this weekend is likely a toss-up with Beathard being the x-factor.

Sorry, but you lost me at "Illinois....impressed me". Illinois was absolutely manhandled by North Carolina, the only team they have faced that can put a lot of points on the board (Nebraska doesn't count, they were a dumpster fire on offense that game due to injuries and bad play calling).

 

[mikewebb68]

I don't see it. I see a team suddenly in disarray and I believe we are back in the rut of the past two years. Michigan is good, but we played such a poor game in enough areas that I don't see how we beat Iowa. Maybe Nebraska. That could be it except for Purdue. Until we can put all aspects of the game together in tough games, we're a middle of the pack team at best going forward. Do we have a good to great defense? Possibly, but we're looking at the third year in the row of dismal offense. This, in spite of some great playmakers. For one thing we need an QB who's going to lead this team. Is TS that QB? Also, possibly, but then there's the OL problem or the WR problem or whatever. I hope I'm wrong, and if we have a good enough game across the board to win on Saturday, I'll eat the crow.

Saw this type of reactionary talk on the Minny board after they lost to us-- some posters were giving them no shot at even beating Purdue, lol.

 

[stpaulcat]

Saw this type of reactionary talk on the Minny board after they lost to us-- some posters were giving them no shot at even beating Purdue, lol.

There was just too much warm and fuzzy in this thread for me, and the flashback on Saturday to the last couple years was too much. We are not as good as we were beginning to think we are, either that or Michigan has made an unbelievable turn around. These games do happen to very good teams though, so let's hope.... The wheels haven't come off, but we do have a flat tire.

 

[stpaulcat]

TS is assuredly not that QB, but hope that CT is. Time to step up. He's no longer inexperienced. 6 games in now. Time to put the big boy pants on and lead.

Subconsciously I knew you were going to respond and I wrote CT.

 

[cidsports]

Wow, he is a redshirt freshman quarterback. Calling him experienced is a stretch, since he had never traveled to Big House previously.

Patience will be needed on the offensive side, due to youth. He isn't ready or hasn't shown yet that he will beat the opponent?

 

[Jonny2TheP]

Have to disagree with that one. Iowa fan here, so take it for what it is worth, but I think NW matches up terribly with Iowa. This run-first version of the Wildcats plays right into Iowa's strength. We have had some consistency issues defending the pass, but have been more than stout against the run (and we haven't been that bad against the pass either). I would expect NW to have about as much success running on Iowa as they did against Michigan. If the running game can't get out of the gates, I don't see Thorson doing enough to keep the NW offense moving consistently. I think he will put up some stats yardage wise between the 20's here and there, but I don't think it is going to equate to much in the way of points.

Offensively, Iowa is not really a run first offense. They have been extremely balanced, and teams have not been able to cheat run against them like they have in the past. Injuries have been piling up though, and that has caused Iowa to sort of play left handed the last couple of weeks, and lean on the run more than they had been. The good news for Iowa is that they can run it pretty well if they have to. The offensive line, especially the center and guard play, is elite. The issues are on the edges as injuries have taken out both starting Tackles, which has led to some pass protection issues that NW may be able to take advantage of. Beathard has been tremendous at dealing with protection breakdowns though, and is very dangerous as both a runner and a passer when protection breaks down. He is the kind of QB that I hate having to face, who can take a play where the defense does essentially everything right and gets exactly what they wanted, and turn it into a back-breaking conversion or long play. I think NW can bottle Iowa's offense up a good portion of the time, but there are going to be some big plays hit and Iowa is going to score a decent amount of points, not necessarily in a deluge, but in a steady fashion and probably pick up steam as the game goes on.

The teams are close enough right now that turnovers could be a big factor, though Iowa has been pretty good at not giving it away too much and have been pretty good at causing turnovers themselves. I just think that Iowa is the better team, top to bottom, and that NW's offensive struggles will leave their defense on the field way too much against a frayed, but still potent, Iowa offense.

Here's to a good game, and hopefully whatever the result, we can both avoid any more injuries.

Good summary codflyer, and I absolutely can understand your optimism regarding the Hawkeyes this weekend. As one of about nine Northwestern fans that live in the state of Iowa, I get to hear the trash talk quite often during game weeks, so I appreciate some good honest analysis from a Hawkeye fan.

What gives me some confidence is that I truly believe Iowa, while having a nice defense, is the fourth best defense NU has faced so far this year, with Michigan, Duke, and Stanford all having better defenses. Iowa and Stanford may be close, but there's no doubt in my mind that Michigan and Duke have better defenses (if you've seen Duke play this year, their defense is damn good, anchored by an All-American in Cash). And watching the game on Saturday, Thorson was by no means great, but he was far from the problem. I actually thought he played a respectable game considering his one INT was a bizarre play that bounced off his WR's hands first, there were several drops by the WR's, and Michigan had pretty solid pressure on him all day. His stats don't show it, but I thought he did his part on Saturday. Unfortunately, pretty much no one else did their part. I also believe that the running game will open back up again as I think this will be the first game where success in NU's passing game early will help open up the running game. It's a bold prediction, but I see the pieces falling into place for that to happen. I could be wrong, but I'm rolling with that.

On defense for NU, there is no sugarcoating that they were lost in the 1st quarter on Saturday due to some new looks from Michigan that they hadn't shown before. It caused for blown coverage on several plays, and Michigan took advantage. But once they got settled in, it really looked a lot more like the NU defense of the first five games as Michigan really didn't do a ton after the first 20 minutes or so. It wasn't NU's best game, and you can't just say "well, remove the first 20 minutes and...", but I saw enough of the defense on Saturday to still have a lot of confidence in them.

We'll see what happens on Saturday. I personally feel confident, which is not something I always feel (for the record, I have picked against NU in the college confidence pool I am in on two separate occasions this year, and one of those was not this past Saturday at Michigan, which was obviously a slight error). I just think this is a good NU team and I believe they are going to bounce back at home. My confidence is really more about NU than it is about Iowa.

 

[mpfeiler]

I always feel like I have to clarify my background before commenting on this board. I am a season ticket holder at NU, my daughter is a sophomore at NU and I am a Hawkeye fan first then Wildcats. This is a tough game for both schools. It is a trap game for Iowa. NU has a very good defense with a very average offense. Iowa is coming into the game banged up and ranked. Iowa lost their best DE (Ott) to ACL injury last week. Several of their big OL got dinged up. If the IA players are reading the “The Newspaper Headlines” like I think the NU players did this week, then I think NU will wins. But I think Iowa has more quality at OL & DL with a lot more depth than NU. The key to this game will be QB play and turnovers. Can CT handle Iowa’s defense. Can NU stop a much more balanced Iowa offense? The QB that just beat NU is an Iowa cast-off. Rudock was beaten out by Iowa’s current starting QB. NU must come out of the gates firing. If NU continues to start slow (Sanford and Ball State), they will have a very hard time winning Big Ten games. This will be a test for NU’s staff and players to bounce back after a very bad loss. A top 20 team should never be shut-out by anybody!

 

[hawkit3113]

This will be a tough one. I liked our chances better before Sat. Someone is going to come out pissed off.

 

[pawildcat]

I don't see it. I see a team suddenly in disarray and I believe we are back in the rut of the past two years. Michigan is good, but we played such a poor game in enough areas that I don't see how we beat Iowa. Maybe Nebraska. That could be it except for Purdue. Until we can put all aspects of the game together in tough games, we're a middle of the pack team at best going forward. Do we have a good to great defense? Possibly, but we're looking at the third year in the row of dismal offense. This, in spite of some great playmakers. For one thing we need an QB who's going to lead this team. Is CT that QB? Also, possibly, but then there's the OL problem or the WR problem or whatever. I hope I'm wrong, and if we have a good enough game across the board to win on Saturday, I'll eat the crow.

I seem to remember us beating Notre Dame and thumping Purdue after a bad loss to Iowa last year. I'm not ready to pack it in yet. If this team plays up to it's potential, it is certainly capable of beating Penn State, Illinois and Purdue and also picking up another win somewhere along the line. We'll know better where it's at after this weekend.

 

[wildcatpn]

I always feel like I have to clarify my background before commenting on this board. I am a season ticket holder at NU, my daughter is a sophomore at NU and I am a Hawkeye fan first then Wildcats. This is a tough game for both schools. It is a trap game for Iowa. NU has a very good defense with a very average offense. Iowa is coming into the game banged up and ranked. Iowa lost their best DE (Ott) to ACL injury last week. Several of their big OL got dinged up. If the IA players are reading the “The Newspaper Headlines” like I think the NU players did this week, then I think NU will wins. But I think Iowa has more quality at OL & DL with a lot more depth than NU. The key to this game will be QB play and turnovers. Can CT handle Iowa’s defense. Can NU stop a much more balanced Iowa offense? The QB that just beat NU is an Iowa cast-off. Rudock was beaten out by Iowa’s current starting QB. NU must come out of the gates firing. If NU continues to start slow (Sanford and Ball State), they will have a very hard time winning Big Ten games. This will be a test for NU’s staff and players to bounce back after a very bad loss. A top 20 team should never be shut-out by anybody!

More depth on the dline than NU? NU plays 9-10 guys on their dline and all of them are quality players. For the oline, I would have to argue about Iowa's quality depth there after watching a freshman RT get absolutely abused by the Illinois DE's this past weekend when he had to go in the game after an injury. Iowa is obviously a very good team and is having a great year so far but I would have to disagree that they have a lot more depth and quality on both lines of scrimmage.

 

[DodgerHawki]

Good summary codflyer, and I absolutely can understand your optimism regarding the Hawkeyes this weekend. As one of about nine Northwestern fans that live in the state of Iowa, I get to hear the trash talk quite often during game weeks, so I appreciate some good honest analysis from a Hawkeye fan.

What gives me some confidence is that I truly believe Iowa, while having a nice defense, is the fourth best defense NU has faced so far this year, with Michigan, Duke, and Stanford all having better defenses. Iowa and Stanford may be close, but there's no doubt in my mind that Michigan and Duke have better defenses (if you've seen Duke play this year, their defense is damn good, anchored by an All-American in Cash). And watching the game on Saturday, Thorson was by no means great, but he was far from the problem. I actually thought he played a respectable game considering his one INT was a bizarre play that bounced off his WR's hands first, there were several drops by the WR's, and Michigan had pretty solid pressure on him all day. His stats don't show it, but I thought he did his part on Saturday. Unfortunately, pretty much no one else did their part. I also believe that the running game will open back up again as I think this will be the first game where success in NU's passing game early will help open up the running game. It's a bold prediction, but I see the pieces falling into place for that to happen. I could be wrong, but I'm rolling with that.

The advanced metrics have Duke and Michigan as clearly better defenses than Iowa, with Iowa slightly better than Stanford. But your overall point is valid in that Iowa is not the best defense Northwestern will have played this year.

First team to 17 on Saturday likely wins. And it may not take that many points.

 

[PURPLECAT88]

There was just too much warm and fuzzy in this thread for me, and the flashback on Saturday to the last couple years was too much. We are not as good as we were beginning to think we are, either that or Michigan has made an unbelievable turn around. These games do happen to very good teams though, so let's hope.... The wheels haven't come off, but we do have a flat tire.

That nailed it. Michigan is going to destroy "Little Brother" next week, and looks to me like the favorite to win the East. You can blame a bad scheme or "disarray" or whatever if it makes you feel better, but we got our asses handed to us by the hottest team in the country right now. Michigan is scary good.

 

[hawkisak]

Based on the last 2 decades and Fitz's Hawkeye obsession, I don't know how this game is even in the world of wagering. I would certainly take Northwestern even or getting points, based on all the factors in the aforementioned thread. Iowa's OL is good and I would not view the 3rd quarter failures of Daniel's at RT as indicative of how they will play this weekend. The poor kid is a true freshman that was recruited as a C and is playing G. Then after multiple injuries, he finds himself at RT. He started to get in the 4th qtr. when Canzeri carried 8 straight times. My only hope is for the injury bug to stop for both teams! Regardless of the outcome Saturday, there is still a lot of meaningful West division battles ahead and this game is just one of 2-3 key games for each team trying get passed Wisconsin this season.

 

[Jonny2TheP]

Based on the last 2 decades and Fitz's Hawkeye obsession, I don't know how this game is even in the world of wagering. I would certainly take Northwestern even or getting points, based on all the factors in the aforementioned thread. Iowa's OL is good and I would not view the 3rd quarter failures of Daniel's at RT as indicative of how they will play this weekend. The poor kid is a true freshman that was recruited as a C and is playing G. Then after multiple injuries, he finds himself at RT. He started to get in the 4th qtr. when Canzeri carried 8 straight times. My only hope is for the injury bug to stop for both teams! Regardless of the outcome Saturday, there is still a lot of meaningful West division battles ahead and this game is just one of 2-3 key games for each team trying get passed Wisconsin this season.

I have enjoyed Iowa fans using the "Fitz is obsessed with beating Iowa" excuse as the reason why NU has played Iowa even over the past many years. Does Fitz dislike Iowa more than other teams in the conference? Yeah, I think that is fair to say if I'm being honest. But obsession is quite a strong word. I wouldn't imagine that the team is putting in any more time preparing for Iowa than they do any other team. The fact is that this game is extremely important for both schools. The winner of the game puts their destiny in their own hands as far as winning the Western Division title. I saw someone else in this thread mention that this is a trap game for Iowa, and I just have a real hard time believing that there is anyone in black and gold that does not realize the importance of this game and the challenge in front of them. Let's set any predetermined excuses aside, and acknowledge that both teams are going to be ready to go this Saturday with the players they have available and no one is overlooking anyone else. It's two ranked opponents playing an incredibly important game in determining who is in the driver's seat moving forward- everyone is going to be up for it and anyone who doesn't believe that is kidding themselves.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I don't see it. I see a team suddenly in disarray and I believe we are back in the rut of the past two years. Michigan is good, but we played such a poor game in enough areas that I don't see how we beat Iowa. Maybe Nebraska. That could be it except for Purdue. Until we can put all aspects of the game together in tough games, we're a middle of the pack team at best going forward. Do we have a good to great defense? Possibly, but we're looking at the third year in the row of dismal offense. This, in spite of some great playmakers. For one thing we need an QB who's going to lead this team. Is CT that QB? Also, possibly, but then there's the OL problem or the WR problem or whatever. I hope I'm wrong, and if we have a good enough game across the board to win on Saturday, I'll eat the crow.

You are overreacting to an ugly and punishing loss. This team is not in disarray. Was there a rebellion on the sideline?

They got pounded into submission by a charged up, superior team. It happens. These are college kids. Emotion matters (to a degree). Inconsistency must be expected. Even good teams will serve up a real stinker during the course of a season.

Your concerns about the offense are founded. UM was a major step up in competition and we buckled. But keep the bigger picture in mind. CT is learning more each week.

 

[ubercat]

I always feel like I have to clarify my background before commenting on this board. I am a season ticket holder at NU, my daughter is a sophomore at NU and I am a Hawkeye fan first then Wildcats. This is a tough game for both schools. It is a trap game for Iowa. NU has a very good defense with a very average offense. Iowa is coming into the game banged up and ranked. Iowa lost their best DE (Ott) to ACL injury last week. Several of their big OL got dinged up. If the IA players are reading the “The Newspaper Headlines” like I think the NU players did this week, then I think NU will wins. But I think Iowa has more quality at OL & DL with a lot more depth than NU. The key to this game will be QB play and turnovers. Can CT handle Iowa’s defense. Can NU stop a much more balanced Iowa offense? The QB that just beat NU is an Iowa cast-off. Rudock was beaten out by Iowa’s current starting QB. NU must come out of the gates firing. If NU continues to start slow (Sanford and Ball State), they will have a very hard time winning Big Ten games. This will be a test for NU’s staff and players to bounce back after a very bad loss. A top 20 team should never be shut-out by anybody!

So how will we pick you out of the crowd at Ryan Field? Will you be wearing a Herky/Willie hybrid hat?

 

[ichawk24]

I'm shocked that Iowa opened as a 3 pt favorite, which was immediately pushed down to a pickem and now at Iowa by 1. I would have guessed NW by 2.5 or 3.

This will be a tough, low scoring game. 13-10 or something similar.

 

[stpaulcat]

So how will we pick you out of the crowd at Ryan Field? Will you be wearing a Herky/Willie hybrid hat?

Someone makes those--MRCat's dad has one for Wisconsin/NU. Maybe it was his mom that made it.

 

[silasstarr]

I have enjoyed Iowa fans using the "Fitz is obsessed with beating Iowa" excuse as the reason why NU has played Iowa even over the past many years. Does Fitz dislike Iowa more than other teams in the conference? Yeah, I think that is fair to say if I'm being honest. But obsession is quite a strong word. I wouldn't imagine that the team is putting in any more time preparing for Iowa than they do any other team. The fact is that this game is extremely important for both schools. The winner of the game puts their destiny in their own hands as far as winning the Western Division title. I saw someone else in this thread mention that this is a trap game for Iowa, and I just have a real hard time believing that there is anyone in black and gold that does not realize the importance of this game and the challenge in front of them. Let's set any predetermined excuses aside, and acknowledge that both teams are going to be ready to go this Saturday with the players they have available and no one is overlooking anyone else. It's two ranked opponents playing an incredibly important game in determining who is in the driver's seat moving forward- everyone is going to be up for it and anyone who doesn't believe that is kidding themselves.

Hawkeye fan here. I agree with you that this is not a trap game. I'm worried about this game. Iowa plays a bend but don't break defense and Fitz over the years has taken those five yard pass plays and marched down the field with a hurry up offense. What really worries me though is that due to injuries, Iowa is now missing their top D lineman, WR, and TE, as well as their starting offensive tackles and RB. Beathard has taken a beating this year and really can't take another game where he is getting hit like he has. I hope the magic continues but I won't be surprised if all the injuries to key players finally catches up to the Hawks. Like others have stated, let's hope for a good game without injuries.

 

[Turk]

More depth on the dline than NU? NU plays 9-10 guys on their dline and all of them are quality players. For the oline, I would have to argue about Iowa's quality depth there after watching a freshman RT get absolutely abused by the Illinois DE's this past weekend when he had to go in the game after an injury. Iowa is obviously a very good team and is having a great year so far but I would have to disagree that they have a lot more depth and quality on both lines of scrimmage.

Depth wont matter if we have similar game planning as we did at michigan.

Fitz just ran it again on first down.

Btw the defense showed cracks when straightup. If we dont do anything other than bland defensive then it wont matter cuz we wont get to the qb and his new name will be dan marino.

 

[stpaulcat]

Depth wont matter if we have similar game planning as we did at michigan.

Fitz just ran it again on first down.

Btw the defense showed cracks when straightup. If we dont do anything other than bland defensive then it wont matter cuz we wont get to the qb and his new name will be dan marino.

Are you saying Fitz & Co. lack creativity, they don't learn from their mistakes, or they freeze when taken by surprise?

 

[NJCat83588]

So how will we pick you out of the crowd at Ryan Field? Will you be wearing a Herky/Willie hybrid hat?

Just him and about 27,000 of his closest friends.........

 

[MarionHawk]

It's nice to have a conversation with the opposing fans without it becoming a debate/argument. I'm a little more of a pessimist than most Hawkeye fans. It's tough for me to forget that Iowa was tied with Iowa State with 4:30 to go in the game or that we needed a 57 yard FG to avoid OT with Pitt, or that we needed a self induced turnover from Wisconsin at their one yard line to keep a lead.

I think Fitz is going to load the box this week. I was shocked to see Illinois mainly sit in two deep look against a team running the ball down their throats. Fitz won't let this happen. He'll make our QB and sub-average WR core beat them.

Offensively from the Cats, I'm expecting a trick play or two. And a short passing game that over the years has continually drove Iowa nuts. Not having Ott at DE is going to cause Iowa some issues. Iowa will probably need to bring 5 guys to get any pressure on your QB.

All in all, I'm expecting a final of something like Wildcats 23 Hawks 13.