NU's Bowl Hopes very much alive with a California Bowl Game even in the Cards

[Alaskawildkat]

Prior to today it would have been easy to write off MSU as a loss, but their not even being able to muster half the points Northwestern did today challenges that assumption. Additionally the win over Duke now looks all the more telling as to Northwestern's ability to compete in the games ahead, with Duke having beaten Notre Dame.

Even a five win season could get us to a bowl game with the academic rule.

Go Cats!

Edited to add, duplicating my below responsive post:

How ironic would it be for Northwestern to end up playing UCLA or another Pac-12 team in this year's bowl game just as Nebraska did in the Foster Farms Bowl last year after their 5 win regular season? We kept Nebraska from making it to 6 last year and they may well be what keeps us from making it to 6 this year.

Win 6 and we are likely a lock for the bowls in Detroit or Dallas. Win 5 and we have a decent chance of heading to California since the Detroit and Dallas slots will have already likely been filled by B1G teams under the contract tie-ins.

I will take a 6 win combined regular and bowl game season to match Nebraska's last year which included a bowl win. Their bowl win got them off to a good start for this year which wouldn't be a bad thing either for our next year.

Even if Coach Fitz can't take the Purple to Pasadena this year, the Purple can still be taken to The Bay.

 

[xxjfgxx]

What are you smoking?

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

What are you smoking?

Good morning Mr. Sunshine.

 

[pawildcat]

The only conclusion I can draw from what I've seen so far is that Notre Dame's defense is awful. Wisky and Nebraska clearly look like the best in the West now unless Iowa substantially ups its game.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

Prior to today it would have been easy to write off MSU as a loss, but their not even being able to muster half the points Northwestern did today challenges that assumption. Additionally the win over Duke now looks all the more telling as to Northwestern's ability to compete in the games ahead, with Duke having beaten Notre Dame.

Even a five win season could get us to a bowl game with the academic rule.

Go Cats!

How ironic would it be for Northwestern to end up playing UCLA or another Pac-12 team in this year's bowl game just as Nebraska did in the Foster Farms Bowl last year after their 5 win regular season? We kept Nebraska from making it to 6 last year and they may well be what keeps us from making it to 6 this year.

Win 6 and we are likely a lock for the bowls in Detroit or Dallas. Win 5 and we have a decent chance of heading to California since the Detroit and Dallas slots will have already likely been likely by B1G teams under the contract tie-ins.

I will take a 6 win combined regular and bowl game season to match Nebraska's last year which included a bowl win. Their bowl win got them off to a good start for this year which wouldn't be a bad thing either for our next year.

Even if Coach Fitz can't take the Purple to Pasadena this year, the Purple can still be taken to The Bay.

 

[GreenBayCat]

Appreciate the never give up spirit. Truly. I wish the team had some more of it.

Forget the bowl numbers, man.

Find the moose!

 

[Sheffielder]

I'd actually love for us to make a bowl game at 5-7 as a nod to our program's concern for academic excellence, but I don't honestly see where four more wins are coming from...all of our opponents look like they can score more than 20 points per game, which presents a legit problem for us. I wish I were joking but even if we upset Iowa (which I believe is possible) and beat IU (also possible), by the time we get to Purdue, Minny and Illinois at the end of the season, I can already hear Fitz referring to the "injury bug" and "how we're just not lucky."