<p>33 year old Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) vs. 81 year old Joe Paterno (Penn State).</p>
<p>Both are 5-0 right now.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, no game between Northwestern and Penn State this year.</p>
<p>Looks like the HPME'rs and PROG's will have to fight it out.</p>
<p>Where???</p>
<p>Fitz and his Northwestern Wildcats (5-0) are now ranked #22 in USA Today poll. JoePa and the Nittany Lions (6-0) are again ranked #6.</p>
<p>The Michigan State Spartans (5-1, ranked #19 in USA Today poll) travel to Evanston to take on the NU Wildcats at Ryan Field. 3:30pm EST, ESPN2. Go Fitz !!!</p>
<p>JoePa and the Nittany Lions travel to Camp Randall Stadium to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers have lost 2 heart breakers in a row, first to Michigan and then to Ohio State. It's gonna be a tough game for JoePa. Can JoePa do it??? Find out! 8pm EST, ESPN</p>
<p>Fitz loses his first game. Now 5-1.</p>
<p>JoePa creams Wisconsin. Now 7-0 and ranked #3 in the country.</p>
<p>Fitz probably would have had a good chance if the Wildcats didn't keep giving Michigan State the ball at midfield or closer. Hopefully, NU can keep winning up to the Ohio State game, which will be a pretty important game if NU only has one loss at that point.</p>
<p>In the meantime, JoePa takes on Michigan (at home) and then Ohio State (at Columbus). Michigan, currently at 2-4 after losing to lowly Toledo (which had won only 1 game BEFORE Michigan), might try to do something to save face. And then the Nittany Lions travel to Columbus. Ooo. That one might be tough.</p>
<p>Love that commercial for BigTen Network. All the coaches trying to recruit you from your living room couch. Fitz, Tressel, Tiller, Ferentz, Rodriguez, Zook, and all the rest. And the best part is saved for last, when JoePa passionately begs you to "Come ta PENN STATE !!!"</p>
<p>JoePa beats Tressel and Ohio State in the biggest game so far this season. Big defensive game. Only one penalty and no turnovers. Penn State 13 - Ohio State 6. JoePa now 9-0!!!</p>
<p>Assuming JoePa goes all the way to BCS championship, if Fitz and the NU Wildcats could have only won against Indiana and then Minnesota, then the SOLD OUT(!!!) NU-Ohio State game (at NU) on Nov 8 would have been for the Rose Bowl -- the visiting NU parents could have had a wonderful game during Family Weekend. Ahh, but it did not come to "pass." Indiana beat NU 21-19. Ahh. Too many NU turnovers. Oh well, there still is some hope. Go Fitz !!!</p>
<p>Since JoePa is on a Bye week, what a great week to check up on other games in the Big Ten, courtesy of ESPN.</p>
<p>This week, Fitz and his Northwestern Wildcats traveled to the Metrodome in Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Gophers, who were sporting an impressive 7-1 record prior to the game. After Northwestern lost 21-19 to Indiana last week, and also lost tailback Tyrell Sutton for the rest of the season with a wrist injury, and in which starting QB CJ Bacher pulled a hamstring and was out for this week's game with Minnesota, backup QB (and former starter) Mike Kafka came in and marched the Wildcats down the field in the first two drives, with NU scoring a touchdown on a the opening drive (with a nice 36-yard pass over the Minnesota defender and into the outstretched arms of wide receiver Jeremy Ebert), and NU getting a field goal on their second drive.</p>
<p>The Gophers came back in the 2nd quarter, with a touchdown pass from Gopher Adam Weber to his favorite target, Eric Decker. Later in the quarter, Northwestern QB Kafka pulled a goober, attempting a quick out pass to the right which was perfectly timed and picked off by Gopher Traye Simmons, who easily scampered 23 yards into the end zone to put the Gophers up 14-10. Kafka didn't let the interception bother him, and on the next possession, had a nice 52-yard run to the Minnesota 2. He then followed his long run with a nice, 2-yard pass to tight end Josh Rooks, and NU was up again, 17-14. Just before the half, the Gophers tied the game 17-17 with a field goal.</p>
<p>In the 3rd quarter, after the Gophers missed a short field goal after a long drive, Kafka moved the Wildcats down the field, including another long run. Having been picked off previously by Traye Simmons, the Wildcats tried the pump fake an go route, but the Gophers weren't fooled and Simmons picked off another Kafka pass, and a possible Wildcat scoring opportunity was halted.</p>
<p>Starting at their own 14 and with less than a minute in the game and a 17-17 tie, Minnesota eagerly tried to move the ball so as to get within field goal range for a winning kick. With 26 seconds remaining, Gopher QB Adam Weber again sent the ball towards his favorite target, Eric Decker, but the ball glanced off Decker's outstretch hands and bounced off defending Wildcat cornerback David Oredugba. But before the ball could hit the ground, it was grabbed by Wildcat safety Brendan Smith, who then weaved and swirled down the field for 48 yards, picking up a variety of helpful blocks from his teammates, and finally ending up in the end zone for the winning score, with only 12 seconds left in the game.</p>
<p>Even though he threw a couple of costly interceptions, Northwestern QB Kafka had an amazing game, not only throwing for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also RUNNING FOR 217 YARDS !!!</p>
<p>What is Fitz gonna do when QB CJ Bacher's hamstring heals? Who will be the starter? Keep in mind, Bacher led the Wildcats to a 5-0 start. Or will Fitz go to a 2-quarterback system??? Gonna be interesting. </p>
<p>Whew!!! What a game for Fitz and the Northwestern Wildcats !!!</p>
<p>And guess who is coming to Evanston next week? Ryan Field is completely SOLD OUT for this one!!! (Hint: Jim Tressel, Tyrelle Pryor, and BEANIE Wells.) 11 am CST (12 pm EST) at Ryan Field.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, JoePa is at Iowa this week. Game is televised. 3:30 pm EST, after the Northwestern-Ohio State game. Another exciting Saturday of football!!!</p>
<p>Go Fitz !!!
Go JoePa !!!</p>
<p>joe pa sucks. penn state has a terrible football team.</p>
<p>ROFLM Buttocks Off! :)</p>