<p>Sep 1 Northeastern
Sep 8 Nevada
Sep 15 Duke
Sep 22 at Ohio State
Sep 29 Michigan
Oct 6 at Michigan State
Oct 13 Minnesota
Oct 20 Eastern Michigan
Oct 27 at Purdue
Nov 3 Iowa
Nov 10 Indiana
Nov 17 at Illinois</p>
<p>Predictions?</p>
<p>win sep 29
lose the rest</p>
<p>actually..
5-7
win: NE, Nevada, Duke, EMU, Illinois</p>
<p>^i think they will win those games plus have a good shot at Indiana and Michigan State(new qb so idk).</p>
<p>Glad to see there are excited 'Cats fans out there. What the new students may not realize is that Fitzgerald ran the most mind-numbing offensive gameplans in the history of college football. Three separate quarterbacks were employed (Kafka, Brewer, and Bacher). Fitz had the brililant idea that the offense could be centered around QB Draws and QB off tackles. If you look at the box scores of the games, especially at the beginning of the year, you'll see some real oddities. There was almost no downfield passing game because Kafka lacks the arm strength and Sutton wasn't given the ball enough. Brewer was better than Kafka but has since used his athleticism as a WR. Now Bacher is a very average QB who won't make too many plays nor too many mistakes.
Hopefully the offense will open up this year b/c NU has a ton of athletic receivers and Sutton in the backfield can be used as a bruiser between the tackles or used a receiver coming out of the backfield against a linebacker.
The defense will be fine.</p>
<p>If we excuse last year because of the fallout of Walker's death, then I see NU going 7-5. If Fitzgerald doesn't give more slack to his offensive coordinator, 4-8.</p>
<p>On the bright side, WE MIGHT BE GOING BOWLING!</p>
<p>Indiana's going to beat Northwestern.</p>
<p>Wait... Duke has a football team???? :rolleyes:</p>
<p>^^yea you know, the one that hasnt won in like 3 years. google "duke football" and the fifth link is this: <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/769/story/493554.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.newsobserver.com/769/story/493554.html</a></p>
<p>wow, 5-7 smells like roses compared to that article</p>
<p>
[quote]
I see NU going 7-5. If Fitzgerald doesn't give more slack to his offensive coordinator, 4-8.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>CerebralAssasin, nice analysis, heres to hoping for 7-5 and not 4-8. :) </p>
<p>
[quote]
Indiana's going to beat Northwestern.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I dont know about that, but talk about one emotional game. Coach Walker and Coach Hoeppner are truly missed.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Wait... Duke has a football team????
[/quote]
</p>
<p>LOL, from the News & Observer article: It's like watching a trapped animal gnaw off a foot.</p>
<p><a href="http://cfn.scout.com/2/557808.html%5B/url%5D:">http://cfn.scout.com/2/557808.html:</a>
6-6</p>
<p>Prediction:</p>
<p>Eastern Michigan 24
Northwestern 10</p>
<p>GO EAGLES!!!</p>
<p>I wonder if the basic cable (Time Warner) in my area (Los Angeles/West Hollywood) gets the Big10 network...</p>
<p>From what I've read online, the Big Ten Network's contract battle with television carriers is limiting it. I think it's only available in states with a Big Ten team....which is crap. I'm stuck on the east coast until move-in and I have to listen to the game on WGN or WNUR.
Any news if the Big Ten Network will be on NUTV? I can't imagine that Northwestern won't carry a network it partially owns, but I've been surprised before.</p>
<p>Actually none of the states where the Big Ten teams have got contracts with basic cable yet. The cable companies want to put it on the sports tier, whereas the BTN wants to be on basic. The only networks I'm aware of that actually have the BTN on basic cable are the one's affiliated with the university. Directv has it, but that's about it in most areas.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Eastern Michigan 24
Northwestern 10
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Thanks for the laugh.</p>
<p>While an 8-4 record is doable, there is likely to be a misstep somewhere – so, I’ll hedge my bets and say the ‘Cats will finish at 7-5 (a 9-3 record is not outside of the realm of possibility if the ‘Cats win every “winnable” game).</p>
<p>W NORTHEASTERN
W NEVADA (‘Cats had 5 TO’s last year, no production at QB and still almost won the game with Sutton running wild)
W DUKE (should be a win but this game scares me; it’s been a long time since the ‘Cats have gone undefeated in OOC games)
L @ Ohio State
L MICHIGAN (this game will be closer than most people think; will have to wait ‘til next year for the upset).
W @ Mich St. (revenge game)
W MINNESOTA (new coach and new QB for Minny)
W Eastern Mich
L @ Purdue (will be close, but Purdue has a more experienced QB and the game will be in WL)
W/L IOWA (could go either way, but can the ‘Cats make it 3 wins in a row over the Hawkeyes?)
W INDIANA (the ‘Cats have the better D and a more balanced O)
W/L @Illinois (could go either way, but can the ‘Cats make it 5 wins in a row over the Illini?)</p>
<p>Last year, the team was in disarray with the premature and unexpected death of Coach Walker - esp. on offense where the high scoring NU spread offense resorting to running plays by the QB due to the inexperience and ineffectiveness of 2 frosh QBs.</p>
<p>Due to the lack of a passing threat, opponents would just stack the box in order to stop Sutton.</p>
<p>However, the NU offense returned to near-from when Bacher was able to start the last 6 games after being sidelined since summer camp from a leg in jury. In his first 6 collegiate games as a starting QB, Bacher threw for more than 200 yds each game, including for over 200 yds in the 1st half against Michigan (like all new starting QBs, he just has to cut down on the TO’s). With Bacher at the helm, Sutton, even with a bunch of nagging injuries, was able to get 1,000 yds for the 2nd season in a row.</p>
<p>The key to this season is for Bacher, Sutton and the O-line to remain healthy (Sutton suffered a hamstring injury during camp but is supposedly fine for the season opener).</p>
<p>While losing Brewer (broken arm) for the season is a blow to WR corps (he is a big WR who would have stretched the field), the ‘Cats have depth at the position (tho, none of them are the weapon that Brewer is with his combination of size and speed).</p>
<p>While there are a couple of new starters on the O-line, they all have some game experience – however, there is little depth beyond the starters and any injuries to this unit will result in playing underclassmen who are not yet ready.</p>
<p>On D – unlike in other years, the strength is in the D-line and secondary. The D-line is 8-man deep and anchored by Corey Wooten who is a physical freak. The secondary has 4 experienced starters including the talented CB McManis (tho SS Brendan Smith re-injuring his surgically repaired shoulder is of some concern). In addition, NU has the best group of frosh DBs it has ever had (including 4* recruit Mabin) – tho none are likely to see any playing time – except for maybe Mabin on special teams.</p>
<p>The big question mark on D this year is at LB (historically, NU’s best unit on D) where there are a bunch of new starters.</p>
<p>Another big question mark is the kicking game (which for the past 3-4 years has been atrocious). Hopefully this has been remedied with 2 new kickers, including highly touted Demos who will be handling the kick-offs and punts.</p>
<p>Next year, the ‘Cats could be in the running for the B10 title (including an “upset” win over UoM) – but only IF they are able to find capable replacements on the O-line (esp. for Rees at center who will be playing on Sundays).</p>
<p>CerebralA - btw, Kafka's arm strength is fine - the problem was that neither he nor Brewer had enough experience at the QB postion (even in HS) - so they were basically lost out there with regard to reading coverage, etc. (Bacher, otoh, has been playing QB for years).</p>
<p>Bacher is not an average QB - he may be the best pure passer NU has had in a long while (otoh, Bacher is not as much of a threat running that NU QBs have been) - Bacher, like all young starters, just has to cut down on the TOs.</p>
<p>
[quote]
yea you know, the one that hasnt won in like 3 years. google "duke football" and the fifth link is this:
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And Duke's losing streak continues even after the university "loosened" its admissions standards for FB recruits (along the lines with what Duke has done for BB recruits).</p>
<p>Thanks for the detailed analysis!</p>
<p>How do you know they have lowered their admission standards for FB recruits?</p>
<p>I agree with k&s, but think it goes a bit too far. NU's defense is simply not that good. It's mediocre by big 10 standards. There was zero pass rush all of last year. Zero. There is reason to believe that Woot could be great, but he has no one else. Eventually OL's will just double-team him and take him a non-factor. The LB core, as k&s noted, has question marks. The backfield is good, but not great. McManis is a great special teamer, but has not proven himself as a CB. The safeties also need to improve. Remember that last year's injury to Brian Heinz and then to Nick Roach left the defense crippled. Other departures leave NU's defense with a lot to be desired.
I agree that Bacher is far and away the best pure passer on the roster. He made the right throws at the right time, with some mistakes that can be attributed to inexperience. However, that doesn't mean that Bacher can let it rip for 40 yards down the sideline to a streaking Andrew Brewer. A bullet pass on a 7 yard comeback route to Ross Lane might not have the necessary mustard to go through the hands of a diving linebacker. Regardless, catering to Bacher's skill-set will certainly force Fitzgerald into more cogent playcalling.
If DirecTV is carrying B10 Network, and NUTV uses DirecTV as of this past April at least the B10 Network is a channel the students could vote on. I don't remember it beign an option this past year, so either NU never made it an option or didn't make it an option bc it didn't exist yet, so NU will add it on.
Regardless, I read about a "viewing party" the Saturday of NSW, so at least someone in the Norris Center has B10 Network.</p>
<p>CA – I think you are drastically underestimating the talent on the D-line which is considered to be 8-deep. Woot is a physical freak. John Gill is considered by many to be a 2nd/3rd team All-Big10 DT. Adam Hahn And Kevin Mims are talented as well and these guys are all sophs or jrs. (these guys have always been talented – they just ended up starting too early by seeing major playing time their frosh/soph yrs. due to lack of talent/injuries ahead of them). In addition, the often-injured David Ngene is finally healthy and Fitz had remarked about how he is going to make an impact on the other DE spot.</p>
<p>The coaches and people close to the program think that this D-line is the best since 2004 – which had Luis Castillo, Loren Howard and Colby Clark.</p>
<p>Pretty much all of the college football previews have the D-line ranked as the best unit on NU’s defense (for instance, College Football News has the ‘Cats D-line rated as the 6th best in the conf. after PSU).</p>
<p>The D-line is going to be good this year and next year – watch out.</p>
<p>As for the secondary, this is the most solid group of DBs the ‘Cats have had in a while.</p>
<p>Deante Battle started playing up to his potential last year at one of the CB positions. And while McManis (“Batman”) only started about half the games last year at CB – he played very well for a frosh (with 1 INT and 5 broken passes) – if you watched the dOSU game last year, McManis covered Ted Ginn, Jr. very well, limiting him to 2 receptions (and the 1 for the TD was a perfect pass from T Smith since McManis was step in step with Ginn all the way to the endzone.</p>
<p>And the other DB position is solid as well with McPherson and Smith (while it remains to be seen how serious Smith’s re-injuring of his shoulder is, Brad Phillips is considered to be on par with these guys).</p>
<p>And while the D was by no means great last year, it still managed to place 7th in the conference despite being very young.</p>
<p>The only significant loss on D due to graduation was Roach (and he missed the last few games due to injury).</p>
<p>
[quote]
How do you know they have lowered their admission standards for FB recruits?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It was reported a few yrs back as an attempt to improve the team beyond its recent history of futility (this is nothing new for Duke since Duke has taken in numerous BB recruits with SAT scores in the 900s).</p>
<p>Using the numbers you mention, the D is 6 or 7 in B10. So it's very average. The Offense is also pretty average (Ohio St, Michigan, Penn St, Wisconsin, and Purdue have loads more weapons. Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota all might be better).
The team is pretty average by B10 standards. Add in the negatives of being relatively inexperienced and not having a winning culture...so they'll drop a game or two that is late and close.</p>
<p>Odds have us going 3-1 non-conference (we'll be favorites in all 4, but perfection is a though thing to ask for. Every year we drop a game we should've won...see UNH in '06) and 3-5, maybe 4-4 in conference. We'll get 6 or 7 wins and a trip to the Music City Bowl or its likeness.</p>
<p>I don't think we're disagreeing, k&s. we're looking at the same data and have similar analyses.</p>
<p>And not just did I see the Ohio State game, I was there all game despite freezing temperatures and a fight in the student section after some rowdy OSU fans starting flying the Ohio flag in front of NU fans. Ohio State played like absolute crap and were clearly looking forward to its showdown with Michigan the next week. Smith, Pittman, Ginn, and Gonzales all played poorly.</p>
<p>Indiana most definitely has a better offense than Northwestern.</p>