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Safe to say the Northwestern Head Coach isn't impressed with

so he likes his chances then to lose back to back games in Indy? big deal, he will probably get a chance to vote his opinion each week, that is click bait
 
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NW First 5 conference games..

Michigan State
At Wisconsin
At Nebraska
Bye
Ohio St
Iowa

We’ll know if their a pretender or a contender before Halloween.
Oof, that is quite a stretch of games. I predict Fitz will once again field a team that has no business being as good as it is based on size and athleticism, but that is in no real danger of being called great.
 
Guy gets the best out of his players and Thorsen had some magic in him. But if the new QB doesn’t get it done, things could get rough. NU won’t hand them a win this year.
 
He knows, just trying to play it off. Living free rent in the back of head!
 
Click bait!

Facts:
1. We were 0-6 when we played Northwestern. The worst start in school history.

2. Northwestern made the B1G Championship.

3. We had 89 penalty yards compared to Northwestern's 5 yards. They only had 5% of the penalty yards that we had! The last penalty kept them alive on their final touchdown drive with time running out or they lose!

4. We had a first year coach who was Coach of the Year the season before.

5. We had a true freshman QB who hadn't played since he was a high school JR. Going in to his Sophomore season he's being considered a Heisman candidate.

Opinion
Northwestern barely beat us last year with everything working in their favor. Fitzgerald's comment will look silly after Frost is done with him!
 
Click bait!

Facts:
1. We were 0-5 when we played Northwestern. The worst start in school history.

2. Northwestern made the B1G Championship.

3. We had 89 penalty yards compared to Northwestern's 5 yards. They only had 5% of the penalty yards that we had! The last penalty kept them alive on their final touchdown drive with time running out or they lose!

4. We had a first year coach who was Coach of the Year the season before.

5. We had a true freshman QB who hadn't played since he was a high school JR. Going in to his Sophomore season he's being considered a Heisman candidate.

Opinion
Northwestern barely beat us last year with everything working in their favor. Fitzgerald's comment will look silly after Frost is done with him!

FIFY. I'm in agreement that we pound these guys this year.
 
Click bait!

Facts:
1. We were 0-6 when we played Northwestern. The worst start in school history.

2. Northwestern made the B1G Championship.

3. We had 89 penalty yards compared to Northwestern's 5 yards. They only had 5% of the penalty yards that we had! The last penalty kept them alive on their final touchdown drive with time running out or they lose!

4. We had a first year coach who was Coach of the Year the season before.

5. We had a true freshman QB who hadn't played since he was a high school JR. Going in to his Sophomore season he's being considered a Heisman candidate.

Opinion
Northwestern barely beat us last year with everything working in their favor. Fitzgerald's comment will look silly after Frost is done with him!

And we'll get a turn with them after Wisconsin gets the Wildcats in Madison in a revenge game.
 
Click bait!

Facts:
1. We were 0-6 when we played Northwestern. The worst start in school history.

2. Northwestern made the B1G Championship.

3. We had 89 penalty yards compared to Northwestern's 5 yards. They only had 5% of the penalty yards that we had! The last penalty kept them alive on their final touchdown drive with time running out or they lose!

4. We had a first year coach who was Coach of the Year the season before.

5. We had a true freshman QB who hadn't played since he was a high school JR. Going in to his Sophomore season he's being considered a Heisman candidate.

Opinion
Northwestern barely beat us last year with everything working in their favor. Fitzgerald's comment will look silly after Frost is done with him!



So your saying Northwestern is a more disciplined team, that played above potential and basically has bragging rights until we beat them?

Agree.
 
One guaranteed thing about playing Northwestern is that Northwestern will get about 80 yards more im penalty yards. Even if the Northwestern quarterback grounds the ball it will not get called.
 
Fitz is showing a little green eyed jealousy because he knows anything predicting NW to win the west would get about 6 clicks tops.
 
So your saying Northwestern is a more disciplined team, that played above potential and basically has bragging rights until we beat them?

Agree.

I would like to think we were still acclimating to the offensive and defensive systems in our 1st year with new coaches, as well as struggling with shooting ourselves in the foot.

If I see some of bone-headed horse crap that I saw last year, I'm going to be pissed. But of course Jerald 'the human penalty machine' Foster is gone, which should help.
 
predictions of Nebraska winning the West. He called it click bait, thought that was a first.
This is inaccurate. He never once mentioned Nebraska. He referred to the pundits universally dismissing Northwestern. He called the pre-season predictions click bait. You can twist that into a slam about Nebraska, but he says the same thing every year no matter who is predicted to win and because Northwestern is nearly always projected lower than they end up. The comment was his opinion of an underrated Northwestern not an over rated Nebraska.

All I know is Northwestern won the West by 3 games last year. Not one, they ran the table in the West. They have won 15 of their last 16 conference regular season games. Yes, Northwestern was lucky to win because of a Nebraska’s complete melt down. Northwestern played poorly that game but found a way to win. These things tend to even out. Anyone remember the Westerkamp Hail Mary?

Frost may have the Huskers on the rise, but the other teams in the West aren’t going to roll over and play dead for him. Nebraska has a VERY favorable schedule to win the West and probably should be a favorite to win, but Fitz’s comment addresses a lack of respect for his team not a slam at the Huskers.
 
This is inaccurate. He never once mentioned Nebraska. He referred to the pundits universally dismissing Northwestern. He called the pre-season predictions click bait. You can twist that into a slam about Nebraska, but he says the same thing every year no matter who is predicted to win and because Northwestern is nearly always projected lower than they end up. The comment was his opinion of an underrated Northwestern not an over rated Nebraska.

All I know is Northwestern won the West by 3 games last year. Not one, they ran the table in the West. They have won 15 of their last 16 conference regular season games. Yes, Northwestern was lucky to win because of a Nebraska’s complete melt down. Northwestern played poorly that game but found a way to win. These things tend to even out. Anyone remember the Westerkamp Hail Mary?

Frost may have the Huskers on the rise, but the other teams in the West aren’t going to roll over and play dead for him. Nebraska has a VERY favorable schedule to win the West and probably should be a favorite to win, but Fitz’s comment addresses a lack of respect for his team not a slam at the Huskers.
Understand, and I dont have the numbers, but whats NWs won/loss against osu and mich?
Thats where we are heading, and in doing so, of course winning the west.
This evening out is a slow motion stick in the mud rose bowl means everything old mentality, where only mich and osu understand.
 
This is inaccurate. He never once mentioned Nebraska. He referred to the pundits universally dismissing Northwestern. He called the pre-season predictions click bait. You can twist that into a slam about Nebraska, but he says the same thing every year no matter who is predicted to win and because Northwestern is nearly always projected lower than they end up. The comment was his opinion of an underrated Northwestern not an over rated Nebraska.

All I know is Northwestern won the West by 3 games last year. Not one, they ran the table in the West. They have won 15 of their last 16 conference regular season games. Yes, Northwestern was lucky to win because of a Nebraska’s complete melt down. Northwestern played poorly that game but found a way to win. These things tend to even out. Anyone remember the Westerkamp Hail Mary?

Frost may have the Huskers on the rise, but the other teams in the West aren’t going to roll over and play dead for him. Nebraska has a VERY favorable schedule to win the West and probably should be a favorite to win, but Fitz’s comment addresses a lack of respect for his team not a slam at the Huskers.
I looked it up, youre winless with your best teams against osu, didnt check mich.
Tough games are tough games, but being dominated is still a tough game to dominate another good, well coached and hard played team
 
This is inaccurate. He never once mentioned Nebraska. He referred to the pundits universally dismissing Northwestern. He called the pre-season predictions click bait. You can twist that into a slam about Nebraska, but he says the same thing every year no matter who is predicted to win and because Northwestern is nearly always projected lower than they end up. The comment was his opinion of an underrated Northwestern not an over rated Nebraska.

All I know is Northwestern won the West by 3 games last year. Not one, they ran the table in the West. They have won 15 of their last 16 conference regular season games. Yes, Northwestern was lucky to win because of a Nebraska’s complete melt down. Northwestern played poorly that game but found a way to win. These things tend to even out. Anyone remember the Westerkamp Hail Mary?

Frost may have the Huskers on the rise, but the other teams in the West aren’t going to roll over and play dead for him. Nebraska has a VERY favorable schedule to win the West and probably should be a favorite to win, but Fitz’s comment addresses a lack of respect for his team not a slam at the Huskers.
this is correct. OP typed some click bait. the guy who asked the question asked him what he thought about some publications picking NW to finish 4th or 5th in the west this year
 
I looked it up, youre winless with your best teams against osu, didnt check mich.
Tough games are tough games, but being dominated is still a tough game to dominate another good, well coached and hard played team

Northwestern has had a lot of trouble with OSU and Michigan as have most teams in the B1G over the years. The Cats had 20 years of an administration that virtually didn't care a fig about football, which didn't help.

On the other hand, we've done quite a bit better against Wisconsin and Iowa than Nebraska has since you've joined the B1G, and those are two teams you have to beat to win the Western Division.

I haven't heard Fitz say anything negative about Nebraska and doubt I will in the future. There's nobody more careful about making statements that might give opposing teams bulletin board material. So I'm assuming this thread is an effort to fire up the fan base.

The past is the past. Nebraska has a great fan base, tradition, and the potential to again be a perennial ranked team. The Huskers should be improved this year with an excellent offense. They have an easier schedule, and should be one of the favorites to win the West. But at this point I'd say it's not out of the question for any team outside of Illinois to make a run at the division this year. That's why they play the games.
 
This is inaccurate. He never once mentioned Nebraska. He referred to the pundits universally dismissing Northwestern. He called the pre-season predictions click bait. You can twist that into a slam about Nebraska, but he says the same thing every year no matter who is predicted to win and because Northwestern is nearly always projected lower than they end up. The comment was his opinion of an underrated Northwestern not an over rated Nebraska.

All I know is Northwestern won the West by 3 games last year. Not one, they ran the table in the West. They have won 15 of their last 16 conference regular season games. Yes, Northwestern was lucky to win because of a Nebraska’s complete melt down. Northwestern played poorly that game but found a way to win. These things tend to even out. Anyone remember the Westerkamp Hail Mary?

Frost may have the Huskers on the rise, but the other teams in the West aren’t going to roll over and play dead for him. Nebraska has a VERY favorable schedule to win the West and probably should be a favorite to win, but Fitz’s comment addresses a lack of respect for his team not a slam at the Huskers.
Agreed. And we finally have a schedule that appears to not be murderers row. BIG seems to have a problem with that. Hope they find a way to not make them do rollercoaster ish
 
I don't know if it was done deliberately or ignorantly but I agree that the original post is misleading. Fitzgerald was referring to preseason publications in general. Not knocking Nebraska.

As far as Northwestern goes, I think Fitz is a consistently good coach and a good dude. But NW just has too many built in disadvantages and hurdles to consistently challenge for anything. As a program they have about an 8 win ceiling year in and year out as long as everything breaks right for them and everyone else is down. It would be like us saying we should consistently compete with Kansas in basketball every year because we beat them a few times in the past. I mean, come on guys. You're supposed to be the smart school. Know your limitations.
 
Anyone consider that maybe we have the most rabid fan base in the west? And maybe all of the media hype around NU winning the west is to generate clicks, magazine sales, and revenue via a fan base starved for relevance? Sport writers and websites are about making money above all else.

I couldnt give a damn about predictions. Let see how it plays on the field
 
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I don't know if it was done deliberately or ignorantly but I agree that the original post is misleading. Fitzgerald was referring to preseason publications in general. Not knocking Nebraska.

As far as Northwestern goes, I think Fitz is a consistently good coach and a good dude. But NW just has too many built in disadvantages and hurdles to consistently challenge for anything. As a program they have about an 8 win ceiling year in and year out as long as everything breaks right for them and everyone else is down. It would be like us saying we should consistently compete with Kansas in basketball every year because we beat them a few times in the past. I mean, come on guys. You're supposed to be the smart school. Know your limitations.

Northwestern folks are pretty smart. Thanks, Captain Nick.

Look, no Northwestern fan thinks we're going to turn into some sort of Ohio State, Michigan or SEC-style powerhouse. We do have some hurdles (such as trying to recruit smart kids and graduating 98-99 percent of them), and most of us have no problem with that. I think we've made something like 70 offers this year. Other schools have offered hundreds of kids.

But on the other hand, we're not going to accept that we have some sort of competitive cap on wins or whatever you want to call it. Fitz now has had three 10-win seasons and two nine-win ones, so I don't think I'm going to buy an eight-win ceiling for the program.

We certainly have the potential to challenge for the B1G West as presently constituted on occasion, and we can aim for a level similar to that of Stanford, which, while not a top-10 elite team, has certainly had some very good stretches of football in recent years.

With the new recruiting facility in place and continuity on the staff, recruiting has already improved and is looking better as time goes on. Our recruits so far this year have had 55 offers from other B1G schools. In contrast, the 2008 recruits had 7 offers from other B1G schools (and Fitz actually did fairly well with the 2008 bunch).

As I said, Ohio State and Michigan we're not (and frankly don't want to be in some respects). Hell, I'm sure we'll be hard-pressed to keep up with Nebraska if Frost is the real deal. But don't look for the Cats to roll over and go away. That's not going to happen.
 
Northwestern folks are pretty smart. Thanks, Captain Nick.

Look, no Northwestern fan thinks we're going to turn into some sort of Ohio State, Michigan or SEC-style powerhouse. We do have some hurdles (such as trying to recruit smart kids and graduating 98-99 percent of them), and most of us have no problem with that. I think we've made something like 70 offers this year. Other schools have offered hundreds of kids.

But on the other hand, we're not going to accept that we have some sort of competitive cap on wins or whatever you want to call it. Fitz now has had three 10-win seasons and two nine-win ones, so I don't think I'm going to buy an eight-win ceiling for the program.

We certainly have the potential to challenge for the B1G West as presently constituted on occasion, and we can aim for a level similar to that of Stanford, which, while not a top-10 elite team, has certainly had some very good stretches of football in recent years.

With the new recruiting facility in place and continuity on the staff, recruiting has already improved and is looking better as time goes on. Our recruits so far this year have had 55 offers from other B1G schools. In contrast, the 2008 recruits had 7 offers from other B1G schools (and Fitz actually did fairly well with the 2008 bunch).

As I said, Ohio State and Michigan we're not (and frankly don't want to be in some respects). Hell, I'm sure we'll be hard-pressed to keep up with Nebraska if Frost is the real deal. But don't look for the Cats to roll over and go away. That's not going to happen.
Northwestern is the current version of Kansas State when Bill Snyder was their coach. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
Northwestern folks are pretty smart. Thanks, Captain Nick.

Look, no Northwestern fan thinks we're going to turn into some sort of Ohio State, Michigan or SEC-style powerhouse. We do have some hurdles (such as trying to recruit smart kids and graduating 98-99 percent of them), and most of us have no problem with that. I think we've made something like 70 offers this year. Other schools have offered hundreds of kids.

But on the other hand, we're not going to accept that we have some sort of competitive cap on wins or whatever you want to call it. Fitz now has had three 10-win seasons and two nine-win ones, so I don't think I'm going to buy an eight-win ceiling for the program.

We certainly have the potential to challenge for the B1G West as presently constituted on occasion, and we can aim for a level similar to that of Stanford, which, while not a top-10 elite team, has certainly had some very good stretches of football in recent years.

With the new recruiting facility in place and continuity on the staff, recruiting has already improved and is looking better as time goes on. Our recruits so far this year have had 55 offers from other B1G schools. In contrast, the 2008 recruits had 7 offers from other B1G schools (and Fitz actually did fairly well with the 2008 bunch).

As I said, Ohio State and Michigan we're not (and frankly don't want to be in some respects). Hell, I'm sure we'll be hard-pressed to keep up with Nebraska if Frost is the real deal. But don't look for the Cats to roll over and go away. That's not going to happen.
Well said. And I agree
 
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NW First 5 conference games..

Michigan State
At Wisconsin
At Nebraska
Bye
Ohio St
Iowa

We’ll know if their a pretender or a contender before Halloween.
The absolute best they'll go in that stretch is 2-3. Just can't see them winning the division this year.
 
Northwestern folks are pretty smart. Thanks, Captain Nick.

Look, no Northwestern fan thinks we're going to turn into some sort of Ohio State, Michigan or SEC-style powerhouse. We do have some hurdles (such as trying to recruit smart kids and graduating 98-99 percent of them), and most of us have no problem with that. I think we've made something like 70 offers this year. Other schools have offered hundreds of kids.

But on the other hand, we're not going to accept that we have some sort of competitive cap on wins or whatever you want to call it. Fitz now has had three 10-win seasons and two nine-win ones, so I don't think I'm going to buy an eight-win ceiling for the program.

We certainly have the potential to challenge for the B1G West as presently constituted on occasion, and we can aim for a level similar to that of Stanford, which, while not a top-10 elite team, has certainly had some very good stretches of football in recent years.

With the new recruiting facility in place and continuity on the staff, recruiting has already improved and is looking better as time goes on. Our recruits so far this year have had 55 offers from other B1G schools. In contrast, the 2008 recruits had 7 offers from other B1G schools (and Fitz actually did fairly well with the 2008 bunch).

As I said, Ohio State and Michigan we're not (and frankly don't want to be in some respects). Hell, I'm sure we'll be hard-pressed to keep up with Nebraska if Frost is the real deal. But don't look for the Cats to roll over and go away. That's not going to happen.
Fair enough and I wouldn't expect you to think any other way. I just see too many obstacles for NW to consistently overcome year in and year out. If the Cats are consistently winning the west then the rest of the division's coaches aren't doing their job. (And that's a real possibility with some of these coaches.) o_O

With that said, I wish you guys well this upcoming year.
 
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Northwestern is the current version of Kansas State when Bill Snyder was their coach. Nothing more, nothing less.
Their past 2 coaches at Northwestern both won big 10 titles. Fitz has not. So a comparison To Snyder is way off
 
I’ve said it many times and I will say it again, the B1G screwed up big time when the set the divisions. A one loss B1G team will find it hard to get into the playoffs when they play a NW or Iowa in the conference championship. The B1G needs Nebraska to come up. This isn’t because I’m a bias Nebraska. Michigan, Ohio State, & Penn state teams will say the same thing.

And I don’t buy into a conspiracy theory about the refs were out to get Nebraska. However I do think refs go into games with a bias opinion. If a team has a reputation of being clean, the refs will give them the benefit of the doubt more times then not. Pat fitz is known to run a clean penalty free program so the refs aren’t watching as hard. Anything close they seem to get the benefit of the doubt. You see this type of officiating in baseball clear. If Mookie Betts takes a borderline pitch, the ump will call it a ball because Mookie is an excellent hitter. They assume it must have been a ball since Betts didn’t swing & Betts doesn’t strikeout a lot . Likewise, Mookie teammate Jackie Bradley takes the same pitch, the ump is more likely to call it a Strike. Bradley isn’t a great hitter and does K a lot.

Point being, there’s a human element to officiating regardless of the sport. Lots of bang bang calls and when your usually clean, you get the benefit of the doubt and vice versa. And let’s call a spade a spade. Under Mike Riley we were very undisciplined. We did beat ourselves. We did play stupid football. We deserved to not get the benefit of the doubt. A little of that carried over last year early.

Lots of people talk about the Wisconsin game and how we got screwed. This wasn’t a conspiracy. Yes lot do bad officiating in that one. But a few things I noticed, one is that is that lots of people pointed it out how much they got away with and the aftermath was that Wisconsin’s penalties per game went up after it was pointed out. Second Wisconsin is the king of disguising holding. Some of it is actually legal as it’s within the pads. Some not so much but they hide it very well. Lastly, and the biggest thing I noticed is the B1G officials are just too old, too out of shape, and just bad at their jobs.

A lot of miscalls are because some old ass 60 year old man is trying his best to keep up with top notch athletes and has no position to make the call cause he can’t see it. What we need is full time, athletic officials that can maintain on the field and not 50 year old Vice Principals at a JR HS in Springfield Mo who moonligt as NCAA ref on the weekends in fall. Get rid of part-time jackleg out of shape refs and hire full time refs. There’s no reason the NCAA can’t train a person to officiate multiple sports.

Example, in the fall he refs football, in the spring he umps Womens softball. The work is there if they cross train. Find some men and women with a good brain, good eye sight, good judgment and are athletic. Get rid of the old man game in college football, for guys who can’t keep up. And yes I know there are old men who are in shape, and could handle this job. But we need more youth in officiating. A lot of the B1G refs have no business even being on the field
 
predictions of Nebraska winning the West. He called it click bait, thought that was a first.
Would any reasonable person expect a coach to crown some other team, especially during the Pre-Season at Media Day? Would feel like waving the 'white flag'. I think Fitzgerald does a great job over there and it's not like he's acting like that food blister, Paul Chryst.

Most of us agree, it appears the Big Red is poised for a nice leap this year and it's nice to have positive hype for a change. That said, they need to go prove it on the field now. They can shut everyone up by getting it done.

GBR
 
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They can shut everyone up by getting it done.

GBR
Larry-the-Cable-Guy.gif
 
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