Bowl Game in Jeopardy?

[and_go_cats]

Ok, I'm trying to be objective and lose my purple glasses. Cats are only 1 win away from a bowl, but based on the last couple weeks, no upcoming game is anywhere near a high-probability win, imo. Help me get there, please.

Will the Defense or Special Teams score again this year? If not, I'm not sure how to project more than 10 points by the Offense in any game. Stack the box to stop JJ and play tight man on the WRs who cannot get open or catch. Thorson looks robotic and quite mediocre....tough to determine if that's on the underwhelming o-line and WRs, his youth, or if it's an accurate reflection of his ability. I'd love to think we could out-scheme an opponent, but I have no faith in the staff to change that.

The defense is talented, but losing Harris and being exposed as (yet again...yawn) unable to stop the run have downgraded this unit significantly in my mind.

Purdont and Illannoy are the best bets to get a W, but I'm thinking those are closer to a coin flip than some might think.

....3rd straight season where apathy has set in at some point

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

Ok, I'm trying to be objective and lose my purple glasses. Cats are only 1 win away from a bowl, but based on the last couple weeks, no upcoming game is anywhere near a high-probability win, imo. Help me get there, please.

Will the Defense or Special Teams score again this year? If not, I'm not sure how to project more than 10 points by the Offense in any game. Stack the box to stop JJ and play tight man on the WRs who cannot get open or catch. Thorson looks robotic and quite mediocre....tough to determine if that's on the underwhelming o-line and WRs, his youth, or if it's an accurate reflection of his ability. I'd love to think we could out-scheme an opponent, but I have no faith in the staff to change that.

The defense is talented, but losing Harris and being exposed as (yet again...yawn) unable to stop the run have downgraded this unit significantly in my mind.

Purdont and Illannoy are the best bets to get a W, but I'm thinking those are closer to a coin flip than some might think.

....3rd straight season where apathy has set in at some point

Bunch of Chicken Littles around here.

I think we already played the two best B1G teams on our schedule this year. Sucks that they were at the beginning of the year when our offense is clearly having issues, but there are plenty of winnable games remaining and the bye comes at a great time.

 

[DocCatsFan]

Ok, I'm trying to be objective and lose my purple glasses. Cats are only 1 win away from a bowl, but based on the last couple weeks, no upcoming game is anywhere near a high-probability win, imo. Help me get there, please.

Will the Defense or Special Teams score again this year? If not, I'm not sure how to project more than 10 points by the Offense in any game. Stack the box to stop JJ and play tight man on the WRs who cannot get open or catch. Thorson looks robotic and quite mediocre....tough to determine if that's on the underwhelming o-line and WRs, his youth, or if it's an accurate reflection of his ability. I'd love to think we could out-scheme an opponent, but I have no faith in the staff to change that.

The defense is talented, but losing Harris and being exposed as (yet again...yawn) unable to stop the run have downgraded this unit significantly in my mind.

Purdont and Illannoy are the best bets to get a W, but I'm thinking those are closer to a coin flip than some might think.

....3rd straight season where apathy has set in at some point

I don't know how many more games we will win. But if we lose to Purdue, we deserve to be home for Bowl season and we also deserve to be laughed at. I would consider our program to be in serious trouble if that happens.

 

[NJCat83588]

I don't know how many more games we will win. But if we lose to Purdue, we deserve to be home for Bowl season and we also deserve to be laughed at. I would consider our program to be in serious trouble if that happens.

True. I seriously doubt NU loses to them.

 

[and_go_cats]

Bunch of Chicken Littles around here.

I think we already played the two best B1G teams on our schedule this year. Sucks that they were at the beginning of the year when our offense is clearly having issues, but there are plenty of winnable games remaining and the bye comes at a great time.

Perhaps I've overreacted with recency bias. That said, the Cats were not even competitive in those 2 games...totally outmatched in every phase. Throw in a flukey win against a sleepy Stanford team that laid an egg and a win against a Minny team devastated by injuries....I think the concern is justified.

 

[Turk_rivals223269]

More than anything, we were really outcoached the last two weeks.
Fitz is a good coach and i think the rest of our games wont be such a coaching mismatch as our previous two. If we beat a very mediocre nebby team then hat program will b in alot worse shape than ours.

 

[Turk_rivals223269]

Perhaps I've overreacted with recency bias. That said, the Cats were not even competitive in those 2 games...totally outmatched in every phase. Throw in a flukey win against a sleepy Stanford team that laid an egg and a win against a Minny team devastated by injuries....I think the concern is justified.

That same minny team still looks pretty good right now and smoked purdue.

 

[willycat]

Perhaps I've overreacted with recency bias. That said, the Cats were not even competitive in those 2 games...totally outmatched in every phase. Throw in a flukey win against a sleepy Stanford team that laid an egg and a win against a Minny team devastated by injuries....I think the concern is justified.

Please stop with the "sleepy" Stanford was the reason for their loss. NU just outplayed them and the result would likely been the same if the kickoff was at 1PM or 9PM. Minnesota is always over rated coming into the conference play but.they are a decent program that NU dominated that day. NU will beat Purdue and probably Illinois and might get another W vs. Pen St or Wisconsin. If they don't get to at least 7 wins then the entire coaching staff should be on the carpet.

 

[NUCat320]

Perhaps I've overreacted with recency bias. That said, the Cats were not even competitive in those 2 games...totally outmatched in every phase. Throw in a flukey win against a sleepy Stanford team that laid an egg and a win against a Minny team devastated by injuries....I think the concern is justified.

I seriously could see NU winning anywhere from five to ten games this season. I have no doubt that yhe remaining conference opponents are weaker than the initial conference opponents.

It's tough to imagine a team that's played poorly for two weeks to bounce back.

This one is huge today, just for purposes of confidence and belief. A win is tough, but a blowout would be disastrous.

 

[pawildcat_rivals209725]

Perhaps I've overreacted with recency bias. That said, the Cats were not even competitive in those 2 games...totally outmatched in every phase. Throw in a flukey win against a sleepy Stanford team that laid an egg and a win against a Minny team devastated by injuries....I think the concern is justified.

How in the world was that a fluke win? You win or lose against a team on the day you play them, and NU clearly outplayed Stanford on that day. I guess next time we lose on the West Coast we need to blame it on the time zone.

 

[hdhntr1]

Ok, I'm trying to be objective and lose my purple glasses. Cats are only 1 win away from a bowl, but based on the last couple weeks, no upcoming game is anywhere near a high-probability win, imo. Help me get there, please.

Will the Defense or Special Teams score again this year? If not, I'm not sure how to project more than 10 points by the Offense in any game. Stack the box to stop JJ and play tight man on the WRs who cannot get open or catch. Thorson looks robotic and quite mediocre....tough to determine if that's on the underwhelming o-line and WRs, his youth, or if it's an accurate reflection of his ability. I'd love to think we could out-scheme an opponent, but I have no faith in the staff to change that.

The defense is talented, but losing Harris and being exposed as (yet again...yawn) unable to stop the run have downgraded this unit significantly in my mind.

Purdont and Illannoy are the best bets to get a W, but I'm thinking those are closer to a coin flip than some might think.

....3rd straight season where apathy has set in at some point

So you can relax now right?