Game Thread: No. 20 Northwestern at Oregon

[Anon1756236851]

It's over.

Folks it's hard to win on the road, and these teams don't play the same from week to week. We're also a banged up team that went toe-to-toe with Oregon for much of this game.

Before the season we would have been multiple TD underdogs to this Oregon team; they're still as talented as Ohio State across the board and there's not many teams like that.

We were expect to win 5.5 games this season; we're already over that. Even if we don't make the playoffs, no reason for people to be upset. Oregon played far better than they did the past month; if we got them last month, we probably beat them but that's how football goes.

Next 2 games will be equally difficult as this game. Just gotta hope that we can put together a full game against Iowa (better than Wisconsin did today - another example of teams that play totally different from week to week or based on whether home or away).

Cats are still not ready for prime time. Suck on the road. IU game does not look so good now and today and MSU were brutal

 

[wildcatpn]

Well I got coach said we can win every game and we can lose any game left on our schedule. I'm not sure we can win any game anymore but I think it's possible we could lose any game left. There's some teams ahead of us playing pretty well right now. With our defense is messed up and injured as it is it's going to be hard to beat Iowa and Minnesota right now.

Iowa and Minnesota are much better matchups for us. We can score on anyone and neither of them have close to the firepower Oregon does on offense.

 

[kaTNap]

Iowa and Minnesota are much better matchups for us. We can score on anyone and neither of them have close to the firepower Oregon does on offense.

If we can get Fitz and Flakes (and preferably JJ) back, we will be very competitive next week.

 

[AtlantaCat]

If we can get Fitz and Flakes (and preferably JJ) back, we will be very competitive next week.

No.

 

[Jaguar 88]

Well I got coach said we can win every game and we can lose any game left on our schedule. I'm not sure we can win any game anymore but I think it's possible we could lose any game left. There's some teams ahead of us playing pretty well right now. With our defense is messed up and injured as it is it's going to be hard to beat Iowa and Minnesota right now.

We all had purple shades on during the great run, but we were head and shoulders better than the teams we played minus Indiana. We are a 4-5 loss team now, unless the defense can get it together.

 

[wildcatpn]

If we can get Fitz and Flakes (and preferably JJ) back, we will be very competitive next week.

More than competitive. It will be a good game and I bet the Cats come out focused and ready to go.

 

[zeek55]

Cats are still not ready for prime time. Suck on the road. IU game does not look so good now and today and MSU were brutal

It's hard to be good on the road against a talented team that mixed things up offensively by firing the OC (with far better playcalling and level of play than they had the past month).

I don't think this Oregon game tells us much about the upcoming games (besides that Ohio State is probably going to be absurdly difficult).

Iowa's offense shouldn't be at the level of what we saw today.

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

Somehow the BT or NCAA or somebody royally screwed us
Did our A department try to fight this? Who in the nation has a bye week after week one?

I just assumed it was our choice to fit as many home games into NRF as possible.

 

[Enduro]

Expect to win both those games - this was another missed opportunity- defense is suspect but other than osu no one will be able to take advantage with superior athletes…at least that is my hope

 

[Catmandoo78]

Somehow the BT or NCAA or somebody royally screwed us
Did our A department try to fight this? Who in the nation has a bye week after week one?

Our athletic department requested this. Wanted to back load the schedule to get an extra home game at NRF.

 

[zeek55]

Our athletic department requested this. Wanted to back load the schedule to get an extra home game at NRF.

In fairness the issue was that they (correctly) assumed they wouldn't be able to finish before the season started and needed the extra week.

It's hard to second guess this given how well the team has performed to this point and given how well the Colorado/Penn State games went to close out the lakeside field and open up NRF.

 

[NU Houston]

Cats are still not ready for prime time. Suck on the road. IU game does not look so good now and today and MSU were brutal

Indiana is the #4 ranked team in the country, and their only loss came in a nailbiter against the #2 team. They're 8-1. Why does our game against them not look as good now?

 

[Catmandoo78]

In fairness the issue was that they (correctly) assumed they wouldn't be able to finish before the season started and needed the extra week.

It's hard to second guess this given how well the team has performed to this point and given how well the Colorado/Penn State games went to close out the lakeside field and open up NRF.

Yeah, it’s good business sense. But bad football sense.

 

[Itschiry]

Why did we turn over play calling to Bajakian during the second half?

It was maybe a bit of a pipe dream that we would go 11-1. In my opinion, pressure is off at least for the next few games. I love that we have been trying to shed the 'underdog' mentality, but hard to do when you are relying on 2nd and 3rd string on both sides of the ball. 9-3 would still be a sick year. 10-2 still possible. Lets go get 'em.

 

[Itschiry]

Also been seeing a lot of McGarigle slander online. Players were put in position to succeed all game. If routine tackles are made....if even 1 or 2 deep balls are defended.... its a different game. Maybe he could have orchestrated more pressure, but honestly if tackling was even mediocre we probably win the game and McGarigle is still the GOAT.

 

[prez77]

Indiana is the #4 ranked team in the country, and their only loss came in a nailbiter against the #2 team. They're 8-1. Why does our game against them not look as good now?

Because that 8-1 has two almost losses in it to teams we consider ourselves comparable to.

 

[Anon1756236851]

Our athletic department requested this. Wanted to back load the schedule to get an extra home game at NRF.

That was a terrible decision.