[NU Sports] Isn't anyone else excited over the 2005 Cats?

[CHerron604 at aol.com]

There was an early Top 25 on CBS Sportsline - I am not sure it bodes well for 
us in 2005:

#1 Southern Cal
#2 Iowa
#6 Ohio State
#9 Michigan
#12 Arizona State
#17 Purdue

We are at 3 of them, and hosting two of the tougher ones (Iowa and Michigan, 
back-to-back).

By that logic, if you pencil in 5 losses, you better pencil in 6 wins to get 
a bowl bid.

We MUST win home games against Ohio U, Northern and Penn State (getting past 
our annoying recent tendency to lose at least one winnable non-conference 
game).  We had better also win the road finale at Champaign.  That leaves two huge 
games - October 8 hosting Wisconsin (after a bye week, a good sign), and 
October 22 at Michigan State.  

This isn't to say that we can't steal one of the games from the 5 'really 
good' opponents, but it's tough to base a bowl bid on stealing one of those games.

As far as the 12th game, while you can easily make the argument that it is 
placing athletic department dollars above the interest of college athletes, I 
will definitely look forward to 2006's Reno trip (Reno is a fun town, and Lake 
Tahoe is amazing), and I am also eagerly anticipating the 7th home game in 2007.

Id like to think we could do 7 wins in 2006 (Miami, New Hampshire, Air Force, 
Nevada, Penn State, Michigan State and Illinois) and 8 wins in 2007 (Air 
Force, Nevada, Duke, Michigan State, Minnesota, unknown opponent, Indiana and 
Illinois).

If we do open the 2006 season 5-0, will the press be talking National 
Championship ?  (I would just like us to run a non-con slate one of these years).

Chuck Herron   Tech '85