[NU Sports] Future Big Ten Schedule

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

How quickly we forget! We ended our Big Ten
championship seasons of 1995 and 1996 against Purdue!
The Illinois game was the end of October both seasons
(homecoming in '96).

With the way the Big Ten rotates schedules (we will
skip everyone but Illinois and Purdue - our
"designated" rivals - eventually), I'm thrilled to see
Wisconsin, one of our REAL rivals to close the year!
The Cheesehead/Chicago animosity carries over into
most sports and it should be a good game.

> I am very disappointed that Michigan is coming off
> our schedule.

True - but we take the ups and downs. We had Michigan,
OSU, PSU and Iowa *all* this year. That's murderer's
row! So it's good to see us get the benefit every now
and then.:)

> benchmark game for our team since 1995.  Our path to
> BT championships has
> been through Michigan.  Also I think that, over the
> last ten years, we have
> created a tradition of mutual respect based on some
> really well played

True - although I think Michigan fans are getting a
tad tired of hearing how often we've beaten them since
1995 compared to most Big Ten teams. But there is a
mutual respect growing.

> I think Joe Pa expressed similar disappointment when
> UoM dropped off their
> schedule for a couple of years.

Yup (but I bet he privately was thrilled given how
Lloyd Carr has had his number lately) ... but not
everyone can play Michigan every year. So it's good we
get our turn every now and then (we got our turn more
than most back in the old days when #1 skipped #10 the
next schedule cycle and NU and Michigan were often in
those positions).:)

As we've seen, many factors go into a Big Ten title --
talent, coaching, injuries, etc. -- and the schedule
is one of them. Folks in Columbus like to point out
how NU and OSU didn't meet in 95 and 96. Nor did Iowa
and OSU in 2002. So let's just take it and make the
most of it.

I do like ending with big games with the Illini and
Badgers - that could be exciting!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

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