[NU Sports] OSU game highlighted Randy Walker's shortcomings

[Jim Bendat]

Freedom of speech aside, I am stunned that some folks would choose this as the time to talk about a new coach.  We're going to a bowl game, for Christ's sake!  A lot of the same people on this list picked us to go 2-9 before the season began.  Walker has done a helluva job.

Some folks suggest that Bienen and Walker go find some young stud to take over as head coach.  Other than Fitgerald, if we were to bring in anyone who were to have success at NU, that person would then be looking over his shoulder at "better" opportunities -- just like Barnett.

Walker came here and, from day one, he said he wasn't the kind of guy who be looking for another job.  I believed him then, and I believe him now.  Okay, we got blown out by Ohio State.  C'mon --we had just won four of our previous five games!  Before the season, folks looking at our schedule could see that we faced a monster set of six games -- Wisconsin, Purdue, MSU, Michigan, Iowa  and Ohio State.  We won four of those six -- and some people here are complaining?!  

Well, not me.  Sure, I'd like to compete for the Big Ten championship more often.  But I definitely also didn't like the fact that, for most of the 90's through 2002, we were either finishing in first place or 10th place.  I wanted to have us have more consistency, so that we could have a chance to reach some kind of bowl each year.  Well, for the last three seasons, we've done that.  Hail to Purple, Hail to White, and praise to Randy Walker.

Jim Bendat