[NU Sports] beating a dead horse

[Abrahamson, Alan]

 Hey, Lloyd Carr has it right! Our offense is indeed incredible. 
 The current NCAA stats show us at fourth in the country in team offense -- behind only USC, Texas Tech and Michigan State. 
 It's our defense that it is also incredible. As in, 'Uh-oh, it is incredible that Northwestern could be 5-2 with that defense.' We are now ranked dead last in the country -- 117th out of 117, giving up a magnanimous 504.43 yards per game. We give up a generous 6.55 yards per play.
 At the risk of beating the life out of the horse I've been whipping all season, I now bring out the whip: 
 This defense is painful to watch. If my grandfather was still alive, he would watch, shake his head and mutter, 'Oy vey.' 
 But this offense is absolutely unstoppable. Basanez has ONE interception in seven games and that was a chickshirt pick -- as I recall the play from my vantage point in the south end zone, the NU receiver fell down and the PSU d-back got himself an easy ball to end the game.
 I happily concede that the defense is playing with more aggressiveness. I watched the game this last weekend in Vegas, surrounded by a bunch of Michigan honks who were furiously rooting on the maize and blue over the Hawkeyes. After Michigan won, I said to them, bring it on, Wolverines. They looked at me in amazement: 'You talking to me?' Yep. Bring it on, blue. 
 Let's say for the sake of argument that we beat Michigan (45th in team defense, 48th in offense). Then the statistical rubber really meets the road. Because Ohio State is ranked third in the country in defense. 
 How's this for a couple thoughts?
 The defense has to keep coming up with big plays. Or we will -- despite our phenomenal offense -- lose.  
 But if the big plays keep coming, we will win out. We will thereupon find ourselves in January in -- good lord, I can barely make my fingers type the sentence because it's so unthinkable -- the Fiesta or Orange bowls. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Penn State will lose to Wisconsin or Michigan State.
 Of course, it would be just our luck to go to the Sugar Bowl the year it's in Baton Rouge or Bentonville, Ark., or wherever. 
 But that would be a nice problem to have, yes?
 Yours in purple, Alan
  

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com]On
Behalf Of Jim Bendat
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 6:20 PM
To: nwu-sports at romaine.tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Michigan


Just caught part of Lloyd Carr's show on cable.  In previewing 
Northwestern, he said all the right things.  Stuff like "their offense 
is unbelievable.  We can't stop them.  Nobody can stop them."  He went 
on to say that UM's goal is to maintain ball control, trying to keep 
NU's offense off the field.  He said he doesn't want to get into a 
shootout with NU (a la 54-51 in 2000), but then he smiled and said, "But 
sometimes those things happen."  -- Jim B.


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