[NU Sports] I smell pigskin!

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

What a wonderful time of the year ... Big Ten media
day, Camp Kenosha on the horizon and the annual trek
to the bookstore for the Sporting News yearbook.
Football is in the air!:)

Of course, the Big Ten preview in the magazine left a
lot to be desired. For one thing, Brett Basanez is
under the "newcomers to watch." Kind words about Baz,
and he obviously was meant to be in the Big Shoes to
Fill area, but funny still.

A few highlights (with my two cents thrown in) ...

* I think they mixed up their rankings of pregame
atmosphere and best home-field advantage. They put OSU
for ambiance and PSU for advantage ... while Columbus
is fun on gameday, it's tough to top the mountain
setting, fields of tailgating RVs, small-town main
street shops and friendly locals of State College. And
while Beaver Stadium lights up once or twice a year,
no place is as intimidating week-in and week-out as
the Shoe ... not even Camp Randall.

* Aside from top coach, NU's Shaun Herbert was named
surest hands in the league.

* Wannabe league Notre Dame's string of four Big Ten
games is mentioned, and TSN predicts their #1 Irish
will sweep the league ... with 3 of the 4 at home,
it's possible, but I sure hope not because with all
three service academies on that rigorous Irish
schedule and UCLA at home, the Irish's only real test
outside of their wish-we-were-in-that-league slate is
the lesser-of-two-evils bowl with $C.

* Not sure the league is getting much respect this
year, ranked #4 by TSN behind the Pac 10 (huh?) and
Big XII (UNL is rising, but it's still not nearly as
deep as the Big Ten after their big two). And only one
league team is in the top 10 (OSU at #2) ... Iowa is
#11, PSU #15 and Michigan a lowly #17 despite
returning a bunch of starters -- including the
offensive backfield -- and having a cornered and
dangerous Lloyd Carr.

* On the bittersweet side, the book was of course put
together before Randy Walker's death. They name Walker
as the league's best coach and in the unit rankings
section, NU is rated third in the league under
coaches, after Iowa and OSU - a high tribute to be
ahead of the staffs of Carr, Tiller and JoePa. And
under the Cats, they predict a ninth place finish, but
remind readers of the 14-10 mark in the Big Ten the
past three years and how Walker's proven pundits wrong
before.

A sad reminder, but overall it's good to get the
football juices flowing again. FWIW, they rank NU #77
nationally and our I-A NC foes are ranked #72 (Miami),
#113 (Eastern Michigan) and #43 (Nevada). The only Big
Ten foe we play below us is the Ill-ini (#85).

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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

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