[NU Sports] RE: nwu-sports Digest, Vol 3, Issue 163 - re NU Football 2006....

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> This was discussed a while back--Air Force bailed
> out on us because
> they got a better (financial) offer. NU had to

No worries - we get rid of a "gimmick" opponent (i.e.
defending their option doesn't help us with the rest
of the year on D) and we help out a former NU coach
with our EMU game ... which has a return game at Ford
Field in the future, if I recall.

> As these things go, NU will probably get criticized
> in the media for
> playing such a weak team, when in reality all the
> criticism should be
> directed at Air Force.

As I've said before, no Big Ten team should ever have
to apologize for the NC schedule. Any schedule that
includes Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin,
Iowa and others is tough enough. Until the B(C)S
starts rewarding tough schedules as they do in
basketball with the RPI, there's no incentive to beat
yourself up in the NC slate.

And while EMU and New Hampshire may not be tough foes,
Miami of Ohio is always dangerous and Nevada is a game
we will likely be underdogs in, as the Wolfpack are
rapidly rising out west.

My only problem with our scheduling is our willingness
to give home-and-home series to smaller schools
instead of the 2-for-1 or more leveraged agreements
bigger conference schools usually have. Granted, we
don't have the home gate take of Wisconsin or
Michigan, especially for September games when our
students aren't even back, but it just doesn't look
good for NU.

The trick now will be getting off to a strong start
with that schedule with a new QB. We need to be at
least 3-1 heading into Big Ten play, hopefully 4-0,
with the league games up ahead. That bye week might
have helped if we hadn't thrown EMU in. We'll see.

Good to be talking football again. With the return of
NU alum Stewart Mandel's SI.com column (a good read!)
and ABC's announcement of the Saturday Night schedule,
I'm ready for kickoff! And the MNC hunt this year
looks as wide open as it's been in awhile -- kinda
glad to be in the Valley of the Sun, where we get the
big picture since things are ending up here, though,
instead of back in Chicago where I'm sure the thunder
of the subway alums -- vomit -- digging back out their
Irish jerseys -- ick -- and jumping on the Weis
bandwagon -- hurl -- is drowning out all Big Ten
coverage.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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

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