[NU Sports] on non-league skeds (fwd)

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> I think this is a defeatist attitude.  I'd like to
> see at least one game
> on the schedule against a 1-A team that isn't

I think we'd all like to see NU vs. the big boys once
a year or so, but until the NCAA changes the way
things are done, Chuck's got it right.

There is no incentive or reason for Northwestern to
schedule a tough non conference slate or even a tough
game or two amid Compass Pointe States.

> Boise State and Fresno State have demonstrated that
> they CAN compete against
> top programs.  Is Northwestern a lesser 'draw' for
> recruits than they are?

But BSU and FSU *need* those NC games to make their
season. We don't. We will prove we can compete against
the Big Boys week in and week out in the Big Ten.

>I agree with Mike.  How many times do we rip on
>Minnesota on this list 
>for their typical non-conference schedule?  You're
>right, it gets them 
>to bowls, but it doesn't get them any respect among 

What we rip on Minnesota for isn't the cupcake
schedule (I think we understand that), but that
they're not moving up -- they start 3-1 or 4-0 against
the cupcakes and then hit the wall in the Big Ten,
going 7-5 or so and making it to the Music City Bowl.

In 1995, we could have played three I-AA schools in
September ... the Notre Dame win got us national
attention, yes, but we still would have had the
respect had we beaten Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State
and Iowa and gone to the Rose Bowl.

The big non-conference games mean something for the
Michigans and Ohio States in that they set up national
title contenders and earn the league prestige. When
we're at that level, if we want to schedule Texas and
Notre Dame, I'll be all for it.

But we're building a program here and need to get
those consistent bowl appearances and extra practice
time of the bowl games - get the name out there, WIN a
couple bowl games and build on the foundation Walker
set.

The best way to do that in the current world of
college football is to schedule the way we have (why
we're AT Nevada and not vs. Nevada at home still
puzzles me, but not that we're playing the Wolfpack).
Of course, it doesn't guarantee a bowl win, but it
betters the chances of 7 wins.

If it is a good year, we'll still have ample
opportunity to show it in the Big Ten slate against
four, five or six top 25 foes. And those wins over the
Ohio States, Michigans and Iowas will get NU plenty of
respect, poll points and no one will even care who we
played before the real season began.

A 10-game Big Ten schedule? I'd love that! Strength of
schedule and quality-win points? Good ideas as well. A
playoff so teams aren't afraid to lose a game early
and drop out of the title hunt? Bingo! But scheduling
big-name games in this environment to get us beat up
and maybe being 1-3 or 0-4 coming into play in the
toughest, deepest conference in the land? No way!

> I haven't checked the NCAA bowl guidelines, is a 6-6
> record considered
> bowl eligible?

Only if the league has tie-in bowl slots left, I
believe.

Don't get me wrong, as a fan I'd LOVE to see Notre
Dame-Northwestern, or Nebraska-NU, Cal-NU, etc. But I
can understand why we don't do that at this time. I'd
like to see a permanent NIU game to help attendance
and local interest and I'd love to see series with
similarly academic-minded schools like Stanford. But
that's as far as I see us going now. We'll get our
share of top 25 foes in the Big Ten ... no need to
schedule them outside of league play.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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

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