[NU Sports] pURDUE

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> > It will probably take seven wins to get a bowl bid
> this year and the fact 
> 
> And to be honest, do we deserve much of a bowl bid ?

If we win our next two games, definitely. That would
give us at least 7 wins, at least a .500 record in
conference and we would have defeated all of our main
competitors for the final bowl slots in MSU, Iowa and
Indiana.

The Big Ten clearly has 6 bowl teams and 7 slots (only
way we get to BCS now is if Michigan decides to run
the table and win the home finale of Lloyd Carr). The
big question now is how many of the four contenders -
MSU, NU, Iowa and Indiana - will become eligible for
that last spot (and any others that may open up).

We've already beaten MSU. We have the Hawkeyes and
Hoosiers at home. The ball is literally in our
court/field. Take care of business at home and we
definitely deserve that bowl spot.

It should be a fun final few weeks in that race for
Detroit.:) Will we all knock each other out, all
become eligible or somewhere in between?

MSU probably has the toughest schedule left - and the
worst mentality being that they're into their usual
mental Sparty slide. A loss to Michigan this weekend
just about does them in. But if there's a mass 6-6
deadlock, they get the bid to play down the road.

Iowa has the easiest schedule, with NU on the road and
Minny/WMU at home. A win Saturday probably locks it up
for them as they beat MSU already (but lost to IU).

Indiana's the wild card. Talented? Yes. But also
inexperienced. They're starting to get into this
mentality of losing every time they try for the sixth
win. They should get it this weekend at home against
Ball State, but after that they visit NU and host
Purdue - same as us where they could win both or lose
both. A loss this weekend to Ball State, though, and a
Sparty-like tailspin could ensue.

And NU is the one with the most control over their
fate. Win the next two at home, and we have at least 7
wins, including Ws over all three of the competition.

Hopefully that's what Fitz is stressing to the team -
we control our fate, we don't need to rely on anyone
else. Just win at home and start with the Hog-eyes!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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

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