[NU Sports] Morning report ...

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Well, no NU game today, but still worth getting up for some exciting (if sloppy and defense-less) football!

Big Ten first with our question of the day: If a thrilling game is played and nobody cares, does Zook still get fired?

Fun game to watch to be sure, but really not much meaning and not many folks fired up. Still, the thrilling finish had to help the Big Ten Network's ratings, which were already up big this season. If Zooker is still on the sidelines next year, it's only because of apathy on the part of the U of I.

As for the national scene ...

For all the talk about the "antiquated" Big Ten needing a conference title game, I'll put Iowa-OSU, OSU-Oregon and Pitt-Cincy up against any and all of the other three B(C)S leagues and their "championship" staged events. 

Great emotion in Pittsburgh despite a sloppy game and some unusually sloppy calls by the Big Least refs ... the Panthers had the formula early but didn't stick with it and tried their hand at a shootout only to get burned. That's our Wanny!

ECU stuck to the script on how to beat a team with all O and no D better and should have finally ridded us of the joke of Houston (who gave up 600 points to UTEP!) in the Top 25.

As for Kelley, he looks like a perfect fit for Notre Dame -- an offensive wizard whose teams play no defense. If they had played in a real league (Pitt - who lost to NC State and West Virginia was by far their toughest foe), they'd be 8-4 at best. They'll be fed to the wolves against the SEC runner-up in New Orleans.

The only big effect for the Big Ten is that PSU is almost certainly out of the B(C)S now. A Pitt-PSU game in the Fiesta might have drawn more interest than their other options, but now they'll just take Iowa and their RVs and hope to fill half the stands.

So a good opening act - now a four-hour love letter to Tim Tebow also known as SEC football on CBS. I really don't care to cheer for either St. Sanctimonious or that weasel Saban, but it should be a good game.

Then the ACC snoozer and Wisky's risky trip to Hawaii, which could influence our bowl selection.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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