[NU Sports] So what have we learned?

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

(Part I from Saturday ...)

Not too much can be told about this weekend with the cupcake matchups on most Big Ten team schedules (and most schedules nationwide - thanks B(C)S for removing any incentive to schedule good games!). Still, we can take away a few things ...

For Northwestern ...

- Kafka is looking nice and mature as a leader
- The O-line looks good, granted it's Towson, but still, going against Wootten and company every day in Kenosha has toughened them up
- I was going to say that the defense looks in midseason form, but they're slacking off a bit after the 30-0 lead

So yes, it's Towson, but nice to see the Cats rise up and perform like an upper-level Big Ten team should in September. Gotta keep that drive going for a full game, though.

As for what we've learned around the league ...

- IOWA is the Big Ten's version of Ole Miss: Lots of hype based on what they did last year but with little actual reason to expect similar results this year. You had to know they'd struggle to score TDs without Green, but you also had to think the D would do better against UNI.

- SYRACUSE is going to be a tougher game than Cats fans imagined 24 hours ago ... a new coach and new attitude can work wonders for a long dormant team and the Orange are playing with fire against a sloppy Minnesota team. Still a lot of time left for Minny to win, but NU better be ready for the dome in two weeks.

- PURDUE's offense may still have hope of scoring in bunches ... however, their defense still is hopeless (yes, there's a running competition among writers to see who can use the new coach's name the most in Boiler stories this year ... you have to find some way to make Purdue football fun again!).

- New turf at IOWA? Anyone else have grass in the league now?

- PENN STATE has the league's best combo of offensive leader in Clark and defensive leader in Lee and they're playing like it. Why aren't they the favorites again???

- OHIO STATE still needs to unleash Pryor -- they need the O more than ever this year and can't keep hampering him with play calling.

- I really like MSU's transfer QB from Oklahoma. Sparty's gonna be fine without Ringer.

- (From Thursday) INDIANA is not a very good football team.

And finally ...
- The bright glowing red zone of the Big Ten Network is the worst idea in sports television since the glowing hockey puck

More to come after the midday games. GREAT to have college football BACK!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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