[NU Sports] It's over

[Beamsley, Jeff]

TCU is one of the "feel good" football stories this year.
 
It was interesting to hear their QB quoting scripture yesterday in one of his post game interviews.
 
Their football graduation rates only recently have moved above 70%.
 
They also have been a big fish in a little pond in the Mountain West.
 
I agree that NU could be more successful in football if it chose to admit more students that it knew would not graduate and if it chose to play in a less competitive conference that it could dominate.  
 
I hope that never happens.
 
As far as what the future holds, no one can say for sure.  That's what makes it interesting.
 
Jeff

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From: Dennis W. Brandt [mailto:tbng at comcast.net]
Sent: Sun 1/2/2011 9:37 AM
To: Beamsley, Jeff; nwu-sports at tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] It's over



<The real question is are we getting the most out of the players that we
have.  I think the answer there is yes.

I agree and have said so many times here.  However, a small, private school
whose football team was wearing purple uniforms won the Rose Bowl yesterday.
It wasn't Northwestern.  Another private school with a strong academic
reputation will be playing in the Orange Bowl this week.  It won't be
Northwestern.  And another small, top-notch academic school won the Sun
Bowl.  Academics and victory are not oil and water.  A strong defensive line
can be manned by guys with 3.5 averages, although 2.8 isn't bad either.  I
believe Fitz can do it if anyone can, but the question as to whether it ever
will be done remains unfulfilled.  I just hope I live to see it.

<NU will have a much better team next year that it did this year.

Maybe.  I hope.  Could be.  If the redshirts are better than those they
replace.  If we get a stud frosh or two who can step into the lineup.  If we
get some breaks.  Lots of maybes.  Too many maybes.  I thought after the
2009 season that we would be better in 2010.  Turned out that both lines
showed zero improvement - worse, in fact - even though most of their
starters returned, which is why I'm not sanguine about those groups for 2011
barring the arrival of new, stronger blood.  I hope I'm wrong this year,
too, in the opposite direction.  I'm weary of waiting for "next season."