[NU Sports] Optimism/Pessimism

[Mike Nolan]

Some of the posts on this list recently remind me of the old Art Linkletter
show where he asked little kids to complete this phrase:

"It's always darkest just before"

One young boy responded:

"it gets totally black."

COULD Northwestern win this game?  Yes, but it would take a superior
effort by both the offense and the defense, plus a below par performance
by Nebraska on both offense and defense.

So far, we haven't seen that kind of 60 minute effort, especially on
defense.  Comparison to the '08 - '10 seasons just point out the 
inability of the '11 team to close out a game, especially against
a good team.  

And Nebraska is a good team, though not quite an elite one.  (But even
elite teams have off days, ask Oklahoma.)  

Nebraska hasn't done a very good job covering the point spread this
year, and that may be one reason why the Cats are lesser underdogs than
several of our Big Ten brethren this coming Saturday.  

If the Cats get some early breaks and get ahead, which has been their
pattern this year, as opposed to recent years when their pattern was 
more often to fall behind and then fight back into the game, they will 
have a chance.  

If Martinez feels he needs to pass, then the Cats will need to prove that 
they can stop deep threats.  It may help that Martinez's passing mechanics 
are abysmal.  

Nebraska has blown its share of double-digit leads in the last few
years, too, but the Huskers are often like a python on defense, they just
slowly strangle their opponents.  
--
Mike Nolan