[NU Sports] From the "it could be worse" file ...

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

... we could be Texas A&M and give up three-score second half leads two weeks in a row.

The SEC may not be welcoming ATM with as much enthusiasm as the Big Ten is UNL, but at least their porous defense should fit well in the Shootout & Entertainment Conference. Now I guess they'll just have to start getting some starting players in a bar fight to fit in.

Sorry ... SEC jabs are a fallback on days like today.:) Still steamed about the blown game.

Elsewhere in Big Ten Country ...

- MICHIGAN is on a roll and has to be licking their chops coming to Evanston next week. That atrocious Notre Dame secondary play might seem like lockdown coverage compared to NU's secondary for Robinson next week. Hopefully Persa is healthy and we can at least try and make it a shootout.

- INDIANA and MINNESOTA are really, really bad teams.

- PENN STATE also has looked like a really bad team against Temple and Indiana - but they've managed to win. I still think they have the talent to be a contender, but they gotta solve their QB dilemma fast and get the plays in faster. They'll probably get those things resolved towards the end of this month, unfortunately.

- OHIO STATE games are just not going to be very entertaining this year, unless you enjoy watching punting.

- MICHIGAN STATE could be the most underachieving team in the league. They look great for one drive and then awful the rest of the game.

On to the evening affairs. Not holding out much hope for Purdue's game, but that UNL/Wisky clash should be a classic. My good friend from Madison wrote me this week about how the divisions (whose stupid names I refuse to ever name) have altered Big Ten rooting interests a bit and that it wasn't until this weekend that it finally hit him and other fans about the race to Indy. Madison was cheering for the purple today, as I'm sure were fans in Columbus and State College, because they wanted someone to knock off the Ill-ini.

Not sure if that means I have to cheer for the Badgers tonight ... but not a big cornhead fan either. Just ready for some football and perhaps a glimpse at a secondary that knows how to cover a wideout on a cross route.

We need a big turnaround for next week -- I too am worried about this being like PSU 2001 and a season-slide-starting game. Persa, Fitz and the rest of the leaders on the team and coaching staff need to suck it up and find answers ... FAST!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
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