[NU Sports] What's the mood this week?

[Jonathan Hodges]

I agree with most of your analysis, and it will be very interesting to see
how the 'Cats look with Persa back (don't underestimate the psychological
effect that he'll have on the whole team, hopefully the inverse of what we
saw when he went down last year).

One note: Pam Ward was "relegated" to ESPNU broadcasts last year, on the
call will be another female broadcaster (Beth Mowins, play-by-play) and
former Oregon HC/AD Mike Bellotti (color).

Go 'Cats!!!
Jonathan

--
Jonathan Hodges
Contributor, HailToPurple
Web: http://www.hailtopurple.com/jhodges/
Twitter: @hailtopurple
Email: j-hodges at alumni.northwestern.edu



On Wed, Sep 28, 2011 at 1:36 PM, Mike Nolan <nolan at tssi.com> wrote:

> I am guardedly optimistic for the season, less optimistic perhaps for
> this game due to Persa's still-unproven status.
>
> The next four weeks will be difficult, with road games against
> Illinois and Iowa and home games against Michigan and Penn State.
>
> The Big Ten has committments for 9 bowl games, right now the only
> teams that looks unlikely to get to bowl eligibility are Minnesota
> and Indiana.  Purdue's 2-1 but may have trouble finding 4 more
> winnable games.
>
> ESPN's bloggers are currently pencilling us in for the Little Ceasars
> Pizza Bowl in Detroit.
>
> If we wind up at 6-6, we could be the odd man out if Purdue also gets to
> 6-6, especially if they notch up a win against a school like Notre Dame,
> unless one of the unaffiliated bowl games picks up a Big Ten school.
>
> Seven wins might get us to a better bowl game.  Getting to 8 wins will
> probably be a significant accomplishment in any season the way the Big Ten
> is configured.
>
> Right now we're 2-1, to get to 6 wins we need to defeat Indiana, Minnesota
> and Rice (all games in which we should be favored) plus one other win.
>
> In terms of which games we are most likely to win, I'd rank the other
> games in this order at this point:
>
> at Iowa
> Michigan State
> Michigan
> at Illinois
> Penn State
> at Nebraska
>
> I do not expect us to be favored in any of these games, we could easily
> be double digit dogs in them all.
>
> I put Iowa at the top only because we've got a three game winning
> streak in Iowa City.  I was tempted to put Illinois in second place,
> but until I see how Persa performs I put it further down, below Michigan,
> even with Robinson getting some Heisman chatter.
>
> I think we'll all hold our breath the first few time he gets hit or takes
> off
> in the open field on Saturday.
>
> There is, however the Pam Ward factor to consider, since the Illinois
> game is on ESPN2.  :-)
>
> I put Penn State further down the list because they've seemed to own us
> like we've owned Iowa.  Michigan State I put towards the top because,
> dammit,
> we've blown too many leads against them, surely it's our turn, and
> it's the home finale.
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
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