Northwestern

[OrangeBlood]

Heard on ESPN radio yesterday Mel Kiper says that he believes they are extremely underrated and should be a top 25 team. I haven't heard anything really negative about them at all, yet in the preseason progs many of us expect us to beat them.

With the negativity around the scrimmage yesterday and the fact that NW may be really good. I am starting to get very worried about 9/1. Hope I am wrong.

 

[orangenauburn]

you have every reason to be worried - they will be a top tier B10 program this season. They have been trending upwards for almost a decade now ... slowly they are recruiting better, getting bigger, deeper, faster.

We are as a program today where Northwestern was three years ago; that is not a knock on HCDM or the program - it is just that they have a hell of a coach in Fitzgerald, and he has been at it a bit longer than Doug has.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

you have every reason to be worried - they will be a top tier B10 program this season. They have been trending upwards for almost a decade now ... slowly they are recruiting better, getting bigger, deeper, faster.

By "Top Tier B10 program" ... are you implying that NW will beat Michigan, Michigan St and Nebraska and win the Legends Division?

 

[anglerman]

By "Top Tier B10 program" ... are you implying that NW will beat Michigan, Michigan St and Nebraska and win the Legends Division?[/quote
Didn't SU beat

you have every reason to be worried - they will be a top tier B10 program this season. They have been trending upwards for almost a decade now ... slowly they are recruiting better, getting bigger, deeper, faster.

We are as a program today where Northwestern was three years ago; that is not a knock on HCDM or the program - it is just that they have a hell of a coach in Fitzgerald, and he has been at it a bit longer than Doug has.

Didn't SU beat them 3 years a go?

 

[orangenauburn]

By "Top Tier B10 program" ... are you implying that NW will beat Michigan, Michigan St and Nebraska and win the Legends Division?

I am implying they will finish 2nd or 3rd in their division - yes
I would not be surprised if they won it
They have been hit by key injuries the past few years ... they are legit

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Wouldn't finishing 3rd in their division make them like 5th or 6th overall in the conference?

That's not exactly a Top Tier team ... more like a Mid Tier team.

 

[orangenauburn]

yes

and that is where we are at as a program right now - lose games you probably should not, and struggle at times when you should not

think Tulane, any sub D1 game we have played, Toledo ... Northwestern a few years ago was like that - but they have steadily improved recruiting and depth, and are now primed for a big year.

Syracuse as a program under Doug right now, is where Northwestern was as a program under Fitzgerald three years ago.

 

[orangenauburn]

Wouldn't finishing 3rd in their division make them like 5th or 6th overall in the conference?

That's not exactly a Top Tier team ... more like a Mid Tier team.

the B10 is 10x better than the Big East - belittle the comment all you want, but I do not see that as an easy home opener

 

[OrangeXtreme]

NW may be good enough to beat us, but they're not a Rose Bowl team.

 

[anglerman]

the B10 is 10x better than the Big East - belittle the comment all you want, but I do not see that as an easy home opener

I seriously doubt that's true. Most of you have trashed the BE for years but they seem to do well in bowls and the BCS games. Out of confrerence hastn't been bad either. You need a serious reality check. Come way off the ledge man. last year WVU rocked Clemson and I'm sure none of you saw that coming,

 

[orangenauburn]

that is because big east teams play mid-tier or low-tier BCS opponents in bowls (or non BCS teams)

Our BCS record, not including Miami, VaTech, or WVU is abysmal, just like the ACC's record.

that is reality and fact

 

[Faegan]

NW might be better than advertised, but Mel Kiper's assessments mean less than nothing to me after his assessment of Freeney going into the draft.

 

[anglerman]

that is because big east teams play mid-tier or low-tier BCS opponents in bowls (or non BCS teams)

Our BCS record, not including Miami, VaTech, or WVU is abysmal, just like the ACC's record.

that is reality and fact

Ya that makes sense! You can't say except for those teams! They were in the BE and it was a damn good conference!!!

 

[rrlbees]

Ya that makes sense! You can't say except for those teams! They were in the BE and it was a damn good conference!!!

2 of those 3 teams haven't been in the BE for a decade.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[Rocco]

NW lost many starters, including their veteran starting QB. It will be a good game. Whoever has their shet together will win. I'm hoping that DM and the staff can properly gameplan for it.

 

[RF2044]

NW lost many starters, including their veteran starting QB. It will be a good game. Whoever has their shet together will win. I'm hoping that DM and the staff can properly gameplan for it.

Completely agree. I think back to recent years when we traveled to Purdue, and even out to Washington a few years ago, playing against a senior QB who absolutely torched us both times. I'm not putting Nassib on the level of Orton / Locker, both of whom were will be NFL starters, but I'm hoping that NW runs into a similar buzzsaw on September 1st.

 

[jekelish]

I have no clue who any of their players are, but Fitzgerald is an outstanding coach. I expect them to continue getting better and better as long as he's there.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

I have no clue who any of their players are, but Fitzgerald is an outstanding coach. I expect them to continue getting better and better as long as he's there.

I dont think Fitzgerald is that great a "coach." He seems like a great guy, and can clearly motivate and recruit, but he absolutely coached his way to a loss in the Dome two years ago. He was abysmal. (That and Mike Williams went off).

 

[SUalldway]

NW might be better than advertised, but Mel Kiper's assessments mean less than nothing to me after his assessment of Freeney going into the draft.

I agree - Phil Steele projects NU 5th out of 6th in the Legends. I think his rating has more credibility than Mel Kiper.

 

[mantonio]

The only difference between the Big East & the other major conferences: The Big East has equal talent with 3/4th's of the other BCS schools, but does not have a National Championship caliber team in the conference. The B.E. can get a BCS Bowl team during most seasons, but nothing more. Unfortunately for the Big East, this will never improve, & might get worse, now that the 3 premier schools have left the conference.