Northwestern Can Win Their Bowl Game (Really)

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank Despite having a higher record and better national ranking than their opponent, #20 Northwestern (9-3) finds themselves the biggest underdog of the bowl season to #23 Missouri (9-4) in Monday night’s Alamo Bowl. Odds-makers have the Tigers a two touchdown favorite over the Wildcats in this San Antonio battle of los gatos peligrosos. On paper, it’s strength versus strength: Northwestern’s 23rd ranking scoring defense versus Mizzou’s 6th ranked offense. If NU wins this side of the ball, they should have their first bowl victory since 1949.

Throw your Hands in the Air…as if you’re Unconcerned

Missouri has huge playmakers everywhere on offense- senior QB Chase Daniel (358 of 484-4,135-37 TDs-15 INT) who often finds electrifying WR Jeremy Maclin (95-1,221-12 TDs) and TE Chase Coffman (83-920-10 TDs). Oh, and the backup QB is named Chase Patton, just in case you thought this team didn’t have enough people with that obscure first name already. (Does Missouri have Chase Bank as one of their sponsors?) And don’t forget tailback Derrick Washington (162-992-17 TDs).

Daniel’s NFL Draft stock is about as high valued as Washington Mutual due to his lack of size. He’s listed at 6’0”, but in reality he’s as close to being 6 as I am to being 9 feet tall. NU’s primary strength this year has been their defensive line, so when they get near Daniel, they must “throw their hands way up in the air and wave ‘em around like you just don’t care,” to disrupt Chase’s passing-lanes vision or (better yet) deflect his passes and hopefully pick off a couple. This is highly doable considering team MVP and DE Corey Wootton is 6’7”, NFL bound DT John Gill is 6’3,” and the rest of the line is that height or taller.
I asked Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalist and NU head man Pat Fitzgerald about employing this strategy at the bowl selection announcement presser. “Chase from a quarterback standpoint, maybe he’s not the tallest guy, but he’s very athletic; makes a lot of plays and does a good job extending the plays,” Fitz responded, also adding prior “Like 118 other schools across the country we made a mistake in not recruiting him.”

Prediction- Northwestern 28, Missouri 24. Is 2008 the year of the underdog? Ask the Celtics, Giants, and Phillies! Or maybe I’m just drinking purple colored Kool-Aid.

FOR THE FULL IN-DEPTH VERSION OF THIS PREVIEW/PROFILE OF THIS GAME CLICK HERE.

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Defense Leads Northwestern to 5th Ever Nine-win Season

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank By demolishing their bitter rival, the University of Illinois, on Saturday the Wildcats earned a No. 20 ranking — their highest of the season — in this week’s USA Today Coaches’ poll. The Cats concluded the regular season by becoming just the fifth team in school history to win nine games in a season. Should they win their bowl game (destination announced on Dec. 7th), it will be their first postseason victory since 1949; and the ten win season would join the 1995 Rose Bowl team as the only squads in program history ever to do so. With no real individual statistical standouts, on offense at least, it speaks volumes about Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald’s stressing of defense and playing collectively. Two team statistics certainly catch your eye however; NU’s current 127.7 rushing yards allowed per game is the best single-season average in school history and the Cats were first in the Big Ten (10th nationally) in sacks. They were also 24th out of 117 teams nationwide in scoring defense. A big reason for that is defensive end Corey Wootton, whose 9 sacks and 15 tackles for loss helped him earn a first-team All-Big Ten coaches selection.

“Corey has always been a tremendously talented member of our program, and this honor is well deserved,” head coach (and former two-time National defensive player of the year) Pat Fitzgerald said. “He came to camp this year with the right attitude and he has done a great job in his preparation all season long. He may be our only first-team All-Big Ten guy this year, but I think we have a first-team All-Big Ten football team.” At last week’s press conference Fitz also added, “I have not seen Corey take one play off in practice or in games this year, his efforts on top of his technique and fundamentals have been outstanding.” First year NU defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz has also done a tremendous job developing Corey.

Possibly validating Fitzgerald’s All-Big Ten team claim, eight additional players were named honorable mention selections: John Gill, Keegan Kennedy, Sherrick McManis (who also finished among national leaders in pass breakups), Eric Peterman, Brad Phillips, Brendan Smith (who combined with Phillips to give the Cats outstanding play at the safety position this year), Tyrell Sutton and Amado Villarreal. The Wildcats final 2008 contest will be a Bowl game to be determined, with the Outback, Alamo or Insight looking the most likely.

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Northwestern Off to Best Start in Nearly 50 years

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank By winning at Iowa a couple weeks ago, the Northwestern Wildcats extended their best start in 46 years. In 1962, Northwestern began the year 6-0 and was ranked No. 1 nationally for two consecutive weeks. The Wildcats’ five-game winning streak is their longest since 1996, the senior season of current Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald. Experts are comparing this team’s defense to the “Purple Pasadena” season of 1995. Halfway into the season however, the ’08 team has accomplished one thing that all three (’95, ’96, ’00) modern era Conference Championship teams did not. All three Big 10 championship squads dropped an early pre-conference game to an inferior opponent: 95-Miami of Ohio, 96-Wake Forest, 00- TCU/ This year’s squad, by contrast, won all the games they were favored to win. And it’s created a bit of a buzz on campus.

“I’ve seen some people on campus decide to jump on the bandwagon. We don’t want to be known as only an academic school; we want to be known for great academics and athletics. We want people to stop wearing Michigan or Ohio St. shirts, and start representing our school and bleeding purple. It’s ok to have bandwagon jumpers, but we also want people who will support us all the way from an 0-11 season to a 12-0 season,” senior tailback Tyrell Sutton said.

That buzz is poised to grow when you consider that Northwestern is one of just 15 unbeaten FBS programs, and that status brought them into this week’s USA Today Coaches (22) and Harris Interactive (23) national polls. Their opponent Saturday, Michigan State, also found themselves in the top-25 (No. 23/19/21, AP/USA Today/Harris). The Spartans, winners of their last five, feature a Heisman trophy candidate in senior tailback Javon Ringer. Nationally, he’s second in rushing yards per game and first in touchdowns this season.

“When I look at the tape it doesn’t take long to see the success their offensive line has had in opening holes for arguably, if not the best back in the Big Ten, then one of the best, and also in the country. He’s a very physical back with great patience, plays well behind his pads and seems like he gets stronger as the game goes along,” Fitzgerald said.

The winner of Saturday’s game will remain unbeaten in Big Ten play and also gain bowl-eligibility. Plenty of good tickets remain and can be purchased by calling 847-491-CATS or visiting NUsports.com

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