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Was Northwestern Great in 2020?

Kwajsker

Kwajsker

Scout Team
Northwestern won our division and played Ohio State close (for much of the game). Purdue beat Iowa. Wisconsin had a disappointing season record wise. Our Division is pretty well the equivalent of the old Big Twelve North.

And I keep coming back to a very simple question. Do we wish we were Northwestern from this year? I don't. They wont our division but do any of us see them as a championship level team? Not from what I saw. And they are just like all the rest of our division. Solid. Didn't make the dumb mistakes. And could never break through.

We have been so focused on the internals in the last few days for good reason. But the more B1G in 60 that I watch of West teams, the more I realize how average the teams who have won big have been. And we are soooo close. So I am interested in others' opinions.

Was Northwestern Great in 2020? Is that what we would like to be?
 

Kwajsker said:
Northwestern won our division and played Ohio State close (for much of the game). Purdue beat Iowa. Wisconsin had a disappointing season record wise. Our Division is pretty well the equivalent of the old Big Twelve North.

And I keep coming back to a very simple question. Do we wish we were Northwestern from this year? I don't. They wont our division but do any of us see them as a championship level team? Not from what I saw. And they are just like all the rest of our division. Solid. Didn't make the dumb mistakes. And could never break through.

We have been so focused on the internals in the last few days for good reason. But the more B1G in 60 that I watch of West teams, the more I realize how average the teams who have won big have been. And we are soooo close. So I am interested in others' opinions.

Was Northwestern Great in 2020? Is that what we would like to be?
Click to expand...

Short answer, no.

Really since we came into the B1G, there hasn't been a truly 'elite' level football team win our division (Including the 'Legends' thing at the start). There have been some really good teams and some pretty average teams for Division champs, so I don't think we're looking at an impossible task to be competitive.

First things first, lets fix what causes us to lose to Illinois, and look bad doing it. Watching games these past two years and we were a bounce here, better ST play there or one play on offense or defense away from winning 3 or 4 games each year. Do that and NEBRASKA is the average team that's winning the West.
 
I tend to think the little things will put us over. So, ultimately, what does that mean? I we're losing by thin margins, the playing smart, hold onto the football, get better ST play makes our competition losers without much other change.
However, what will change is a few drives by our competition where the stress is on them, and then we will see more mistakes by them, as they press, and that will create an even wider gap, and thats where I think we are now, only reversed.
Now, take into consideration of what SF has been saying, we are so close to flipping this thing, add in momentum, learning how to win, everything changes.

Now, getting back to Northwestern, they do this often, they flip their record alot, so, for the naysayers, it can be done, and though NW may get a few decisive losses in their down years, theyre likely to be closer losses, except maybe a OSU game.

So, we are finally on the climb, as the Big has gotten better, theyre also plateauing, as we continue to get better. Also for the naysayers, just look at the D, and even Betts at wr, someone who looks like the best days are ahead of him, came into the system and is getting better.
Add in a healthy stable of rbs, a very good TE room, we are getting better.

So, clean it up, play better STs, low turnovers and continue to improve, a possible early sign of that old irresistible force that we know and love.
Like a slow train comin
 



HuskerWeatherman said:
Northwestern will never have the talent to win championships. But Fitzgerald gets the maximum out of his players. So if you're asking me if I'd like a Nebraska coach that could get the max out of his players ... well, duh.
Click to expand...
Funny, the NW folks I know aren’t raving about that, they complain Fitz can’t attract enough talent with his blue collar style.
 
I've a lot of respect for Fitzgerald and that program. He gets those guys to play hard. Watching their defense, they rarely miss tackles. Are they great? No, and never will be. But they've won the division twice in the last 3 years. I'd take that in a heartbeat right now.
 




Kwajsker said:
Northwestern won our division and played Ohio State close (for much of the game). Purdue beat Iowa. Wisconsin had a disappointing season record wise. Our Division is pretty well the equivalent of the old Big Twelve North.

And I keep coming back to a very simple question. Do we wish we were Northwestern from this year? I don't. They wont our division but do any of us see them as a championship level team? Not from what I saw. And they are just like all the rest of our division. Solid. Didn't make the dumb mistakes. And could never break through.

We have been so focused on the internals in the last few days for good reason. But the more B1G in 60 that I watch of West teams, the more I realize how average the teams who have won big have been. And we are soooo close. So I am interested in others' opinions.

Was Northwestern Great in 2020? Is that what we would like to be?
Click to expand...
The only way I want to be Northwestern is going to two conference titles in 3 years. I can't believe they overachieve almost every year, so maybe they are just way better than everyone gives them credit for.

I will say, the one thing I am jealous of a team like Northwestern or Indiana of is how they can stay within virtually one score of Ohio State? Both of those games were competitive and they didn't look outclassed. Where we have lost by more each year we play Ohio State since our staff has been here. It seems when teams have more talent we almost play scared a bit, and I don't mean the players. When teams are superior in talent we seem to get absolutely crushed. What happened in 2018 where we lost 36-31 to Ohio State and now we lose 40 to 7 and 52-17? I'm not bashing, i just don't get it how that's what we do and then look at Northwestern and Indiana.
 
ShortSideOption said:
The only way I want to be Northwestern is going to two conference titles in 3 years. I can't believe they overachieve almost every year, so maybe they are just way better than everyone gives them credit for.

I will say, the one thing I am jealous of a team like Northwestern or Indiana of is how they can stay within virtually one score of Ohio State? Both of those games were competitive and they didn't look outclassed. Where we have lost by more each year we play Ohio State since our staff has been here. It seems when teams have more talent we almost play scared a bit, and I don't mean the players. When teams are superior in talent we seem to get absolutely crushed. What happened in 2018 where we lost 36-31 to Ohio State and now we lose 40 to 7 and 52-17? I'm not bashing, i just don't get it how that's what we do and then look at Northwestern and Indiana.
Click to expand...
IMO 3 reasons why.... coaching, coaching and more coaching imo. Folks can take that that anyway they like but the fact remains... You Are What Your Record Says You Are!
 



ShortSideOption said:
The only way I want to be Northwestern is going to two conference titles in 3 years. I can't believe they overachieve almost every year, so maybe they are just way better than everyone gives them credit for.

I will say, the one thing I am jealous of a team like Northwestern or Indiana of is how they can stay within virtually one score of Ohio State? Both of those games were competitive and they didn't look outclassed. Where we have lost by more each year we play Ohio State since our staff has been here. It seems when teams have more talent we almost play scared a bit, and I don't mean the players. When teams are superior in talent we seem to get absolutely crushed. What happened in 2018 where we lost 36-31 to Ohio State and now we lose 40 to 7 and 52-17? I'm not bashing, i just don't get it how that's what we do and then look at Northwestern and Indiana.
Click to expand...

Well that was this year, but NW and IU have both been blown out by OSU in recent years. I think the big thing is both of their defenses play contain and wait for you to make a mistake, and they were both better at containing mobile quarterbacks this past year. Combine that with their offenses not committing a lot of turnovers, and they can hang around and keep things close.

Edited to add: If NU doesn't turn the ball over against OSU, that game is closer. They had the scoop and score, and then the one TD at the end, but NU definitely left points out there (shocker).
 
Last edited:
Kwajsker said:
Northwestern won our division and played Ohio State close (for much of the game). Purdue beat Iowa. Wisconsin had a disappointing season record wise. Our Division is pretty well the equivalent of the old Big Twelve North.

And I keep coming back to a very simple question. Do we wish we were Northwestern from this year? I don't. They wont our division but do any of us see them as a championship level team? Not from what I saw. And they are just like all the rest of our division. Solid. Didn't make the dumb mistakes. And could never break through.

We have been so focused on the internals in the last few days for good reason. But the more B1G in 60 that I watch of West teams, the more I realize how average the teams who have won big have been. And we are soooo close. So I am interested in others' opinions.

Was Northwestern Great in 2020? Is that what we would like to be?
Click to expand...
I agree with @CrabHusker about attending to the internals and letting everything else play out.

But one thing I'd like to point out. Even though most people here think the west is "average," the overall conference in general is as competitive as any in the country from top to bottom. What makes things a bit more challenging for DONU moving forward is that these teams in the west have caught up to us from a recruiting perspective. And if they develop as well as they have in the past, I suspect the competition level increases in the years to come.

So fix those internals
Recruit at the same level as you are now
Develop, develop, develop

Don't do this, it only gets harder for us to keep up.
 

Kwajsker said:
Northwestern won our division and played Ohio State close (for much of the game). Purdue beat Iowa. Wisconsin had a disappointing season record wise. Our Division is pretty well the equivalent of the old Big Twelve North.

And I keep coming back to a very simple question. Do we wish we were Northwestern from this year? I don't. They wont our division but do any of us see them as a championship level team? Not from what I saw. And they are just like all the rest of our division. Solid. Didn't make the dumb mistakes. And could never break through.

We have been so focused on the internals in the last few days for good reason. But the more B1G in 60 that I watch of West teams, the more I realize how average the teams who have won big have been. And we are soooo close. So I am interested in others' opinions.

Was Northwestern Great in 2020? Is that what we would like to be?
Click to expand...
In the short-term, yes. Two division titles in three years sounds pretty damn good. They are actually able to beat teams like Iowa, Wisky, and Minnesota.

Long-term, no. I think NW has basically hit their ceiling, and would want a higher ceiling for Nebraska.
 
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