So, because it's long-awaited, I've decided that it's worth it to write my Northwestern football preview. My track record is short and spotty: I picked seven wins for last year's 4-8 club, and I picked a 4-7 season for the 2005 team's 7-6 Sun Bowl season, which is more impressive than it sounds. In 2004, I was close, picking a 7-5 season for a team that went 6-6, losing at Hawaii to close the year and missing a bowl.

So, bear in mind, as you read, that I'll try to be plus or minus three on win total.

(Also, as a warning, there are only three additional topics covered in this post, if you're not interested in NU football. One is a tennis-related conversation with my supervisor, from Wednesday, and the others are baseball-related conversations had with The Boy this evening. If you don't like sports, or are thirsty for pithy music opinion, you're S.O.L. If you come here for reasons other than music or sports, you're probably in the wrong place.)

First, a brief recap of last year:

It's the toughest year that Pat Fitzgerald has gone through, ever. He was in an untenable position, thrust into a role that somebody five years older than me can't possibly handle, especially when given a month to prepare, five days after the death of his mentor. Impossible situation.

He looked 20 years old, and confused, and uncomfortable, for most of the season. He's still working on his "coach" persona; right now, it's just weird. He tries hard for wide-eyed eye contact, and he spouts about "our football family" and "playing hard" and "great young men," but he sounds like he's reading from a script. Randy Walker spouted off cliches because he believed them and he lived them.* Pat Fitzgerald says them because he thinks he's supposed to say them. By all accounts, he's a passionate and genuine recruiter, and I wish he'd bring that enthusiasm and sincerity to occasions where he's presented as the face of Northwestern football. Because he'll be the face of Northwestern football for 30 more years, you know.

*("Keep the main thing, the main thing," which makes no sense, was maybe my favorite. The inevitable "That wasn't us out there" was my least favorite. The lecture about Diet Pepsi was always uncomfortable, in an awesome way - corporate shilling for the sponsor before the press conference, if you don't mind? That man was fantastic, and genuine, and really one of the great people I've had the chance to be around. I cried when he died, for the record.)

But anyway, Fitz was scared and confused, and his offensive coordinator was dealing with, at the start of the year, a pair of quarterbacks with no experience. They were nothing resembling a Big Ten team during the first four weeks of the season, and were lucky for their two non-conference wins.

Obviously, the emergence of CJ Bacher was important, maybe the season's most important factor, even though it came in game five of a six-game losing streak, and even though his "emergence" came in the same game that the Cats set an NCAA record for blown leads. They blew a four-touchdown lead, and I wasn't that upset after the game.

Anyway, NU became a (kind of) real Big Ten team that day and, while their 17-3 Michigan loss in Ann Arbor wasn't as close as it looked and their 54-10 Ohio State loss was as bad as it looked, they also dismantled Iowa, effectively ending their season, and capped the season with a nice win over Illinois.

So, basically, this isn't coherent. But there's reason for optimism, I think.

Let's break down the roster, by unit. I did this last year, and I think it's fun. I am not required by any rule to base my thoughts or rankings on facts. Generally, I base it on whether I like the players, whom I've never met and about whom I know, generally, nothing.


1. Running Back
Tyrell Sutton is the best. Had there been a passing game present for the first six games of the season, this would be far more apparent. I think he lost his proclivity for fumbling last year, which is highly important. And he's clearly tough. He's the team's (almost) undisputed best player. I don't care that Brandon Roberson has proven to suck, and Omar Conteh has proven that he's not worthy of time on the field. Tyrell's the best. His numbers would have been better if we weren't convinced that Mike Kafka should be the near-primary ball carrier in the first two games of the season. Hmm. I think Scott Concannon will play. He's tiny, and quick, and the coaches seem to like him a lot. He's a true freshman from Missouri, and he'll wear number 20.

2. Defensive Line
This has never been said about NU. Defensive line as a strength. But I think Corey Wootton might have a claim as NU's best player. He's huge, at 6-7, but quick off the end and seems to have a big play capability. Four other ends figure to see time, and I think David Ngene's the best of them. But Koehn and Mims are solid backups, and Corbin Bryant, while not listed on the two-deep, certainly opened eyes as a true freshman before getting hurt and receiving a medical redshirt. (Not unlike Wootton in 2005, when he played three games before getting hurt.) Gill and Hahn are stout up the middle, though the tackle position is thin after that duo.

3. Defensive Backfield
They say that NU can't recruit defensive ends, and NU can't recruit corners. These are the toughest positions to play, they say, so the top ones head elsewhere. Harold Blackmon's the best corner I've seen since I've started following NU, or maybe Jeff Backes. Neither were particularly good and, well, Backes, well... But Sherrick "Batman" McManis (it makes no sense, but I'll stick with Batman) is solid, and could be great. Deante Battle is good on the other end. I like those two, I just do. Meanwhile, the safeties are legitimately good, for real. Brendon Smith was great as a freshman and hurt as a sophomore, but he's certainly a player. He's quicker than you'd think. Brad Phillips played quite a bit as a true freshman, and has the makings of a hitter. Reggie McPherson's been around for quite a while - I think he broke up the final pass play when NU beat Indiana in Double (Triple?)-OT in...2003? That gives him four years on the field. And, actually, it was 2004.

4. Quarterback
I think CJ Bacher's an all-conference candidate, because he's a good passer. He's got a running game. He's got adequate receivers. And he looks like he belongs out there. The team follows him, it seems. It seems like he has a command, a presence, about him. He's also followed in the NU tradition started by Zak Kustok of "quarterbacks who kind of look like a Muppet." He's also, well, productive. He threw for nearly 1,200 yards in his five starts. He completed 60 percent of his passes. The blemish is the interception number - eight of them in five games. This is chalked up to him being young and stupid. I think he's older and less-dumb now. Remember how awful Baz was a sophomore? (He was so awful that they didn't throw a single pass in the second half against Illinois, in the final game of his second season as a starter.) Bacher was far better, and I think he'll be far, far better this year.

...
I like those four units a lot. The rest are C+ or worse, in a world where C is average. (At NU, I learned, B+ is average. I got a C- once for correctly answering less than 50 percent of the questions in an economic history. I double-majored in economics. I'm perhaps applying to business school. I don't think the C- will serve me well, but it will serve me better than an F would have.)
...

5. Offensive Line
Maybe a C+ unit, actually. Center Trevor Rees is an all-conference contender. Left Tackle Dylan Thiry is, in my opinion, the perfect size for a tackle. He's 6-8, 315. He's a senior, and I think he'll be drafted. Adam Crum is Alaskan, and the right guard. Mostly, he's Alaskan. So, these three guys are back. Joel Belding played center, as I recall, when Rees was gone in 2005. I think he blew the Michigan game with a pair of holding calls, and I hold grudges. The other tackle is the biggest question mark, with sophomore Kurt Mattes getting the nod. I have no opinion on him. I believe someone named Ramon Diaz was slated to get playing time on the line, but is hurt. Also, true freshman Al Netter is on the two-deep as Thiry's backup. Worth knowing.

6. Wide Receiver
It seems like there's Eric Peterman, who is genuinely good; Ross Lane, who might be great but is right now just good; Kim Thompson, who was supposed to be great; and five or six other faceless and undistinguished guys in this group. Or, if you prefer, eight or nine faceless guys in this group. Ross Lane made a great catch in the Sun Bowl, and had the game-winner as a freshman against Iowa. I'm hopeful those won't be his two career highlights. He's rangy and athletic, and I'm hoping he'll put up better than 400 yards this year. (Like, twice that, if he's NU's top receiver.) I really like Peterman though, as it turns out, Lane's numbers are better. I guess I'm an ass. I hope he throws less than three passes this year, and I hope that all of the passes he throws go for touchdowns. Among the faceless, I like Rasheed Ward best, but this is due to numerology. (Ward's #8, Lane #9, and Peterman #10. For the record, RB Roberson is #11, and injured WR Brewer is #12. WR Yarbrough is #7. This is all awesome. #5 is RS Freshman WR Sidney Stewart, and #6 is true freshman Charles Brown. Brown will redshirt, though he's well-regarded.) I downplay the injury of Brewer, who is out for the year, but he was apparently their best player during the spring. He caught one ball last year. I'd rather he be here, but I'm hopeful that the other two white guys can get the job done.

7. Kicking Game / Return Game
Batman's awesome, both on coverage and as a returner. Ward's listed as the punt returner, though he's never done it in game action. Stefan Demos was a top ten kicking recruit, though he'll punt. Amado Villareal showed well for himself after Joel Howells' Sun Bowl meltdown. I think he'll be just fine, and I'm hopeful we'll be comfortable kicking inside of 35 yards. Beyond 35 yards, what the hell, just go for it.

8. Linebackers
It's funny, because, in a lot of ways, Adam Kadela is the face of the defense. He's a three-year starter. He was the guy at media day. He's also slow. OLB Mike Dinard is slow, too. OLB Eddie Simpson is the best LB, but he's not listed as a starter and might be suspended, or something.
We'll miss Nick Roach a lot and, to a lesser extent, Meatball Eaton. I'm excited to see redshirt freshman Quentin Davie on the field, as I think he'll overtake starter Prince Kwateng, who has an awesome name but has never earned his way on the field in his first three years in the program.

Let's look at the schedule:
Seven home games (first time ever, I think)
Penn State and Wisconsin are off the schedule; Indiana and Minnesota are back
Really, they really should win all four non-conference games

9/1, v. Northeastern
Northeastern beat New Hampshire, who slew Northwestern, who... yeah, I know. Still, they're I-AA.
Win: NU 38, NU 14

9/8, v. Nevada
Nevada apparently lost everyone from last year, when they were a bowl team (though one that underperformed and was a disappointment). They play the "Pistol" offense, where their quarterback lines up about four yards behind center, with a tailback behind him. This one's at home, too.
Win: NU 27, UNR 17

9/15, v. Duke - Under the Lights at an empty Ryan Field!
I know nothing about Duke. My parents' neighbor is still on their roster, perhaps even playing. About five years ago, they had a quarterback named D. Bryant. That's not a first initial, it's a name. As in "Dee-dot Bryant." Though you'd just call him "Dee Bryant." They're awful.
Win: NU 41, Duke 7

9/22, at Ohio State
Let's be real. At the 'Shoe. OSU loses the Heisman winner, a first-round wide receiver, and a fantastic running back. They're still awesome. It's probably infeasible.
Loss: OSU 41, NU 17, and I hope it's not

9/29, v. Michigan
This one's more winnable, but Manningham and Henne and Hart and ... I don't know who else ... are still there. Expectations are high, again. I can't see it happening.
Loss: Michigan 34, NU 20

10/6, at Michigan State
This might be the biggest game on the schedule. Homecoming is the next week. Michigan State's down, but has a new and enthusiastic head coach who, while coming from Cincinnati, is also a longtime Big Ten guy, apparently. NU has won at MSU before. Will they be down after two blowout losses? Or sky high at the chance to start a - gasp - winning streak? I'll be ostimistic, and go for the latter.
Win: NU 27, MSU 21

10/13, v. Minnesota
My only Cats game of the year, until the Motor City Bowl. (Foreshadowing.) Glen Mason did a lot of good things (blowing his bowl game - something like a three-TD lead to Texas Tech, sealed his fate), but everyone there loves new head coach Tim Brewster. But it's a year or two early for the Gophs.
Win: NU 30, Gophs 20

10/19, at Eastern Michigan (at Ford Field)
It'll be a Friday night. The Tiges might be playing next door. The Cubs might be playing in Chicago. If a college football game takes place in an NFL stadium on a Friday night (because EMU forgot to confirm game day with the facility before, you know, scheduling it, and therefore got bumped by the high schoolers), and only 14,000 people are there to see it, does it really happen? Yes, because it's on ESPNU. And because it'll be NU's biggest road margin of victory in decades. (I have no idea what the record might be.)
Win: NU 54, EMU 9

10/27, at Purdue
Last year's game was so, so, so miserable. I was driving to Detroit, and couldn't really get WGN. And the Cats were still playing Kafka. The results were predictable. This one's on the road, and Curtis Painter can throw a little, and that Dorien Bryant character (pronounced "Dorien Bryant," not "Dee dot Bryant") is, perhaps, the second-best receiver in the conference. I love you Batman, but, well... sigh.
Loss: PU 31, NU 21

11/3, v. Iowa
Albert Young ate us alive in 2005, and then they stopped giving him the ball. NU came back to win, in fantastic (two TDs in the last four minutes) fashion. Last year, NU dismantled them. This year, Young's still there, and a new, competent QB should have been broken in. I can't comment on their defense, because I'm never able to comment on any defense.
Win: NU 24, Hawks 17

11/10, v. Indiana
Their enthusiastic, fantastic, wonderful coach is, sadly, dead. Their replacement is old, but stunned. They're Indiana. NU's better. (I'm about to predict NU to win six of seven at home. Infeasible? I guess not. Nothing here even feels like that much of a stretch, though maybe Iowa.)
Win: NU 34, IU 31

11/17, v. Illinois
Zook's a crook. And his quarterback is, actually, not good. But he's fun to watch run. Still, I feel a letdown here, owing to a) NU's bowl eligibility, and b) Illinois' 5-6 record at this point.
Loss: U of I 27, NU 24

Breakdown, then:
Home: 6-1
Road: 2-3
Overall: 8-4

Is that really what I've picked? I promised to be realistic. I haven't been.

Non-conference: 4-0
Conference: 4-4

vs. Top 25 teams
0-2

vs. Bowl teams (Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa, Purdue)
1-4

This is almost as weak of a schedule as a Big Ten team can play (Michigan or Ohio State or Penn State or Wisconsin get weaker ones because, well, they get the chance to play, say, Northwestern). I think I'm being optimistic about the Iowa win - that'd be more likely mid- or early-season. But, hey, I'll stick by it. Nobody cares, anyway.

So, 8-4. Motor City? Insight? I don't know. I thought the Sun Bowl was a great game, and I wish the conference remained there.

Also, I'm wearing my T-Sutton jersey to work tomorrow. I've never been more excited about wearing something to work.

- - - - - - -

Tennis: I had a brief conversation with my supervisor Wednesday about tennis, and the US Open, and how awesome tennis under the lights is. And he told me about watching Roddick on Tuesday night, and I talked about how, well I liked him at the outset, and while I liked him when he won Wimbledon, I thought he was whiny now. Far too immature for someone who has been on the world stage for six years. My supervisor agreed. Then we got to talking about Connors and McEnroe, who would blow gaskets purely for intimidation's sake.

Then I got to talking about how great that troika - McEnroe, Connors & Borg - must have been, and he confirmed. Then I asked if he had watched Federer-Nadal, ever. He said, not really.

I talked about how much I love watching Federer. His gracefulness. His completeness. His ponytail, when it's there. The fact that he beat Sampras. His post-major crying fit, inevitable, and genuine.

"It's a fake," my coworker said. "You think?" "No doubt. That man has no emotion. He probably looks to his player's box after he wins, to his manager-slash-coach-slash-agent-slash-girlfriend-slash-shrink, and she holds up a sign: Cry Now. And so he does."

While I respectfully disagree, I loved the sentiment.

- - - - - -

The Cubs are in first place. I talked to The Boy about this tonight.

I talked about Lou Piniella's managerial greatness. His willingness to ride unproven young talent, and to bench them when they start failing. His willingness to give guys who have proven themselves a chance, most notably in the case of Murton and Pie, exiled to Triple-A for times, then suddenly back in the lineup. (The exception is Geo-Soto, who has nothing left to prove at Triple-A, but is the odd man out and will only ever stick as a backup first baseman/catcher who, if we're lucky, can be serviceable in left field.) I love the way he's cycled young guys through the bullpen spots, the way he's regained confidence in Scott Eyre, and the way he immediately stuck Marmol into clutch situations. I think he's great.

That's point one about the Cubs and baseball.

Point two emanates from point one. It's Ryan Theriot. He's awesome, and was never supposed to be a big league shortstop. He was a second baseman in the minors, even though he was a shortstop in college, and only played short when Fontenot - red-hot at the time - proved quickly that he couldn't.

"I don't think he was a prospect at all," The Boy said. "He was a third-rounder," I interrupted. "Oh," he said. "But they tried to make him a switch-hitting second baseman."

"Didn't Dad try to get you to switch-hit at some point?" I asked.

"Yeah," The Boy replied. "But I was never really into the hard work thing."

I thought that was really funny.

(He then explained that he like baseball because, you know, you just get to play games. You don't have to really practice. Then I quoted Allen Iverson: "I mean, we're talkin' about practice here," which I think is about the funniest player's press conference ever. Then we hung up.)

- - - - -

Thanks for reading. Go Cats.