Case in point, the beating we suffered versus Wisconsin last Saturday. Congratulations to Badgers fans; I'm sure you're all excited to go to the Rose Bowl. But 70-23? Bielema, you're a dick.
I'm as hardcore a Northwestern football fan as they come. I've been to every home game since 2005, and I've been to eight out of 10 of our conference opponents' stadiums, as well as this year's season opener at Vanderbilt. (And planning to road trip out to Lincoln next year when we add Nebraska to the Big Ten, er, Twelve, er, whatever.) I was in the marching band for four years. I bleed purple. I got comfortable with seeing our team steadily improve throughout the season, and end on a fabulous note in November. That's typically the month we beat Iowa, after all. Beating Iowa is my favorite.
That's why losing Persa, and then dropping the two games at the end of the season -- Illinois at Wrigley (WRIGLEY) and then Wisconsin over Thanksgiving weekend, both on primetime TV -- really, really hurt. For the first time, 'Cats fans are starting to have real expectations, and when we don't fulfill them, our hearts ache.
But I'll take this opportunity to remind everyone -- and myself -- that this program is on an incredible upswing, and -- if you'll excuse my French -- fuck if I'm going to miss watching Fitz end his fifth season as head coach with our first bowl win since 1949. I am simply not willing to risk it. So I'm putting faith before evidence, fashioning some Bielema voodoo dolls (yes, I hold grudges) and planning a trip to Texas.
Bowl announcements are this Sunday; Northwestern is projected to be given the second-to-lowest Big Ten spot at the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas on January 1st. (The lowest slot will go to a non-Big Ten team, since Purdue, Indiana and Minnesota are not bowl-eligible. As tough as it's been to be a 'Cats fan this year, it's been worse to be a Boilermaker, Hoosier or Gopher fan.) (No love for the Boilermakers this year, though.)
So go 'Cats, beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders (our projected opponents). 2011 is going to be a wicked awesome season -- a (knock on wood) healthy Persa, an experienced depth chart, a non-spastic run defense -- but we've still got business to attend to this year. Fitz, Watkins and crew will just have to figure out how to take care of business.
Until then, I'm just going to watch this on loop:
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