Comments on Lake The Posts - Northwestern Football Blog: Monday Mourning - Picking Up The Pieces

Thank Christ for the serenity, i've already jumped...

2008-10-27T20:21:41.471-05:00

Thank Christ for the serenity, i've already jumped into a six pack of mojito mango and am working on a bottle of jim beam and sunkist!

Did the Fight’in Methodist fans jump off the band ...

2008-10-27T18:03:03.623-05:00

Did the Fight’in Methodist fans jump off the band wagon in ’92, 1892 that is, when the boys dropped their first ever game to Minnesota and followed that up with 2 straight loses to Whisky?

Or the 26 team, who were Big Ten Co-Champs--not allowing any team to score more than 7 points against them, but gave up 6 to Jessie Harper and ND in the last game of the year?

And then 4 years later when the Cats, lost back-to-back to ND and Purdue, in the Depression charity game?

Last Saturday’s minor set-back, will soon be forgotten, and is not even in the top 50 of the Cats 613 all-time losses.

Have a cookie and prepare for a pissed off, bitter group of scholar athletics looking to restore their manhood in front of the square-headed Minnesota homecoming crowd.

The loss merits Top Ten because of when it occurre...

2008-10-27T15:50:40.303-05:00

The loss merits Top Ten because of when it occurred in the season. Now imagine that Indiana was the first Big Ten game, and we'd lost it but gone on to beat Iowa and Purdue. It wouldn't merit Top 10, even with that performance (loss of Tyrell and CJ notwithstanding). We'd still be 6-2 and would have chalked up Indiana as our usual non-conference-like loss.

But I guess what's more important is to say, let's evaluate whether it's the in the Top Ten based on what happens the rest of the season, hmm? Imagine (not that it will happen) that we go on to win out. That loss will simply look like an anomaly.

One should evaluate history when it's already history.

I just watched the quarterbacks section of Fitz's ...

2008-10-27T15:46:54.773-05:00

I just watched the quarterbacks section of Fitz's press conference, and it appears Bacher is still day-to-day.

Fellas:Maybe I wasn't clear. I was simply stating...

2008-10-27T13:18:49.591-05:00

Fellas:

Maybe I wasn't clear. I was simply stating fact that we will be underdogs in our final four games. Yes, it is possible for us to win two of them, especially given how inconsistent the entire league has been.

But I challenge you to find another loss we've had, in our lifetime that merits a "top ten" status more than this one?

I'm more worried about our corners. If Ben Chappel...

2008-10-27T11:03:29.034-05:00

I'm more worried about our corners. If Ben Chappell and his lightly-regarded receivers can do that against us, what's Adam Weber and Eric Decker going to do? I'm with LTP here - I'm discouraged.

After enduring the 4-hour drive back from Hoosiert...

2008-10-27T10:41:37.556-05:00

After enduring the 4-hour drive back from Hoosierton, I am confident that the Cats still have 2 Ws left in the gas tank. As the Big Ten continues to redefine bad, over coached football, I was able to put my fuzzy head on the pillow with dreams of a win in the House that Yost built and recapturing the 64th Sweet Sioux in game 102 with the Chief. However, it can only be accomplished by opening up all roster spots for the rest of the year, each week (i.e. Pete USC Carroll) and let’s see who really wants to play some ball. Some members of the senior class have gotten too comfortable with their status and its clear that equal or better talent is sitting on the bench. Fitzy needs to be a bit more draconian in deciding who plays and who sits. As for personnel, Conteh is up to the challenge, and we need to get the much-hyped young’uns their chance. Bacher, should be able to play and if not, teams can win with their back-up, see Ben Chappell 219 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, just keep the game plan simple for Kafka. And finally, the defense, Fitzy’s real passion, will have to step up and play more physical, especially the corners. Finally, John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll must have been spinning in his grave given Capt’n Peterman declaration. Dude, lead, follow or get out of the way. 4 for 18 is no way to go through a game.

Seems like defenses recently have been able to key...

2008-10-27T10:18:13.610-05:00

Seems like defenses recently have been able to key in on what we do on offense and really seem to be a step ahead of us, or at least on par with us, as we do play calling. With Kafka and Conteh in the starting roles now, teams aren't really going to be sure what we're going to give to them.

As long as Kafka can make the same throws to the sideline that CJ's been making, we have a shot. We will likely see a completely different 'Cats team on Saturday, though.

This is too over the top. Come on! At WORST, all w...

2008-10-27T10:09:59.705-05:00

This is too over the top. Come on! At WORST, all we have is a big "unknown" when it comes to what will happen next. While I agree at this point we'll be happy with 8-4, I feel like we're not taking the whole season into perspective here.

Kafka is a big unknown. I am NOT going to judge his potential based on what we've seen from him this year, and ESPECIALLY not after that terrible performance where the game was on the line and he had to go down the field to pull out a victory. I would also remind you that the score was 21-19 for THREE drives, and the first two, CJ couldn't do it either. I also saw it pointed out that Kafka probably was trying to throw the ball away but was spun around too fast and thus threw backwards - he surely wasn't TRYING to throw it backwards. Yes, it would have been intentional grounding, and he made a mistake. He's a good runner, and has a good arm, and we will now be able to game plan for him.

I believe people think Kafka is the same guy we saw before Bacher got the starter job 2 years ago. Bacher hasn't improved since last year and seems to have regressed. I've opened up the purple koolaid again and an anxious to see if we can give Kafka a chance to step up as a leader. Conteh too.

Another recent NU coach said "Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you respond." So at the very least please, please let's just wait and see before we declare the sky to have fallen.

I'm ecstatic that we're going to see Omar start - ...

2008-10-27T10:01:13.769-05:00

I'm ecstatic that we're going to see Omar start - Sutton hasn't been himself the the past few weeks. We all saw him put the ball on the ground three times against Purdue, thankfully his knees were down for two of them. With a bruiser in the backfield and a strong O-line, I am looking forward to sending a message at Minnesota.

Go Cats!

i always want to keep the faith with the 'Cats, an...

2008-10-27T09:51:54.341-05:00

i always want to keep the faith with the 'Cats, and I have no worry that Conteh can pick up some of the slack....but KAFKA. REALLY! CJ has been our leader this year, and talk about his turnovers and such - but when the game was on the line, CJ fought hard! He ran "balls to da wall" into that end zone, and to get those first downs in Indiana. Towards the end of the Michigan State game - who was still playing every down...CJ. I've been critical of CJ, but he is a huge leader on the team. So we have to put our faith and the team on Kafka?!?! HE THREW BACKWARDS! You can't even do that in a video game!

That being said - I will keep the faith - because that's all I can do...

Go 'Cats.

Yes, losing a must-win to an inferior opponent is ...

2008-10-27T09:29:32.577-05:00

Yes, losing a must-win to an inferior opponent is bad. Losing three of our best players to injury in the last 2 games is bad too. But does this spell the demise of our 2008 season? NO ONE KNOWS. It's too early to tell.

But there is NO REASON for anyone to stir the ghosts of NU football futility. Even fans of perennial powers have to deal with bad luck and bad losses. As uber-coach Ditka says, "In life..."

We can't expect the outside world to stop saying "same old NU" until WE stop saying it about ourselves.

Disappointed, yes. Discouraged, no.

@LTP: come in off the ledge, bud! They f****d up o...

2008-10-27T08:52:27.364-05:00

@LTP: come in off the ledge, bud! They f****d up on Saturday, no secret, but ease up on the Chicken Little act. nucats93 appears to be on track: there's some positives that may come out of this. Keep the faith!

Sutton being gone is brutal, but Conteh is at leas...

2008-10-27T08:38:46.476-05:00

Sutton being gone is brutal, but Conteh is at least serviceable. We'll see what other running backs we have. Bacher being gone may not be as bad as you think. He's a turnover machine and always has been. NU never throws deep, so Kafka should be able to handle the usual short throws. Plus Kafka runs better than Bacher, and that lends well to the spread. I know Kafka stunk in 06 and on Saturday. However, if he knows he's the starter this week perhaps they can prepare a game plan against Minnesota. Minnesota is not unlike NU in that they are 7-1 but all 7 wins have come against lighter competition. They are beatable -- especially if they take us lightly again. NU just has to take care of the ball. I know NU is teetering on the brink right now and Fitz better get them mentally prepared -- short of that the seniors need to step up and execute.