Well, for starters I read the book. This is must read material for any Northwestern football fan. Most of you have read Gary Barnett’s “High Hopes” (if you’re a younger guy/gal and haven’t, get it on Amazon – truly must-read material). This should be the companion book to it as Barnett offered his perspective, Matt Stewart offers his player perspective. I couldn’t help ying and yang between the two as the plot line is the same (rags to riches football story), but the journey line was incredibly different.

Stewart was an unrecruited walk-on – the ONLY unrecruited walk-on in 1993 as he details his trip from Nebraska to Evanston and the culture shock he experienced having grown up in Husker Nation. The Walk-On is very chronilogical in nature starting with his trip to college and then offering a blow by blow of each season.  What endeared me to this book was the unfiltered approach Stewart took. He pulls no punches and directly names certain players, like fomer OL Matt O’Dwyer (who I happened to live with freshman year, by sheer coincidence) and how his attitude was borderline cancerous to the team. He discusses his disgust with Dennis Lundy and the sense of betrayal he felt from the guy who was at the center of a point shaving scandal. Stewart candidly discusses moments where he was pissed at Barnett or Jerry Brown or Ron Vanderlinden and fesses up to the insecurities he had all along the journey.

To me, the two most poignant moments in The Walk-On are the moment Gary Barnett called Stewart in to his office after his sophomore year and Matt thought he might be getting asked to leave the team and Barnett offered him a scholarship. Stewart describes the emotion and how he was so moved he was almost in tears. Conversely, after suffering an injury and regressing in spring ball, the fear he had that Barnett was going to pull his scholarship (which nearly happened).

As a guy who was in school and personally knew many of the people in the book, this one hit close to home.  One of my favorite things about interviewing former players like Zak Kustok, Damien, Darnell and the host of others we’ve had on LTP is the additional insights or “I never knew that!” moments that surface from games that you knew so well.  For Matt, he describes how Keith Jackson called his name on national TV in the ’95 Penn State game and it was for infamy. You’ll remember the play where Penn State was punting and the ball richocheted off a punt coverage guy and Penn State recovered. Well, as you’ll learn in this book, it was Matt. On the flip side, there are some great moments he had springing Brian Musso on a punt return and he specifically recalls in the book one of the moments where he stepped up as an on the field leader and grabbed everyone together prior to Musso’s ’95 punt return TD vs Iowa and essentially called the shot. It is this type of nuance to a moment you already know that keep you wanting more in this book. I also came away even more impressed with Barnett’s motivational skills as you can feel the impact through Matt’s recollections. Simply put, take a few minutes, visit Matt’s website here and purchase the book for you and that NU fan in your family.

Let’s get in to the Q&A…

 LTP: My overall takeaway of the book was “unfiltered”. By that, I mean, you really told it like it was, you detailed your insecurities, frustrations and weren’t afraid to talk about specifics with players who were issues in the early Barnett years. I applaud you for that as it added to the authenticity. What was the motivation for writing this
book and why now?

MS: I always knew the story of Northwestern football’s turnaround from the player’s perspective would make a great read.  I just expected someone else to write it.  At our ten-year Rose Bowl reunion in 2005, I realized none of my teammates had any intention of writing a book – so I decided to do it.  It wasn’t a stretch for me to undertake this project – I do write for a living.  I’m a Medill grad and the morning anchor at KCTV5, the CBS-affiliate in Kansas City.  My mom had saved the tapes from every NU football game my junior and senior year along with the media guides and newspaper clippings.  I had all the tools to do the research and get my facts right, and I took my time putting it together.  But besides documenting an amazing time in Northwestern football history, I also wanted to share the walk-on experience with the millions of young athletes out there who are not being recruited or offered a scholarship but still dream of playing college sports.  It takes a lot of courage to walk-on.  It’s tough.  But with hard work and determination, anyone can find success.  I’m living proof of that.  And I hope this book inspires them to give it a try.

LTP: How did those years of slaving away with rarely making the field or even traveling with the team early on impact you in your life today?

MS: I started my college football career as the fifth-string free safety.  It‘s humbling when you’re looking up from the bottom of the depth chart, stuck on the scout team with no opportunity to play.  I wanted the coaches to notice me, but they didn’t and my attitude soured.  I was miserable!  But then I realized I couldn’t control what they thought of me.  I could only control what I did on the field.  So instead of sulking, I changed my approach and started attacking every play. I went after it. I got better The coaches began to notice and I quickly rose up the depth chart.  

My hard work and positive attitude paid off, and by my sophomore year, I was playing on Saturday afternoons.I’ve had the same experience with my career.  At every television station I’ve worked at, I’ve risen up the ranks.  The last three stations I worked at, I was hired as a photographer and worked my way up to an anchor.  I attack each day at work the same way I used to attack practice – I keep a positive attitude and I work hard to get better with the confidence that my boss will notice my effort and give me an opportunity to rise up the depth chart.  And so far, at every station I’ve worked, that’s exactly what’s happened.

Matt Stewart, author of The Walk-On donning his Rose Bowl season uni

LTP: Tell us about your perspective of Fitz from a guy who was with him in the lockerroom on a daily basis. What type of lockerroom guy was he? How did he go about his business? What signs did you see then, if any, that led you to know he would become the face of not only our program, but in some ways the entire university?

MS: I have always had the utmost respect for Pat Fitzgerald. From day one, he brought an intensity and focus to every meeting, every practice, every single thing he did. He wanted to win and had no patience for anyone with other agendas. He was also very humble and deflected praise to the rest of the defense. He’d be the first to say the reason he was such a dominating linebacker was because the defensive line and ends filled the lanes, took on the blockers, and filtered the running back to him.

When Pat spoke, everyone listened. He was very vocal.  Did I think that he would one day be the head coach of NU? Not necessarily.  But I’m not surprised. He has the qualities you want in a leader, and he knows more than anyone what it takes to build a championship team. If you polled every single player from the ’95-’96 years, I guarantee you 100% of the team would say we believe Pat will bring another Big Ten title to NU.

LTP: What did you leave out of the book that you really debated to have in? Why?

MS: That’s a tough question. I left some things out because I didn’t want to present any allegations without the facts to support it. For example, my freshman year, one of our top players was kicked off the team. I know why, but without any court documents to prove it, I didn’t want to risk any legal repercussions so I left the reason out. There are other allegations I’d rather not get in to because that’s all they were – allegations. But if I could prove it, I put it in. I also left out some of my personal experiences outside of football because even though the book is about me, I wanted the focus to stay on football. No one really cares about the names of the girls I dated. No one cares about what I learned at Medill to become a journalist. I just put in the personal experiences that helped shape me into the man I am today.

LTP: It’s interesting that you detailed the specific plays that I’ve known well in my memory banks. You mention the Penn State puntrichocheting off your leg and Keith Jackson calling your name whichmany of us remember. You also mention several Brian Musso punt return and your role in springing him – several of which are memorable
including the Iowa TD. Which play is your alltime favorite and why?

MS: My all-time favorite play would be my last second interception against Purdue my senior year (ed: 1996) that helped us secure a second Big Ten title. It’s my favorite because after all the years of feeling disrespected, of not getting a chance to play more, of lifting, running, and working hard in the shadows to help our team win, I was finally able to get a moment in the limelight. It was the reward for four years of blood, sweat and tears. By the way, don’t tell the Big Ten, but I kept the ball and still have it in my basement! 

LTP: I won’t tell Delany. One of my favorite elements of this book was the player perspective of Gary Barnett and his masterful motivation techniques. I’d read about them in High Hopes and had also heard about several of them from
covering the team, however it was neat to see it through your perspective. Which motivational tactic do you remember being the most powerful during your tenure?

MS: Coach Barnett was a great story teller and did so much to prepare our minds to not only defeat our opponent but also the low expectations from the media and our own losing history. It’s hard to pick just one story because he had so many great ones, but the one I think inspired us the most was when he put the pennies on the scale.

My junior year, we were set to open the season against Notre Dame. The first day of camp, Coach Barnett pulled out a scale and put 19 pennies on both sides of it. It balanced out. He told us that we had 19 days of practice and Notre Dame had 19 days of practice before we played in South Bend. Each day we had a good practice, he would add a penny to our side of the scale. 19 pennies would give us a chance to beat them. But after one bad practice, Coach Barnett denied us a penny. Some of the seniors insisted we practice on Sunday, our off day, and we did. Then the day of the game, Coach Barnett pulled out the scale and put 19 pennies on both sides. “But,” he said,” we had an extra practice.” He put a 20th penny on our side and it tipped in our favor.  It gave us confidence, and then we went out and beat them.

LTP: What was the one moment that you came to that realization “I made it”?

MS: I honestly never felt that way. I always felt I had to prove myself every single day. The closest I felt to making it was when Coach Barnett gave me a full-ride scholarship after my sophomore season. But then I hurt my hip, had a bad string of spring practices and felt like he might take the scholarship back. I never rested on my laurels – I was always working hard. My last day as a college football player, after Tennessee beat us in the Citrus Bowl, I remember feeling “I made it through Division I football,” but I never really felt like I made it.

LTP: How has the role of the walk-on changed today. I just read that Fitz said this is the highest amount of walk-ons in his tenure at NU and it appears that nearly all of them were recruited walk-ons. Is it fair to say that in today’s CFB environement you might not have had the opportunity you did 20 years ago?

MS: The walk-on program at NU was pretty pathetic 20 years ago.  My freshman year, I was one of three freshmen walk-ons. Three!  And the only one in my class to stay all four years.  I think we had seven or eight walk-ons total on the team. No one wanted to walk-on at Northwestern because we hadn’t had a winning record in decades!  But ever since we won the Big Ten in ’95, it’s been easier for NU to attract walk-ons.   They want to play here now.  And because of that, the quality of walk-ons at Northwestern is a lot higher then when I was there.  It’s smart for Pat to recruit walk-ons because then they feel wanted and come in with a great attitude.  They practice harder and make everyone better. 

With that in mind, would I have been given the same chance to walk-on today as I was given 20 years ago?  I like to think that Pat would still invite the 18-year-old version of me to earn a spot on the team.  You still need bodies to have a good practice.  Once you’re in pads and on the field, then it’s your time to make an impression.  Whether you’re a walk-on or not if you’re making good plays during practice, the coaches will find a way for you to play on game day.

LTP: Who do you still keep in contact with from that team? Which game(s) do you reminisce about over beers when you get together?

MS: Life has taken all of us in different directions, and I am the only one from the team living in Kansas City, so I don’t have anyone to get together with for beers. Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter help us stay connected. Over the past few years, I’ve run into guys like William Bennett, Kyle Sanders and Jason Ross. I did a radio interview with Darnell Autry a few weeks ago – he has a podcast out of Phoenix – and we reminisced about our time together. But we’re family for life. We could go 20 years without seeing each other and the minute you got us in a room together, it would be like yesterday.

LTP: Anything else you’d like to add?

MS: Coach Barnett was so gracious to read an early draft of my book and he offered some great insight into how I could make it even better.  He even wrote the Foreword.  Also, I am donating a portion of the proceeds to the Matt Hartl Scholarship Foundation through Northwestern.  Hartl was an amazing teammate, and he unfortunately passed away from Hodgkins Disease at a very young age.
While my book might be about Northwestern football and the walk-on experience, I believe it transcends that. It’s about life. It’s about setting high goals and doing whatever it takes to get there. It’s about believing in yourself no matter what anyone else thinks. There are many guys from my high school who laughed when I told them I planned on playing Big Ten football. If I’d let them define me, I never would have taken the chance. Instead, I ignored the criticism and took a risk and it paid off in big ways. All of us deal with doubts in our lives. All of us fear failure. But, what coach Barnett and my teammates taught me is that if you put your heart and soul into something, success will naturally follow. Heck, in 1994 Sports Illustrated ran an April Fool’s Day cover that said the Cubs won the World Series and Northwestern went 8-0 in the Big Ten. No one believed we could do what we did – no one but us. We proved everyone wrong, and hopefully our team and my experiences can continue to inspire others to reach their potential and find success no matter what the odds.

LTP: Thanks Matt. I appreciate you sharing such a candid insider’s perspective that will now become another vital piece of Northwestern Athletics history. LTP readers, let’s add this to the courtship of new season ticket holder process. Perhaps buy a copy of a book and give them the primer to buy season tickets? Simply go to www.MattStewartBooks.com and purchase a copy. Tell him LTP sent you!

• B1G ADs are on board for a four-team playoff that doesn’t include B1G home venues in the equation
• They want the Rose Bowl to be part of a semifinal site rotation, while protecting the B1G/Pac-12 tradition
• Delany and the ADs want a committee approach to selection with transparency as opposed to computer polls
• Delany wants a system that rewards tough non-conference opponents over better record vs worse non-conference opponents.
• Delany is vocal about the conference champion factor winning out over a non-conference champion.
• They are ready to sign on for effect in the 2014 season
• The BCS oversight committee meets June 20 which would be the next step in the process

Obviously, the impact on NU here really only relates to the years when they win the B1G championship or by some anamoly, are in the top four but don’t win the B1G title game, which we know is highly unlikely to happen anyway. While we’d love to believe this has immediate impact on NU, we’re still trying to get the bowl monkey off of our back. As such, the more IMMEDIATE impact on NU was buried in the coverage. ADs were all on board for a 7-win threshold to get to a bowl game as Delany, the B1G ADs and pretty much every fan is on the same page that there is too large a supply of bowl games which has diminished the entire bowl system.

For those of you that have heard Fitz on this topic, he is a huge proponent of the bowl experience. He’ll walk you through the events that happen prior to the game and talk genuinely about hospital visits, rodeos, dinners and a host of team bonding experiences that are far beyond football that offer up memories of a lifetime. However, I’m confident even he would agree with us on the over-abundance of bowl games. That being said, NU could very likely be in a 2011 boat again this year – qualifying for a bowl game with a 6-win season. With a much tougher schedule in 2013 and 2014 (hello , Cal, Notre Dame and Wisconsin and Ohio State in exchange for Indiana and Penn State) the seven win barrier will be an actual accomplishment.  Jim Phillips was on board for this change. The bar has been raised and now we’ve got to raise ours.

Meanwhile, I just love the unstated when it comes to Illinois. Relatively new AD Mike Thomas has gone on the record that he’s exploring moving one home game to Chicago and potentially Soldier Field once again trying to imply that “no, WE THE ILLINI are Chicago’s Big Ten Team!”.  He also flat out said, according to the Chicago Tribune, there is no way he’s moving a home game to Wrigley Field (or any other venue) to face Northwestern as you can read here:

“Our home game against Northwestern still would be played in Champaign,” Thomas said. “(NU athletic director) Jimmy (Phillips) is a smart guy, but I don’t think he’ll get our Champaign game to Chicago.” – Illini AD Mike Thomas in Chicago Tribune 5/16/12.

Schedule Fun

In case you missed it last night on the post just below this one, Northwestern has added Ball State to its non-conference slate in 2015 to a lineup that includes a season-opener against Stanford in Evanston and a road game at Duke.  The fourth non-conference game for that year is still TBD.

Coming up…

Later this morning we’ve got a great purple mafia profile with former walk-on turned scholarship DB Matt Stewart and his new book on the 1995 and 1996 Northwestern Big Ten Champion teams. You’re gonna love it. Should be up around 11 am.

Brzoja joins Olah and 6-7 Shurna-like build Kale Abrahamson (Valley (West Des Moines), IA) and 6-6 swingman Sanjay Lumpkin of Benide St. Margret’s (St. Louis Park, MN) as part of the four man incoming class. As we’ve noted before the incoming freshman class has talent and Olah and Abrahamson were expected to compete for minutes right away. The real joy in ‘Catville is around the injection of depth thanks to RS freshmen PG Tre Demps, who missed last year due to shoulder injury and F Michael Turner who took the year to develop.  Additionally, TCU transfer 6-9 F Nikola Cerina also will be eligible in 2012 after sitting out last year.  The above seven players will build around a core that includes Drew Crawford, JerShon Cobb, David Sobolewski and Reggie Hearn. Sharpshooting senior Alex Marcotullio also returns. The number one priority for this group is the weight room as many of our bigs are slender builds and even though they’ll likely flourish on offense in the Carmody system (several are solid outside shooters), we need the bulk on defense to tackle the B1G bigs. Oh yeah, there is so much freakin’ depth, I somehow forgot to mention one year wonder to be, Louisville transfer PF Jared Swopshire who is cleared to play instantly and could very easily start after graduating from Pitino’s camp and seeing his minutes diminish significantly with the increase in talent among the 2012 Final Four entrant.

Northwestern has already signed highly touted 6-8 F Milos Kostic of Bishop Knoll just over the border in Hammond, Indiana for the 2013 class. So, once again, Northwestern fans are getting lured back in based on the what ifs and there are a lot of them.  It is fair to say we will be using double digit players per game in 2012-2013 which is something I haven’t seen Bill Carmody do in his tenure. It will be fascinating to see the match-up combinations with so many options.  Again, Brzoja has not been admitted so as usual the enthusiasm needs temperment.

In Case You Missed It…

Northwestern will host the Maryland Terrapins on November 27 at Welsh-Ryan Arena as part of the B1G/ACC Challenge. Time and network are still TBD, but this is a good attendance get for the ‘Cats early on – a sexy program name that is average. The Terps went 17-15 last year and 6-10 in the conference. The ‘Cats are seeking their fifth straight “Challenge” victory and are looking to move to .500 in the annual event (currently 6-7). 

LTP TICKET CHALLENGE

I’m currently in the process of a whole host of Q&As with 2012 opponent blogs like BC, Nebraska, Illinois and others. One of the primary drivers for me is to get you up to speed and psyched about the pretty sweet 2012 schedule and help you convince your friends that it is time to step up in to season tickets. Simply put, getting a single season ticket is the only way you can ensure going to the Nebraska and Iowa games, which will be two sellouts for certain. Plus, the individual cost of the Nebraska game is $75 per ticket – if you can even get one. I expect that game to sellout in less than five minutes once single season ticket sales go live. So, let’s get going and bring in some new fans to the season ticket mix. Who’s next? Send your tales of converting friends or +1-ing your own package to laketheposts@gmail.com .

Mabin Is A Raven

Jordan Mabin tweeted “I’m a Baltimore Raven” over the weekend, leading me to believe the ‘Cats standout CB has indeed signed with the Baltimore Ravens.  Mabin was an undrafted free agent and joins a nice growing list of UF/As who locked up with teams in recent NU lore. Meanwhile, S Brian Peters was on the roster for this weekend’s Chicago Bears mini-camp rookie roster. As reported last week, Vince Browne is trying out with the Buffalo Bills and Dan Persa did not make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad.

Ebert Props

Jeremy Ebert is getting quite a bit of coverage from the New England Patriots beat members. Here, regional sports television net NESN offers up the Wes Welker/Jeremy Ebert similarities and the potential mentorship from the one-time  undrafted free agent to a 7th round pick  The Boston Herald also offered up a piece on Ebert that had about four mistakes in three paragraphs of coverage.

WLAX Marches On

The ‘Cats downed Notre Dame in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday with a 12-7 win. Now, the ‘Cats play under the lights this Saturday at 7pm ct against #7 Duke at Lakeside Field in Evanston in the NCAA Quarterfinals. You can read all about the win here and the next step on the way to a seventh national title in eight years.

Irish Eyes

The folks in South Bend might start getting a complex. The ‘Cats lacrosse team was only one of the teams that beat Notre Dame in NCAA play this weekend. The women’s tennis team won the NCAA opening round regional it hosted by ousting ND 4-2 in Evanston.  The ‘Cats now advance to the Sweet 16 to face #4 Stanford in Athens, GA on Thursday at 11 am ct. It is the 12th Sweet 16 appearance in 13 seasons for Claire Pollard’s troops. Quite an accomplishment.

Softball Makes The Dance

Northwestern softball is back in the NCAA Tournament after an amazing stretch run in which they won eight of the final nine regular season games to get to 27-27 and earn a selection in to the tournament. NU will travel to host #6 Texas in the Austin regional where they will play Friday.  The ‘Cats boasted the #1 non-conference strength of schedule in the nation. The ‘Cats-Longhorns game will be Friday at 4pm ct in Austin. Check out the details here.

2012 Opponent Homework – BC & Now Maryland (Hoops)

The Eagles have landed on the PreSnapRead.com and appear to be next up at #101 at least based on this clue by the venerable CFB countdown blog. BC would be the second triple-digit opponent on the 2012 slate, as Indiana already checked in at #109.

Meanwhile, in MUCH BIGGER NEWS, the Maryland Terrapins will visit Welsh-Ryan Arena this fall as part of the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The ‘Cats, winner of four straight in the challenge, will square off against the Terrapins in a classic – sexy name, average team scenario. The Terps went 17-15,6-10 in 2011-2012 and will face NU for only the second time in one another’s history. NU owns a 1-0 alltime advantage having won a squeaker in 1958. Very cool add to the home schedule. The date of the game is locked for November 27 in Evanston, but tip-off and ESPN network assignment are still TBD.

Remember – Convert Season Ticket Holders!

Let’s keep it going. We’re closing in on the 20% of goal mark towards 200 NEW season ticket holders for 2012. Simply email me at laketheposts@gmail.com once you convert  a new season ticket holder. Leverage the sexy home schedule including the Nebraska and Iowa games, which alone make it worth having a ticket as both will be sold out.

LTP “N Flag” Project

One NU group’s golf outing equals another man’s great day. The LTP N Flag Project is alive and well as a bunch of NU grads were kind enough to take the N Flag on their Scotland golf trip. Dan M (CAS ’80), Brad N (Medill ’79) and Craig E. (Tech, ’78) are pictured below at The Highlands (Boat of Garten) in Scotland. They sent along three other photos which will make the map and have Scotland blanketed for us. Keep the photos coming!

Craig E.'s NU Golf Trip Net This Photo at The Highlands in Scotland. Great job!

The selection announcement sent the team into bedlam (see the video on Facebook) and was a complete stunner. The Wildcats got in by the skin of their teeth after finishing at .500 overall on the final day of the season. It seemed all NU needed was a few wins to get in.

What the Wildcats actually had to do to get in though is kind of the stuff of legend.

To reach .500 and postseason eligibility, NU needed to win its final six games. ITS FINAL SIX GAMES.

That is not ever an easy thing to do in any sport. The Wildcats kept the dream alive despite the slow start to the season and the slow start to conference season. But to go out and flat-out dominate the last two weeks of the season and reach this goal is pretty astonishing. This six-game run included three run-rule games and a 48-9 score in the last two weeks. NU has had just one one-run game during this run.

Michigan State ended the season with no Big Ten wins, so last week’s sweep was an accomplishment but nothing entirely surprising. The sweep of Illinois this past weekend took some work.

Adrienne Monka had the game-winning double in the fifth inning in the series-opener Friday to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. It was a big performance for the senior in her final game at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. Freshman Anna Edwards hit a home run to tie the game at two the inning before. A complete team effort to eke out the win and keep the tournament dream alive.

The Wildcats ended the season with a complete blast. NU scored nine runs to come from behind in the fourth inning for the 10-2 win in six innings to finish off Illinois. Leftfielder Mari Majam went four for four int he final game, adding two RBIs and scoring two runs. She was joined by Marisa Bast’s 2-for-3 performance and Sammy Albanese’s 2-for-2, 3-RBI performance. The offense was flowing once again for Northwestern.

In the middle game of the series Friday, Northwestern broke a single-game record with eight stolen bases, proving that small ball certainly still exists — and is vitally important in softball.

It felt like 2006 and 2007 again for Northwestern. Maybe getting back to the Women’s College World Series will be a long shot — NU, after all was one of the last teams in the tournament and got in on the basis of its top-ranked non-conference schedule (Bill Carmody take notice, maybe?). But it is great to have the Cats back in the tournament, especially with the run they had to make to get there.

Honorable Mentions

Erin Fitzgerald, Lacrosse: Northwestern advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 12-7 win over Notre Dame, NU’s 13th straight win over TTFSB. The Wildcats dominated draw controls behind eight draw control wins from Alyssa Leonard. Fitzgerald was the finisher for the Wildcats on this Saturday afternoon. Fitzgerald scored three goals, including one a minute before halftime and a minute after halftime to give NU a three-goal lead and control of the game. NU will face Duke on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lakeside Field.

Linda Abu-Mufreshova, Women’s Tennis: In more “Beating Notre Dame” news, the Wildcats needed to hold off the Fighting Irish’s furious rally and won four singles matches in three sets to advance to the Round of 16 of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Tournament. Mufreshova had the clinching point in the 4-2 victory with a 6-2 victory and a 7-5 victory in the second and third sets. The Wildcats lost the doubles point but dominated in singles to advance to Athens, Ga., where they will face Stanford.

Alex Lederhausen, Women’s Golf: Lederhausen completed her collegiate career with an eagle on her final hole at the NCAA East Regional tournament. She finished with a 6-over 78 in her final round. It turned out to be Northwestern’s best round of the tournament as the team finished with a 15-over round in the final day. The Cats finished 18th in the tournament out of the 24 teams. Tough that the team could not advance to the next round, but it was another great season for the golf team.

Northwestern entered the NCAA tournament as the second overall seed behind the one team that defeated NU twice this year. Yet, the fact those two losses came to the same team is not a reason to think that Northwestern has simply waltzed through the season. In fact, this sort of feels like the shakiest season in Northwestern’s championship runs.

The Wildcats needed come-from-behind victories time and time again this year. NU erased a 6-3 halftime deficit in a two-goal overtime win at Syracuse early in the season. The team had to erase an 11-7 deficit in the final 19 minutes to force overtime against Ohio State. NU had to come back from a 6-4 deficit against North Carolina and to come back from 5-2 to tie the game at eight in the first loss to Florida, and to come back from 4-2 at the half against Virginia.

This does not sound like the same dominating perennial champion Northwestern has become accustomed to. Not that the road to a championship is ever easy.

Either the Wildcats are getting less dominant or women’s lacrosse is getting more competitive.

Even if it means fewer national championships and a few more losses per year, Northwestern should hope that it is the latter. That is what would be best for the sport.

Kelly Amonte Hiller has done a great job building Northwestern into a powerhouse program. Lacrosse has become a big deal at Northwestern, a school located in an area that is not exactly a lacrosse hotbed. There are only three players on the roster from the Midwest (all three are freshman) and 14 of the team’s 34 players come from New York. Hiller certainly has the Empire State on lockdown, but NU is not exactly recruiting at home.

With Northwestern’s success and commitment to winning, it figures that other schools in burgeoning lacrosse markets would soon begin to tap into this fast-growing sport. That is what Florida has done in building its program in the last three years.

Women’s lacrosse is still a growing sport. The teams at the top are vastly superior to the teams in the middle. The tournament contains 16 teams, but really only four or five might have a realistic chance at actually lifting the trophy. Northwestern is still certainly chief among them.

As Maryland coach Cathy Reese explained to Katherine Dunn of The Baltimore Sun, this year’s tournament is as tight as any other:

 

I think it’s been a crazy year, but it’s been a great year for women’s lacrosse. There used to be games that you would go into and say, ‘Oh, so-and-so’s going to win that game.’ Now you step on the field and these athletes have to compete every day. Every minute matters.

 

This bracket was hard to figure out. You play with things ahead of time and you try to compare teams, but it can be kind of a web in there, because teams are beating each other. It’s made for some exciting games and I think this is going to be an exciting NCAA tournament too.

It has indeed been a crazy year. Not only did Florida defeat Northwestern twice, but Florida also lost two games early including one to fourth-seeded Syracuse, who just lost to sixth-seeded Loyola. Parity, indeed.

The Wildcats got their tournament started with a 12-7 victory over the Fighting Irish, using a high-pressured defense to force 15 turnovers and outscore the Irish 9-4 in the final 32-plus minutes. That margin of victory is indicative of how Northwestern had to stifle opponents with defense throughout the season and rely on the offense to awaken in the second half to come from behind.

This definitely is not the Northwestern we are accustomed to.

The reality though is that the Wildcats are at the top of women’s lacrosse, but they are no longer alone. NU is going to have to get used to making room at the top.

Hopefully the Wildcats are not ready to share the top of the pedestal quite yet.

Shoot, I have had a tough time coming up with Wildcat of the Week candidates lately!

So… why don’t we start projecting and thinking about the 2012 college football season from a national perspective. The BlogPoll crew tried to get all the voters together to put together a super early college football top 25.

Frankly, these rankings are about as useful as Joe Lunardi’s projections for the NCAA Tournament right now.

So debate away at my uneducated guesses for September on this day in May:

1. USC
Returning Starters: 9 offense/8 defense/2 special teams
Key Returners: QB Matt Barkley, WR Robert Woods, S T.J. McDonald
Key Losses: T Matt Kalil, DE Nick Perry, FB Rhett Ellison
The Buzz: The Trojans are going to back on the national scene in a big way this year. Heisman front-runner Matt Barkley is going to be THE GUY and will have all attention on him. More than that, this is a motivated group that has never really tasted a bowl game or postseason play of any kind thanks to the sanctions placed on the program from the Reggie Bush scandal. Still, Lane Kiffin kept this group extremely motivated and the Trojans went 10-2. That would have been good enough to reach the Pac-12 championship game if it were not for the sanctions. Now they have that crystal football as a gaol.

2. Alabama
Returning Starters: 5 offense/2 defense/2 special teams
Key Returners: QB A.J. McCarron, LB Nico Johnson, T Barrett Jones
Key Losses:  RB Trent Richardson, S Mark Barron, CB Dre Kirkpatrick
The Buzz: The Crimson Tide are the defending national champions. You have to give them the benefit of the doubt. Especially since Nick Saban is so good at replacing players he lost, developing his extremely talented and deep bench and recruiting players that can make an immediate impact. This year will not be much different. Alabama should still be the class of the SEC… if the team can survive the rough-and-tumble SEC. You know, normal life for the Crimson Tide.

3. Florida State
Returning Starters: 9 offense/9 defense/1 special teams
Key Returners: DE Brandon Jenkins, S Lamarcus Joyner, K Dustin Hopkins
Key Losses: LB Nigel Bradham, OL Zebrie Sanders, DB Mike Harris
The Buzz: When I looked at the ballot I submitted to BlogPoll this morning and began to write this recap, I immediately regretted putting the Seminoles so high. Might be my proximity to Tallahassee or something else. Maybe it is a nostalgia longing for a Florida state school to return to the top of the rankings. I guess Florida State is the best shot. Is it possible for them to be No. 3? The ACC is not exactly super strong and the Seminoles defense will be reminiscent of some of those late-90s teams. The question is whether the offense will have any kind of consistency. If it does, Florida State might be able to get this high.

4. LSU
Returning Starters: 7 offense/5 defense/2 special teams
Key Returners: DE Sam Montgomery, CB Tyrann Mathieu, P Brad Wing
Key Losses: CB Morris Claiborne, DT Michael Brockers, WR Rueben Randle
The Buzz: Like Alabama, LSU is not short on talent or depth. And even after losing in the national championship game this Tigers team is still not one to mess with. But LSU will have to find its consistency on offense again to pair up with that defense. The rest of the college football world is catching up and that defense can only carry you so far. Or at least that is what you want to tell yourself if you are any other team with championship dreams.

5. Arkansas
Returning Starters: 9 offense/6 defense/2 special teams
Key Returners: QB Tyler Wilson, G Alvin Bailey, P Dylan Breeding
Key Losses: DE Jake Bequette, WR Joe Adams, WR Jarius Wright
The Buzz: The news out of Fayetteville this offseason has been all to do with the controversy surrounding former head coach Bobby Petrino. Certainly, his absence is going to affect this team. But this is still an extremely talented Razorbacks team that has a high-powered offense and a decent enough defense to allow Arkansas to outscore most opponents. After all, Arkansas did hold a lead over LSU in the final game of the season and had losses only to Alabama and LSU. This is still a really good team. If they can pull together, they are still title contenders.

6. Michigan
Returning Starters: 6 offense/7 defense/2 special teams
Key Returners: QB Denard Robinson, S Jordan Kovacs, RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
Key Losses: DT Mike Martin, C David Molk, WR Junior Hemingway
The Buzz: The Wolverines announced their return from the dark days of Rich Rodriguez with a Sugar Bowl victory and a strong season. Yes, Denard Robinson looked like he could run an actual offense and the Wolverines looked like they could actually play defense. Greg Mattison came in and changed the mentality of the defense. The second year of Brady Hoke’s tenure as head coach holds a lot of promise and a lot of expectations. The kind of expectations you would think are normal at Michigan.

14. Wisconsin
Returning Starters: 5 offense/6 defense/1 special teams
Key Returners: RB Montee Ball, LB Chris Borland, G Travis Frederick
Key Losses: OL Kevin Zeitler, OL Peter Konz, QB Russell Wilson
The Buzz: The Badgers lose a big part of their suddenly dynamic offense with Russell Wilson’s graduation. They have a new quarterback transfer to bring into the fold and Heisman candidate Montee Ball in the backfield still. Wisconsin is a team that should consider itself a favorite to reach a third consecutive Rose Bowl. And Wisconsin should remain hungry for it since the team lost its last two visits to Pasadena. The Badgers have a lot to replace, but still have a lot of promise to fulfill.

16. Michigan State
Returning Starters: 5 offense/8 defense/2 special teams
Key Returners: RB Le’Veon Bell, DE William Gholston, S Isaiah Lewis
Key Losses: QB Kirk Cousins, DT Jerel Worthy, WR B.J. Cunningham
The Buzz: The Spartans have a lot of senior leadership to replace, especially on the offensive end. Mark Dantonio though has done a great job keeping this team relevant and avoiding the dips and swoons that the program is accustomed to at points. This is the golden age for the Spartans, but the Rose Bowl will probably have to wait. This is not the team. This is still a pretty good team. But the questions with this team in replacing team leader Kirk Cousins are going to be a big thing for Michigan State to figure out this year.

18. Nebraska
Returning Starters: 8 offense/7 defense/2 special teams
Key Returners: RB Rex Burkhead, QB Taylor Martinez, S Daimion Stafford
Key Losses: CB Alfonzo Denard, DT Jared Crick, C Mike Caputo
The Buzz: Nebraska found the Big Ten to be a little more difficult than it might have thought. The Cornhuskers hardly waltzed over the Legends Division and found the transition a bit bumpy. Northwestern gave Nebraska a rude awakening. Then Wisconsin and Michigan did the same. To top it off, Nebraska partook in one of the great Big Ten traditions — losing to an SEC school in a bowl game. Sorry, I went there. The Cornhuskers need more consistency from Taylor Martinez. This year will be about how the defense rallies after big losses last season.

21. Ohio State
Returning Starters: 7 offense/9 defense/2 special teams
Key Returners: QB Braxton Miller, DT Garrett Goebel, S Christian Bryant
Key Losses: RB Dan Herron, S Tyler Moeller, C Mike Brewster
The Buzz: Urban Meyer will have his work cut out for him this year trying to keep his players motivated. The carrot of a bowl game and a Big Ten title will not be there as the Buckeyes go into probation and sanctions this year. Excuses are not something Meyer likes to hear and I suspect he still expects victory. Ohio State has the talent to provide some victories in the meantime, even if it does not mean much in the national picture. Braxton Miller showed great strides at the end of the season last year, but he is going to have to take a step up in his sophomore year. Luckily, Meyer’s offense will probably fit his skill set better.

22. Iowa
Returning Starters: 6 offense/5 defense/1 special teams
Key Returners: RB Marcus Coker, CB Micah Hyde, QB James Vandenberg
Key Losses: WR Marvin McNutt, OL Riley Reiff, DL Mike Daniels
The Buzz: The Hawkeyes have a lot to replace this year. But one thing Kirk Ferentz has always been good with is establishing consistency. The Hawkeyes are always good for eight wins and a couple of nice wins. There is no reason to expect anything else. Iowa has a good, talented team but nothing that will blow you out of the water. And that is why, ultimately, the Hawkeyes will probably be wondering what if at the end of their season. And they will remain at the bottom of the top 25, if in there at all.

Well, that is my top 25. I already regret posting it. To save you some time: I know I am an idiot. September 1 needs to get here fast.

Weekend WLAX NCAA Tourney Time

Just a friendly reminder to support our defending national champion women’s lacrosse team tomorrow at 3pm ct in Evanston at Lakeside Field when they host Notre Dame in the opening round of May Madness. The game will be on BTN’s Digital Network (see NUSports.com for more) and tape-delayed to air on Monday on BTN at 4:30 pm.  Ann Kreiter (NU ’93) produced and hosted a feature on the ‘Cats team on WTTW11 Chicago Tonight show last night at 7:30 pm. Check it out by clicking here.
 

Northwestern Week Continues on OTE

OffTackleEmpire has been devoting it’s Big Ten generalist blog to Northwestern all week long and there has been some great commentary along with some entertaining and voluminous banter in the comments section. Be sure to check it out today as it the weekly “hate” post where an opposing fan writes about why he hates said team. Amazingly, the writer is a Husker fan and not a Hawkeye. Nonetheless it has been to follow all week long. Part of me felt like writing “Gone Fishin’ – Go to OTE This Week”.

‘Cats In NFL Update

Check out this neat update on #80 Jeremy Ebert (you’ll always be #11!) and his balancing of the New England Patriots playbook, history and of course, remaining course work in Evanston. I learned from one of you that the Buffalo Bills invited U/FA DE Vince Browne to camp for a tryout. No word yet on the other hopeful NFL ‘Cats. Let me know when you see, hear, know and I will do the same.

BYCTOM Reappears

Cult blogger Bring Your Champions They’re Our Meat has emerged from the winter basketball depression to take on Northwestern hoops, football and self-pity for the Cubs. It is the best written blog on the planet and should make you laugh out loud at least once or twice. Be sure to take a run over there.

Stat of the Week

I borrowed this from one of the OTE posts this week, but had to share it with you. Since Pat Fitzgerald became head coach in 2006 there have been 22 other B1G coaches to roam opposing sidelines. That just felt insane to me. What huge turnover.  Speaking of this Chris Emma of Scout (PurpleWildcats.com) had a nice feature talking about the impact of Fitz’s long-term contract and how much it meant to the incoming class of recruits.  Stability has been a major seller.

Recruiting Tidbits

WildcatReport.com’s Louie Vaccher reported that NU offered William Penn (PA) HS WR Daryl Worley sight unseen. The ‘Cats don’t frequently offer by just viewing tape, but that’s what happened to Worley, a 3-star WR who has followed NU since the beginning of last year as he competed against Ibraheim Campbell and has been keeping tabs on him. WildcatReport.com also featured Louisiana WR target Tajuan Thomas who is Venric Mark-like in size and speed.  Thomas’ older brother played for Randy Bates (at LA Tech) and hence the NU connection. Thomas has NU, Stanford and Houston in the mix.

LTP Ticket Challenge

Start banging the drum and help us get NEW Northwestern season ticket holders. We’re approaching the 20% of goal mark as we seek 200 total new season ticket holders. One of the more common success stories has been +1-ing your existing base or +2-ing your current package and using it to get people to sample the product to convert them for next year (I’ve done this and it works great).  Send me your success stories of converting at laketheposts@gmail.com and let’s get to 40 this weekend!!!!

I had spent the past two days in Jamestown, North Dakota, home to little known Jamestown College (btw, the president holds a PHD from Northwestern!).  You likely have never heard of it (I hadn’t either).  Yet, there it was, marked by an exit promoting “the World’s Largest Buffalo” – a statue that was several stories high and just so ripe for an N Flag Project photo. What was I thinking? In Fargo, across the street from the airport is North Dakota State and down the street is the FargoDome. So many unique targets, so little time.

Then, disaster struck. A cancelled flight at an aiport the size of Northwestern’s indoor golf facility. Stuck in Fargo for another 8 hours. A storm at O’Hare had caused havoc on the flights.  I just couldn’t get myself motivated to crank out work and ended up reading day-old USA Todays, watched “We Are Marshall”, which I’m a sucker for and it makes me choke up every time I watch it. The only thing that keeps me from outright bawling is Matthew Mcconaughey’s annoying, forced accent in the film as Coach Jack. The USA Today cover story was talking about the disappearance of smalltown America and was replete with quirky names from all over the backroads of America. Little did I know I was just about to drive a significant portion of those very roads.

Our 6pm flight got cancelled – at 6pm of course – and a full work slate, my three kids at the neighbors and the want to take control back of our lives, we immediately said “screw it” and rented a car. It’s nearly 700 miles. So, off we went on a mad dash to make it to Chicago from Fargo, straight through. Your mind wanders when you drive like this as you know. A rolodex of work pressures, childhood memories, ideas for LakeThePosts and of course the always pressing “what does the person that lives in that house do for a living?” distractions bring you back to passing time.  I thought about this post then. I wondered what it would take to map every single town in the US that a Northwestern football player had come from. From Arlington Heights, IL (Go Brett Basanez!) to Upper Arlington, OH and every town associated with every famous, infamous and even unknown players, I realize I’m a sucker for maps.  I love looking at the US map that highlights where all of our players come from each year, with the state totals. I love knowing the hometowns of the players as you know there is nothing like a Dan Persa to spread the purple passion in a place like Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I wondered about a state by state most famous Northwestern football player alltime list. These ideas are great in concept, but man, the amount of work necessary to pull this off really tips the ROI factor for me in to not doing it.

So, my mind continued to wander as I drove silently past two fellow B1G schools (Minnesota and Wisconsin if you’re keeping score).  I wonder how many towns are out there or street names that correspond to big time Northwestern names. Does anyone live near the town of Barnett, Autry, Bates, Fitzgerald, Graham, Hinton, Tasker or the like? Perhaps there are quirky intersections that you as NU fans live near like the corner of Welsh and Ryan. Or, Evanston and Dyche? Maybe it is a combo like Schapiro Ave and Northwestern Street?

I thought back to the karma I felt in 1995 when we pulled off the highway in West Lafayette, IN to attend the ‘Cats Big Ten title-clinching finale.  Ross-Ade Stadium is located on Northwestern Ave and every major sign in town touts it. We smiled knowing this was an omen. Then, after 11 hours of bleary-eyed travel, I realized the very street that I turn off of to get to the street before my street in my hometown is Evanston Ave. It’s been three years and it hadn’t clicked until this moment when I returned after pondering the intersection of street names, town names and the obsessive filter of Northwestern Athletics through which I see the world.

Share your stories, streets, towns and let’s start having some fun with this. We’ll be back this afternoon with some new “N” Flag photos…Oh yeah, this morning I got to drive through Evanston and past the stadium. I noted “Girard” street is two streets east of Ryan Field – time to add the “i” don’t you think?