The corner of Sheffield and Addison should have a carnival feel on Saturday, that which is normally reserved for a January Bowl game. Here is your quick primer on preparing for Saturday, along with an Evan Watkins update and some other news and notes.
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| Photo Credit: Chicagotribune.com |
First, if you have not seen the pictures of Wrigley Field decked out in purple, read no further and go to NuSports.com now. But come back and read the rest of course. Yes, the famous red Cubs marquis is painted purple. Yes, there are dozens of purple and white ‘N’ flags donning the stadium. And yes, there is a giant “N-Wildcat” painted just about where the right field grass would meet the infield dirt. If these pictures do not get you excited for Saturday, nothing will.
The dimensions of the friendly confines have taken some hits this week as the media has questioned the safety of two points on the field. First off, there is a section of the east end zone which is literally 18 inches from the right field wall. The Cubs have installed what appears to be a six-inch pad, painted with ivy and the Allstate logo. But to give you a visual idea of the space, the goalposts have been attached directly to the outfield wall. I can certainly understand the safety concern, but I do not know that it will affect the game as much as it is being discussed. There appears to be only about 5 feet on either side of the, nonexistent, goalpost which is encroached by the wall – before the wall tapers back on either side. Players are already trained to avoid the goalpost itself; this is just a slightly larger target. According to Teddy Greenstein with the Trib., both coaches signed off on these dimensions prior to agreeing to play the game.
In my mind the larger concern is the northwest corner of the west endzone. There is a small section of field box seats between what would be the Cubs dugout and their bullpen. The seats are protected by the famous brick wall, and thus immovable. A tight corner route to that corner could take a receivers legs out, quickly, if he is not careful. At least the right field wall is high enough to be seen.
Kudos to the Northwestern Athletic Department for doing this game justice. This could have very easily been just a game at Wrigley Field. But the AD has truly embraced the concept of “Chicago’s Big Ten team” and turned this into a major event – complete with Wildcat Alley on Sheffield beginning at 10:00 a.m. and not closing until 10:00 p.m.
Fortunately, thanks to a rather bland college football weekend, and apparently NU’s win over Iowa, ESPN is bringing its mobile pregame show to the McDonalds parking lot across from the Stadium. The set will open to students at 5:00 a.m. and alumni at 5:30 – before later opening to fans in general. The show will begin on ESPNU at 8:00 CST, before being picked up by ESPN at 9:00 CST. Get to the set by 10:45 to get the final breakdown of the Land of Lincoln game – and see if Lee Corso dons Willie’s head piece. While there are obviously dozens of game for the Worldwide Leader to talk about on Saturday, this is a great opportunity for NU to be broadcast to the entire country for three hours.
NuSports.com has a special page of FAQs updated for this week – including information on GameDay. Also, the Trib has a great news page on their website dedicated to the game. Mother Nature looks like she is going to cooperate on Saturday, with cold, but dry weather. So make sure to make your way out to Wrigleyville on Saturday – even if you do not have a ticket.
Interestingly there are competing views on whether this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. The Cubs have made it clear that they would like to open the stadium for NU and Illinois to host their game there annually (this would be impossible in 2011 because the game is scheduled in October, when the Cubs, conceivably, could still be playing). NU has said publically that they intend for this to be a one-time deal. And Illinois has reported that they do not intend to give up a home game to travel to Chicago. But I am certain that if the Cubs could get a permanent sponsor and some guaranteed money, the schools might reconsider this position. In case you are wondering, while technically, all of the tickets were sold through the NU ticket office (except for the typical allotment to the visiting team), reports are that the fan split should be around 70-30, maybe 65-35 in favor of NU.
NU is going to learn a lot about its long-term future on Saturday as Evan Watkins, the quarterback of the 2012-2013 Wildcats is suddenly the QB of today. Teddy Greenstein reports that Watkins does not lack confidence. Having too much confidence can be a good thing and a bad thing. It can lead to an amazing debut – for instance, C.J. Bacher’s first half against MSU in 2006 in his first start. But it can also lead to interceptions, poor decisions, and a complete evisceration of that confidence. I think that we can assume that Evan is going to make a few mistakes on Saturday. It will be how he and his teammates react to those mistakes that will make the difference in the game.
It is no secret that Fitz’s Wildcats have not played well when they are either ranked or the center of attention. This week they will be both. Tina Akouris reports that the Cats are focused and ready to take on the challenge this Saturday. This has been a roller coaster season for the Cats. I think that most fans and followers of NU would admit that 8-4 and a mid-level bowl game was the height of their expectations for 2010 (it certainly was my prediction). Now that eight wins is in the Cats sights, fans are starting to come around to the fact that while this was a season of disappointments, it is also a season of achievement and growth for the Cats.
Big Ten Power Rankings and Bowl Projections:
Once again, rankings are based on performance; Bowl Projections are based on where I think they will be in two weeks.
1 Wisconsin (Rose): The win against Indiana was a little much, but they proved their point. Wisconsin should roll to Pasadena.
2 Ohio State (Sugar): Will face an angry Iowa team Saturday. Here is a hint, just get their D-Line tired, you should be fine.
3 Michigan State (Capital One): Their meltdown in Iowa City was their one mistake – but still a great season for green and white.
4 Iowa (Outback): Not certain about this ranking. Certainly belong ahead of NU on talent, but on conditioning, mental toughness and heart?
5 Northwestern (Insight): Certainly got its season back on track. Can they continue their run of strong finishes?
6 Penn State (Gator): Barring a complete fail against Indiana, will secure this New Year’s Day slot for what might be Joe Pa’s swan song.
7 Michigan (Texas): Michigan will limp into the Bowl season with two humbling losses – a reminder of how far they still have to come.
8 Illinois (TicketCity): No one is praying for a BCS at large spot more than Illinois, who faces a trip to Detroit otherwise.
9 Purdue: Played well against Michigan, but needs to get healthy and regroup.
10 Indiana: After two valiant efforts at home, was embarrassed by Wisconsin.
11 Minnesota: A nice-heartfelt win, and I am happy for Weber that they accomplished that. But this program has a long way to go.
Go Cats!
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