Pitbull is Bowl Watching: Let's Have a Real Good Time at the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 1:02 PM CST in Northwestern

Northwestern brings excitement to bowl games like Pitbull brings non-alcoholic parties to highway overpasses (via drpeppervideos)

Yesterday, Graham shared why Wisconsin-Oregon is the B1G's biggest bowl game this year.

I'm a Northwestern fan. Look at Ryan Field. I could care less about "biggest." All I care about? Entertainment. Sexiness (hey, we are the university that introduced the f*#$saw into the vernacular). And having a real good time.

And no B1G team...hell, no FBS team period....has played in as many exciting/sexy/real good time bowl games as Northwestern has recently. Heavy underdogs in each of the past 3 bowl games they've played, Northwestern has covered the spread each time. Two OT games (2008 Alamo Bowl vs. Mizzou, 2010 Outback Bowl vs. Auburn), an 7-point loss in an offensive shootout (2011 TicketCity Bowl), hell, even the 2005 Sun Bowl (a 50-38 loss to UCLA) featured not one, but TWO on-side kicks returned for touchdowns. (Yes, you read that right).

Don't believe me? Watch the insane highlights of the 2008 Alamo Bowl here....and the even crazier 2010 Outback Bowl highlights here. (Yes, that is Drake Dunsmore in the latter clip, proving once and for all that one man cannot tackle Drake Dunsmore....and yes, that clip leaves out the painful "Fastball" failed fake FG attempt. Just don't wanna see it again)

If that doesn't have you convinced, below the jump are 5 reasons (not including the chance to end Northwestern's 63 year-long bowl winless streak) the Northwestern-Texas A&M matchup in the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas (Saturday, December 31, 2011, at 11 am CT on ESPN and ESPN3) will be the B1G's most exciting game of this bowl season:

1. Passes. Passes. Passes all-day long. If you watched any Northwestern games this season, you realize that they are, shall we say... challenged on defense. And that was before they lost DT Niko Mafuli, and CB Jordan Mabin (arguably their best defensive player -- all those TD passes on the NU secondary were AWAY from Mabin) to injury for the bowl game. So Texas A&M's 18th ranked passing attack led by Ryan Tannehill (3415 yards passing, 28 TDs) should have plenty of opportunities to throw against the Wildcats. (Although, having seen what the Big 12 calls "defense" in the Alamo Bowl this year, I'm not so sure A&M's passing numbers are a bit inflated from throwing against porous secondaries).

Oh, and Northwestern has a guy named Dan Persa, who can kind of throw the ball around in case you didn't notice....in fact:

2. Dan Persa's Record-Breaking Goodbye. The NCAA's current career completion percentage leader is Hawaii's Colt Brennan, who completed 70.4 percent of his passes in his career.

Dan Persa currently sits at 73 percent. Which means, if Dan Persa throws 19 passes in this bowl game (he needs to throw 19 passes to qualify for the record), he obliterates the NCAA record for career completion percentage. Seriously, he could throw 19 passes straight into the ground/stands a la Joe Bauserman, and he'd set an NCAA career record that might not be broken for quite some time.

In case you missed it, Persa had a phenomenal season this year: in conference games only, Persa was first in total passing yards (1791 yards), completions (168), and completion percentage (73.7); second in passing efficiency (154.1, behind Russell Wilson's absurd 179.2) and total offense (232.8 ypg, behind Denard's 255.4); and 3rd in passing TDs (13, tied with Vandenberg behind Wilson with 17 and Cousins with 16).

This will also be the goodbye for record-breaking (at least Northwestern record breaking) Jeremy Ebert and Drake Dunsmore....man will I miss those guys.

3. A No-Risk Chance to Own the SEC. Yes, I realize Texas A&M is technically in the Big 12. But they start SEC play next year, so, frankly, this game counts towards asserting B1G dominance over our oversigning brethren south of the Mason-Dixon line. Win this one, and we're 1-0 before the three big showdowns on January 1.

And here's the beautiful thing -- there's no way we as B1G fans can lose! If Northwestern falters...well, Texas A&M is a Big 12 team. If Northwestern wins, the SEC went down!

Don't think that logic works? Watch for similar tortured rationale from the mouth-breathers in regards to the Capital One Bowl. If South Carolina wins, it means the B1G can't keep up with ESSS EEEEE SEEEE speed. If Nebraska wins? They're not a real B1G team -- they were just imported because the B1G couldn't compete against the SEC without them.

4. Neither Team Will Be Out of This Game. Ever. Northwestern was 6-6, and so was Texas A&M. But neither team was "terrible"....in fact, they both seemed to lose in painfully similar manners -- by losing second half leads.

Northwestern had a 2nd half lead or tie in 4 of their 6 losses. And Texas A&M blew 2nd half leads in 5 out of 6 losses this year.

In other words....stay tuned to this game in the 2nd half, regardless of the score. Also -- Northwestern's penchant for trick plays (see both the Alamo and Outback Bowl games) means it may get weird.....often.

5. It's 11 am CT on New Years Eve....you need to be drinking and watching football. Northwestern football has driven many a man to drinking.....throw in the fact that it's New Years Eve, it's early, it's Saturday, and frankly the question becomes -- why AREN'T you watching this game?

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Just for the record

No one can throw it straight into the ground or stands like Joe Bauserman.

//drinks

//drinks again

//rubs ‘like a baus’ tat on shoulder

/drinks

"Go hard. I mean, like relentless. I want a bunch of coaches that coach like their hair’s on fire, and I want a football team that goes for four to six seconds (per play) with relentless effort." OSU Coach Urban Meyer.

The Daily Norseman
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by Ted Glover on Dec 30, 2011 1:09 PM CST reply actions

Just an overall suggestion for the site.

You guys might want to work on scheduling articles better. The site fluctuates from no new articles or one a day to three within three hours. It would probably benefit the site for you all to set up a google group where you can email each other about scheduling so you’re not all posting on top of each other.

"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"

by U-God on Dec 30, 2011 1:24 PM CST reply actions

Yeah, my apologies.

We do exactly that (email each other about article scheduling)….but with everyone’s schedules/work/life, sometimes you get a ton of articles on one day (particularly when all of the bowls are so close together).

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 1:47 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah, it happens.

It’s just weird there hasn’t been an Iowa one yet since they actually play tonight. An Iowa piece yesterday followed by Illini and Wildcat pieces today would have been splendid. Obviously everything goes straight to Hell with the five games on Monday, but not much you can do with that.

by U-God on Dec 30, 2011 2:07 PM CST up reply actions

I would note...

…Iowa has a great blog (Black Heart Gold Pants) for those interested in tonight’s game….and they’re ALWAYS entertaining.

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 2:09 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

As Chad noted

sometimes shit just all clogs up on one or two days. A lot of it is the scrunched together schedule of the bowl games, and a lot has to do with the holidays. Many of us were not near computers earlier in the week and/or traveling, and that just makes it difficult to get things spaced out.

Off Tackle Empire - Ruling over the Big Ten since 2008.

by Hilary Lee on Dec 30, 2011 2:53 PM CST up reply actions

Insight bowl

I really hope Iowa shows up tonight. I dont want it to be a rout like the cap bowl of last year for MSU.

by spartynation on Dec 30, 2011 2:09 PM CST reply actions

As stated, this really is

one of those “no lead is safe” kinda games. Having said that, I think this was one of the games that was already chalked up as an assumed loss in the prediction post when the match-ups were announced (along with Iowa). Good luck, Cats, because I think you’ll need it.

by rzor on Dec 30, 2011 2:45 PM CST reply actions

Honestly

Big 12 defenses don’t scare me. At all. (I mean, Washington put up 50+ on one of the best teams in the Big 12….Washington.)

Thus, A&M’s “prolific” offense doesn’t scare me that much as a result. I’d actually give Northwestern’s offense the edge (performed similarly against tougher defenses), and maybe even their defense (tougher call, obviously, but it’s not like A&M’s defense did anything all season….at least Northwestern played tough against Nebraska.)

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 2:49 PM CST up reply actions

I get that, but Baylor wasn't exactly a good defense

With that said, I think aTm is/was the most overrated team coming into the season. This was pretty much what i expected to have happen to them, and enjoyed every last second of it. I’m hoping NW breaks their bowl streak, and I also hope that the Aggies realize just how screwed they really are with the move to the SEC.

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by KennardHusker on Dec 30, 2011 3:31 PM CST up reply actions

Texas A&M's defense gave up less yards per game on the season than NU.

The Aggies managed that despite playing against three of the top four offenses from this season. The best offense Northwestern saw all year was Michigan’s and they still got rolled.

by U-God on Dec 30, 2011 4:02 PM CST up reply actions

Haters gonna hate....

Point taken, but those top 4 offenses they faced? Many of them (save Arkansas, perhaps) rolled to their top 3 status against woeful Big 12 defenses.

I’ve seen this script before….when Mizzou was supposed to roll Northwestern by 10+ points in the 2008 Alamo Bowl, based on their superior defense and offense. That game went to overtime (and, frankly, shouldn’t have….Northwestern should have won). Color me a doubter of the Big 12 until proven otherwise.

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 4:08 PM CST up reply actions

Those three offenses are the Oklahomas and Baylor.

by U-God on Dec 30, 2011 6:17 PM CST up reply actions

Oh...

…I thought one of them was Arkansas.

Still, those 3 offenses? Put their numbers up against Big 12 defenses…..so, maybe not as good as we all think?

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 7:22 PM CST up reply actions

I hate this argument.

Should we be less impressed with Big Ten defenses since there was only one high-powered offense in the league?

by U-God on Dec 31, 2011 11:53 AM CST up reply actions

I don't know what to think of this game.

There’s so much at play. Two teams that can’t hold onto a lead. A crowd that’s basically a Texas A&M home game… which, given NU’s road performances (ie. @Nebraska), might actually be a good thing? A Texas A&M team that’s lost a teammate in a tragic way. A Texas A&M team that’s lost its coach, and whose interim coach won’t be there next week. A Northwestern team desperate to break the streak.

It’s just impossible to guess how all of those emotions will play out. This game could be a repeat of the 2000 Alamo Bowl, or it could be a repeat of the 2010 Outback Bowl. Or it could be something we haven’t ever seen (I assume few readers here were alive in 1949), and end in a Wildcat victory.

by TDozer on Dec 30, 2011 2:56 PM CST reply actions

Anybody watching this Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest game?

Couple observations:

1. As I’ve pointed out all year, I don’t think the SEC defenses are as “dominant” as they were in years past, I just think the offenses are completely inept, thus inflating the defensive stats.

2. I hate those goddamn cowbells.

by TheHumbleBuckeye on Dec 30, 2011 6:14 PM CST reply actions 1 recs