Sunday Morning Coming Down Week 0 // Welcome To Miami

Some B1G Things

1. The reference is merely to the heat, not the city, or the slap.
2. If Scott Frost and team need something to believe in, they can start by believing in the date where that buyout is reduced.
3. Did Mark Whipple really not see a future at Pitt? Is Kedon Slovis that bad?
4. I intended to clean my house yesterday, and, credit to the game, I didn’t even get to the dishes till 4 PM.
5. Uh oh, here comes even year Northwestern...
6. Ok but, like, why did they do an onside kick again? Onside kicks are used either when you want to rub it in, or when you need the extra possession. Were they truly trying to rub it in up 11 in the middle of the 3rd?

The Rundown

Northwestern 31, Nebraska 28 - One streak ends, another remains

It looked like Nebraska was going to run with it early, as they were moving the ball almost at will. Then they hit the fateful onside kick, stopped moving the ball as freely, and Northwestern decided that passing the ball was no longer necessary at that point.

LPW: Now this is how you start a football season! After a slow start, Northwestern outworked a tired and gassed Nebraska. What was up with that onside kick Frosty? I’ll take it! I always smile when Northwestern is able to out-muscle Nebraska and shove those fools off the field

GreenAkers: As I mentioned in the general Slack discussion of this game: I was perfectly willing to be reasonable.

I foretold this future to the Cornhusker Illuminati, and told them it could all be avoided for a sum which, looking back, I think they would agree was paltry. I offered them friendship, and they spat in my face.

And so, Husker Nation’s declination of my mutually beneficial arrangement front of my mind, I picked Nebraska to win the Big Ten West, and in so doing sealed the Huskers’ fate, today and going forward. I get no joy from this; it didn’t have to be this way. It was just business.

Game was good for the watching, though.

Dead Read: Halfway through the third quarter, after Nebraska surged to a 28-17 lead, Coach Scott Frost called an onside kick. Northwestern recovered, drove the short field, and scored a touchdown. This stopped all Nebraska momentum and gave the Wildcats the boost they desperately needed. I did not have “blown third quarter onside kick” on my Frost Follies Bingo card, but that’s why they play the games.

The offensive line did not get much push through most of the game, and the defense did little to slow Northwestern passing or rushing.

Kudos to the Wildcats, they get the most out of what they have. Nebraska does not.

The Frost Era will end in October, as foretold by the renegotiated buyout.

GBR.

BoilerUp89:

if YEAR mod 2 == 0

Northwestern_West_Division_Champs = TRUE

else

Northwestern_West_Division_Champs = FALSE

BuffKomodo: It’s too bad that Scott Frost can’t take advantage of playing teams like Indiana or Rutgers every year to boost that win percentage….am I right Big Red Nation? Assuming Frooster makes it to Indiana, it would be an honor to send him out the door of the team gives up this early.

MNW: This Big Ten West is a constant race to see who can be least shit at their job for the longest amount of time. Don’t make bad playcalls, don’t say stupid shit, just shut up and run the ball and punt well and play assignment football.

That is why I wish to emphasize, here, that Pat Fitzgerald BARELY managed to do that on Saturday.

Those of you who get annoyed that Pat Fitzgerald continues to complain about cellphones and bust unions, who laugh at his HORP HORP HORP IT UP THE MIDDLE offense, who snicker at his buddy-buddy approach to coordinator hiring, who trot out things like “even year Northwestern” — it is just your job to play basic fucking assignment football and beat Northwestern. He will call toss sweeps to the short side on 3rd and 10 and settle for the field goal at a bizarre time...THEN DO IT AGAIN! Then not even consider throwing the ball when up 3 with 4 minutes left, because you won’t just do your damn just and stop the run.

Frankly, you all should be ashamed of yourself. This is, and always will be, all your goddamn fault.

Also we thought Hunter Johnson was good after last year’s Michigan State game. So while I’d hold off on that (and, seriously, huge congrats to Ryan Hilinski), buy stock in the Northwestern running back room. 1-0. Go ‘Cats.

Illinois 38, Wyoming 6 - Illini look dominant in win

We knew this game wouldn’t be close, but the way in which it the Illini thoroughly dominated Wyoming left the belief that, for at least one week, Illinois maybe isn’t destined for dead last in the West.

Thumpasaurus: Holy shit, we looked like a big ten football team. i don’t know what to do. is this really what it’s like for most of you people playing a team of wyoming’s caliber?

I guess we don’t know for sure that wyoming isn’t, like, 0-12 bad

He was a high school QB: It’s happening. It’s August and I have hope that Illinois football is back. Please be gentle Bert, I’m fragile, but also I’m so ready to be hurt again.

Wyoming is quite likely terribad and I don’t care. Illinois has lost or almost lost to plenty of terrible teams. It feels good to be the team dropping the hammer as opposed to receiving it. Isiah Williams jogged back to the sideline after going to the locker room and was on the field for the victory formation. I haven’t heard anything on McCray’s status yet, but Reggie Love III and Chase Hayden give Illinois competent depth at RB. Bring on the Hoosiers.