Category: Northwestern

Northwestern vs Rutgers Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview

Northwestern Wildcats vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights prediction and college basketball game preview.

Northwestern Wildcats vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights prediction and college basketball game preview.

Northwestern vs Rutgers Broadcast

Date: Saturday, February 13
Game Time: 5:00 ET
Venue: Rutgers Athletic Center, Piscataway, NJ
Network: BTN

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Northwestern (6-11) vs Rutgers (11-7) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on college basketball, go to BetMGM

Why Northwestern Will Win

Can the Wildcats hit just a few more shots?

Northwestern is just decent enough defensively to keep from getting totally steamrolled – for the most part – but the team just isn’t consistent enough from the field. On the ten-game losing streak, the games were close when the shots were falling, and weren’t when they weren’t.

The last two games against Purdue and Indiana were battles after the threes were going town, but it took a double-digit three day from the outside just to keep it close.

Rutgers isn’t great at defending the three and it’s not a high-powered shooting team that’s going to put the game away with a big run, but …

Why Rutgers Will Win

It was able to beat Northwestern just a few weeks ago 64-56 even though it struggled mightily from the outside.

No, the Scarlet Knights aren’t going to come out and put 85 up on the board, but they come up with a whole lot of steals, aren’t bad defensively, and they’ve been great on the offensive boards over the last month.

Northwestern doesn’t come up with enough rebounds at one end, and don’t come up with enough steals and big plays on the other. As long as Rutgers is patient, it should be fine.

What’s Going To Happen

Expect more of the same from the first meeting in Evanston.

Rutgers turned it over a season-high 18 times in the first game and won, but that’s not going to happen again – that was an aberration for his Northwestern defense.

The Scarlet Knights will be better from three than they were in the first game, but it’ll take a half to get up enough to feel comfortable.

Northwestern vs Rutgers Prediction, Line

Rutgers 73, Northwestern 65
Bet on college basketball with BetMGM
COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING

Must See Rating: 2

5: My Bloody Valentine (the band, not the movie)
1: Valentine’s Day

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Big Ten Football Schedule 2021: Winners, Losers, 5 Things You Need To Know

Big Ten football schedule 2021 – what are the five things you need to know? What are the five things that matter?

Big Ten football schedule 2021 – what are the five things you need to know? What are the five things that matter?

Big Ten Football Schedule 2021: 5 Things You Need To Know

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Big Ten Schedules, Analysis, Best/Worst Scenarios
East Indiana | Maryland | Michigan
Michigan St | Ohio St | Penn St | Rutgers
West Illinois | Iowa | Minnesota | Nebraska
Northwestern | Purdue | Wisconsin

Here are five things about the 2021 Big Ten football schedule that matter including who misses the big teams from the other division, the non-conference analysis, the one big difference in this year’s slate, the winners and losers, and starting out with …

5.  Who gets the rested teams?

The Big Ten does a terrific job of not letting any one team’s schedule get loaded up with games against teams that get a break. If possible, everyone would love to have an extra week to rest and prepare for Ohio State, Wisconsin, or Penn State, but that doesn’t happen.

Ask Alabama over in the SEC what it’s been like over the years to seemingly get everyone with fresh legs.

Every team gets at least one week off, and every team has at least one total layup against an FCS team or against a lightweight FBSer. What teams then get hit with the relaxed opponents?

Again, the Big Ten does a good job of this. It’s relatively fair.

Big Ten East

Indiana
The open date comes before: Michigan State, Oct. 16
The FCS scrimmage: Idaho, Sept. 11 before Cincinnati

Maryland
The open date comes before: at Minnesota, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: Howard, Sept. 11 before at Illinois

Michigan
The open date comes before: Northwestern, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …)  Northern Illinois, Sept. 18 before Rutgers

Michigan State
The open date comes before: Michigan, Oct. 30
The FCS scrimmage:  Youngstown State, Sept. 11 before at Miami

Ohio State
The open date comes before: at Indiana, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …)  Akron, Sept. 25 before at Rutgers

 Penn State
The open date comes before: Illinois, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: Villanova, Sept. 25 before Indiana

Rutgers
The open date comes before: at Illinois, Oct. 30
The FCS scrimmage: Delaware, Sept. 18 before at Michigan

Big Ten West

Illinois
The open date comes before: at Penn State, Oct. 23; at Iowa, Nov. 20
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …)  Charlotte before Wisconsin

Iowa
The open date comes before: at Wisconsin, Oct. 30
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Kent State before at Colorado State

Minnesota
The open date comes before: Nebraska, Oct. 16
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Bowling Green before at Purdue

Nebraska
The open date comes before: Buffalo, Sept. 11; Purdue, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: SE Louisiana, Nov. 13 before at Wisconsin

Northwestern
The open date comes before: Rutgers, Oct. 16
The FCS scrimmage: Indiana State, Sept. 11 before at Duke

Purdue
The open date comes before: at Iowa, Oct. 16
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) at UConn, Sept. 11 before at Notre Dame

Wisconsin
The open date comes before: Notre Dame (in Chicago), Sept. 25
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Eastern Michigan, Sept. 11 before Notre Dame two weeks later

– The games against the teams from the other division

NEXT: Who misses the big boys from the other division?

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Purdue vs Northwestern Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview

Purdue Boilermakers vs Northwestern Wildcats prediction and college basketball game preview.

Purdue Boilermakers vs Northwestern Wildcats prediction and college basketball game preview.

Purdue vs Northwestern Broadcast

Date: Saturday, February 6
Game Time: 4:30 ET
Venue: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, IN
Network:BTN

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Purdue (12-7) vs Northwestern (6-9) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on college basketball, go to BetMGM

Why Northwestern Will Win

The defense has to stop Purdue’s outside shooters.

This is a wildly inconsistent Boilermaker team that’s been able to get by from time to time when the threes aren’t falling, but when they’re off they’re really off.

How off? Purdue has failed to hit more than 25% from three four of the last five games and four of their last six.

Northwestern might struggle at guarding the three, but the defense isn’t all that bad, it’s been okay at times over the last few games at keeping things from getting out of hand, and the team is okay from three.

Why Purdue Will Win

Northwestern doesn’t score enough, and it doesn’t make life easy with second chance points – offensive rebounds are too often a rumor.

Purdue might not always shoot well, but it rebounds just about everything, it’s good enough on the offensive boards, and it can play a little defense, too.

There have been a few off days throughout the season, but for the most part, the team has tightened up defensively – it hasn’t allowed more than 72 points in any game in 2021.

What’s Going To Happen

This isn’t going to be the game when the Northwestern offense gets healthy.

Purdue is struggling a bit, and it has a way of letting teams hang around a bit too often, but it ends up winning. It’ll get out to a good early start and Northwestern won’t get hot enough from the outside to come back in the second half.

Purdue vs Northwestern Prediction, Line

Purdue 75, Northwestern 62
Bet on college basketball with BetMGM
Purdue -7.5, o/u: 137
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3

Must See Rating: 2

5: Watching Super Bowl on the coach (with power nap)
1: Watching Super Bowl with other people

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Northwestern Football Schedule 2021: Analysis, Best and Worst Case Scenarios

Breaking down and analyzing the 2021 Northwestern Wildcats football schedule with the best and worst case scenarios

Breaking down and analyzing the 2021 Northwestern Wildcats football schedule with the best and worst case scenarios.

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Northwestern Football Schedule 2021

Full schedule analysis with best and worst scenarios below

– 2021 Big Ten Football Schedule

Sept. 4 Michigan State

Sept. 11 Indiana State

Sept. 18 at Duke

Sept. 25 Ohio

Oct. 2 at Nebraska

Oct. 9 OPEN DATE

Oct. 16 Rutgers

Oct. 23 at Michigan

Oct. 30 Minnesota

Nov. 6 Iowa

Nov. 13 at Wisconsin

Nov. 20 Purdue

Nov. 27 at Illinois

Dec. 4 Big Ten Championship (in Indianapolis)

Games vs. The East: at Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers

Missed Teams From The East: Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State

Northwestern Wildcats Football Schedule Analysis: COMING

Northwestern Wildcats Football Schedule Best Case Scenario: COMING

Northwestern Wildcats Football Schedule Worst Case Scenario: COMING

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Big Ten Football Schedule 2021 Composite, Top Games To Watch Each Week

Big Ten football schedule 2021 composite. Week-by-week ranking of all of the games.

Big Ten football schedule 2021 composite. Week-by-week ranking of all of the games.

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Big Ten Football Schedule Composite 2021

Each week’s games ranking from most interesting to least.

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 0

Saturday, August 28
Illinois vs Nebraska (in Dublin, Ireland)

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 1

Thursday, Sept. 2
Minnesota at Ohio State

Saturday, Sept. 4
Penn State at Wisconsin
Indiana at Iowa
Michigan State at Northwestern
West Virginia at Maryland
Oregon State at Purdue
Temple at Rutgers
Western Michigan at Michigan
UTSA at Illinois

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 2

Saturday, Sept. 11
Oregon at Ohio State
Washington at Michigan
Iowa at Iowa State
Illinois at Virginia
Rutgers at Syracuse
Buffalo at Nebraska
Miami University at Minnesota
Ball State at Penn State
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin
UConn at Purdue
Youngstown State at Michigan State
Idaho at Indiana
Indiana State at Northwestern
Howard at Maryland

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 3

Saturday, Sept. 18
Auburn at Penn State
Nebraska at Oklahoma
Purdue at Notre Dame
Michigan State at Miami
Minnesota at Colorado
Cincinnati at Indiana
Maryland at Illinois
Tulsa at Ohio State
Kent State at Iowa
Northern Illinois at Michigan
Delaware at Rutgers

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 4

Saturday, Sept. 25
Wisconsin vs Notre Dame (in Chicago)
Nebraska at Michigan State
Illinois at Purdue
Rutgers at Michigan
Colorado State at Iowa
Ohio at Northwestern
Indiana at WKU
Kent State at Maryland
Bowling Green at Minnesota
Akron at Ohio State
Villanova at Penn State

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 5

Saturday, Oct. 2
Michigan at Wisconsin
Indiana at Penn State
Northwestern at Nebraska
Iowa at Maryland
Minnesota at Purdue
Ohio State at Rutgers
WKU at Michigan State
Charlotte at Illinois

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 6

Saturday, Oct. 9
Penn State at Iowa
Michigan at Nebraska
Wisconsin at Illinois
Maryland at Ohio State
Michigan State at Rutgers

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 7

Saturday, Oct. 16
Nebraska at Minnesota
Army at Wisconsin
Michigan State at Indiana
Purdue at Iowa
Rutgers at Northwestern

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 8

Saturday, Oct. 23
Ohio State at Indiana
Northwestern at Michigan
Wisconsin at Purdue
Maryland at Minnesota
Illinois at Penn State

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 9

Saturday, Oct. 30
Penn State at Ohio State
Iowa at Wisconsin
Michigan at Michigan State
Minnesota at Northwestern
Purdue at Nebraska
Indiana at Maryland
Rutgers at Illinois

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 10

Saturday, Nov. 6
Ohio State at Nebraska
Iowa at Northwestern
Penn State at Maryland
Michigan State at Purdue
Illinois at Minnesota
Wisconsin at Rutgers

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 11

Saturday, Nov. 13
Michigan at Penn State
Northwestern at Wisconsin
Minnesota at Iowa
Purdue at Ohio State
Maryland at Michigan State
Rutgers at Indiana
SE Louisiana at Nebraska

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 12

Saturday, Nov. 20
Nebraska at Wisconsin
Michigan State at Ohio State
Michigan at Maryland
Minnesota at Indiana
Purdue at Northwestern
Illinois at Iowa
Rutgers at Penn State

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 13

Friday, Nov. 26
Iowa at Nebraska

Saturday, Nov. 27
Ohio State at Michigan
Wisconsin at Minnesota
Northwestern at Illinois
Indiana at Purdue
Maryland at Rutgers

Big Ten Football Championship Game

Saturday, Dec. 4
Big Ten Football Championship Game (in Indianapolis)

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Big Ten College Football Recruiting: Team Rankings, Top Players, Biggest Strengths, What’s Missing

How did all of the Big Ten teams do in the 2021 recruiting season? The Big Ten recruiting rankings, stars, top players, biggest strengths.

How did all of the Big Ten teams do this recruiting season? Here are the recruiting rankings for the conference, along with the stars for each team, top players, and biggest strengths.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

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2021 Big Ten Recruiting Rankings, Breakdown

No, really. How good were the Big Ten classes this 2021 recruiting season?

Big Ten East

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

It might not be the nation’s best recruiting class, but in a horseshoes-and-hand-grenades sort of way, it’s in the discussion with the Alabamas, Georgias and Oregons of the world – that’s all that matters. As always, the Buckeyes are getting a slew of guys making a stop-over in Columbus on their way to the NFL.

If Emeka Egbuka isn’t the nation’s best receiver prospect, he’s close. If Jack Sawyer isn’t the best defensive end, if Donovan Jackson isn’t the best offensive guard, and if Kyle McCord isn’t the best quarterback – and on and on – they’re all close.

2. Michigan Wolverines

Dog Jim Harbaugh and his era all you want, but recruiting hasn’t been an issue. Yeah, on the field and in the recruiting game, Michigan isn’t Ohio State, but that’s not quite a fair comparison even though beating that program is what matters. The Wolverines got their stars for the backfield in QB JJ McCarthy and RB Donovan Edwards, the O line gets were excellent, and it’s a strong overall class full of depth, versatility and talent.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

Flip a coin or the third spot between Penn State and Maryland. The Terps got more quantity to go along with a few top-shelf parts, but Penn State got a few more big-time prospects. There isn’t a Micah Parsons or Devyn Ford type of elite guys, but there are a few who are close enough to be All-Big Ten difference-makers.

2021 Big Ten Recruiting
Big Ten West Rankings | Every Team’s Star
Class Strengths | What’s Missing
2021 All-Big Ten Recruiting Team

4. Maryland Terrapins

There were a few pickups for the offensive side, but this class is about defense, defense and defense. Head coach Mike Locksley was known for being a top-shelf recruiter when Maryland hired him, and he’s starting to change the talent level with a strong class last year and a fantastic one this season. He and his staff went hard after the star linebackers – getting Terrence Lewis and Branden Jennings out of Florida was massive.

5. Michigan State Spartans

Ehhhh, okay. It’s a recruiting class – no more, no less. Michigan State always went with a recruit-to-a-type thing under Mark Dantonio, and it all worked out just fine. Can Mel Tucker start to get the bigger prospects as he goes forward? The problem isn’t getting the guys to compete with Ohio State and Michigan – it’s getting the guys to compete with what Maryland is bringing in.

6. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

It’s not a stretch to call this the program’s best recruiting class in at least ten years, maybe more. It helps that it’s a big class full of commitments, but Greg Schiano is getting some real, live talents, too. He didn’t exactly put a fence around New Jersey, but he landed nine in-state players – getting LB Khayri Banton was big – but it’s not about getting a lot of local guys, it’s about getting the right ones.

7. Indiana Hoosiers

Even with the recent success, Indiana is never going to battle with Ohio State  and Michigan for the star recruits. However, there isn’t any one area that’s all that special – except for, potentially, receiver – and there aren’t a whole lot of stars. If Donaven McCulley really is the next great quarterback, then the class works, but there’s not a lot for the lines to build around.

– Big Ten West Rankings
– Every Team’s Star Recruit
– Recruiting Class Strengths
– What’s Missing From Each Recruiting Class
– 2021 All-Big Ten Recruiting Team

NEXT: Big Ten West Recruiting Rankings

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Coaches Poll College Football Rankings: Big Ten All-Time Greatest Programs

What are the top college football programs of all-time going by the Coaches Poll? Here are the top Big Ten teams according to a CFN formula.

What are the top college football programs of all-time going by the UPI and USA Today Coaches Poll rankings? Here are the top Big Ten programs according to a CFN formula using all the UPI and USA Today Coaches final polls.

Follow us … @ColFootballNews

Coaches Poll College Football Rankings 
All-Time Coaches Poll Rankings | AP All-Time Rankings
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | M-West | Pac-12 | SEC
1950s | 1960s  | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s
2020 Final USA TODAY Coaches Poll

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Which current Big Ten college football programs are the greatest of all-time according to the UPI and USA Today Coaches final polls?

Using a ranking system taking all the AP final college football polls and assigning 25 points to the national champion, 24 for the final No. 2 team, 23 for the No. 3 team on down, and it’s surprising.

Michigan might have its share of huge years on an all-time scale, but Ohio State’s run of excellence over the last 20+ seasons have changed things up.

One note on this – this is made up of current Big Ten programs and factoring in their histories. Obviously many of these programs weren’t in the Big Ten starting in 1950.

Note, again, this is based on the CFN formula. This isn’t any official ranking coming from USA TODAY or the Coaches Po

Coaches Poll: All-Time Big Ten Final Rankings

1 Ohio State 1007

2 Michigan  783

3 Nebraska 736

4 Penn State 715

5 Michigan State 436

6 Wisconsin 400

7 Iowa 342

8 Maryland  214

9 Purdue  212

10 Illinois 169

11 Minnesota 138

12 Northwestern 104

13 Indiana  56

14 Rutgers 29

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Big Ten Football Rankings: CFN 2021 Pre-Spring

The pre-spring version of the CFN 2021 rankings with a first look at all the Big Ten teams.

The pre-spring version of the CFN 2021 rankings with a first look at all the Big Ten teams.

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2021 Big Ten Rankings: Pre-Spring

Big Ten East

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

Why To Be Happy: It’s still Ohio State and it’s still a loaded team with as much talent as anyone in college football. The return of WR Chris Olave for another year is massive, the O line should be almost as good as the 2020 version, and the return of DE Tyreke Smith helps an already great situation on the defensive front. However …

What To Work On: Again, it’s Ohio State – it’ll be more than fine – but the back seven is going to need some tuning up and key replacements. The offense will be deadly again, but the pressure is on CJ Stroud to be the next superstar quarterback and losing RB Trey Sermon hurts a bit.

Bottom Line: Ohio State gets framed differently than everyone in the Big Ten. It’s going to be the league’s best team, and it’s easily the favorite to win another Big Ten title, but – remember, this is January – this version needs a lot more tuning than the 2020 version, which wasn’t as strong as the 2019 team.

2. Michigan Wolverines

Why To Be Happy: Jim Harbaugh is still around … and yeah, that’s a reason to be happy, at least for this year. There might be a few high-profile transfers, but Hassan Haskins is a strong back to lead the way, there are plenty of QB options without Dylan McCaffrey, and the line and receiving corps are experienced. Kwity Paye might be gone on the end, but just about everyone else is back on D.

What To Work On: Quarterback, quarterback, quarterback, quarterback, quarterback. Really, Michigan has players. Really, the coaching staff is fine. None of it matters unless the Wolverines can finally get top-shelf quarterback play. Cade McNamara, Joe Milton and JJ McCarthy – one of them has to be great.

Bottom Line: Michigan won’t win the Big Ten, but it’ll bounce back to be solid again. Unlike 2020, the Wolverines will beat everyone they’re supposed to, lose one game against a strong team, and then … you know how this works with Ohio State.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

Why To Be Happy: The run at the end of the season was more like the real Penn State than the one that got off to a historically disastrous start. Sean Clifford is a veteran now, getting RB John Lovett from Baylor helps, and there are just enough good players coming back – like CB Tariq Castro-Fields – to be okay, but …

What To Work On: There are a whole lot of important parts moving on. From OG Will Fries to DEs Shaka Toney and Jayson Oweh to S Lamont Wade and on and on. James Franklin has more strong recruits ready to step up, but in this year when so many teams are so experienced, there are a whole slew of key losses.

Bottom Line: Penn State will be one of the Big Ten’s most interesting calls as the offseason goes on. There are offensive playmakers, and – as always – defensive stars will emerge up front, but there are just enough lost starters to be annoying.

4. Indiana Hoosiers

Why To Be Happy: The Hoosiers get a slew of their guys back. Michael Penix Jr. is expected to return okay from his knee injury, star WR Ty Fryfogle is coming back, and with guard Mackenzie Nworah returning, four starters are expected to be around for the O line. S Jamar Johnson is leaving early for the NFL, but almost everyone else is expected back on the defensive side.

What To Work On: Is Penix really going to be ready? It’ll be less than a year for his knee to heal up. WR Whop Philyor is going to the NFL, and so is RB Stevie Scott from a running game that was among the worst in the nation.

Bottom Line: The expectations are a whole lot higher now, but Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State aren’t going to be that bad again. IU will still be good, but it’ll be a lot more of a fight.

5. Michigan State Spartans

Why To Be Happy: The transfer portal is providing some instant help to a team that already is full of veterans. RB Harold Joiner is coming in from Auburn, QB Anthony Russo is at least a veteran backup option from Temple, and again, there’s a ton of experience back helped by C Matt Allen anchoring the line. But …

What To Work On: After finishing last in the Big Ten in scoring and last in scoring D, there’s a little bit of work to do. The secondary lost a slew of key parts, the offense needs playmakers to emerge, and one of the quarterbacks has to step up and be great.

Bottom Line: Mel Tucker really didn’t get enough time to get things going in his first year, and it’s going to take another year to start to get everything to work. The team will be better, but so will the rest of the Big Ten East.

6. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Why To Be Happy: Rutgers has experience, it has a few actual playmakers, and it has the coaching staff now to have … hope? The offensive backfield should be interesting with enough options to play around with, a little shuffling should lead to a decent O line, and the receiving corps has real, live explosion. The D gets back linebackers Tyshon Fogg and Olakunle Fatukasi to work around.

What To Work On: Even with all of the improvement, the the offense and defense were still the second-worst in the Big Ten, the passing game needs more downfield plays, this is still a building job. However …

Bottom Line: The Scarlet Knights should keep being more and more competitive under Greg Schiano, and they have enough experience to keep building on the 3-6 season that was a whole lot more fun than the final record.

7. Maryland Terrapins

Why To Be Happy: Head coach Mike Locksley is known for being a superstar recruiter, and his team showed glimpses of starting to do something right. Taulia Tagovailoa is the quarterback to work around, there’s a solid recruiting class coming in, and …

What To Work On: Uh oh. There are whole lot of players taking off with leading rusher Jake Funk off to the NFL, top linebacker Chance Campbell transferring out, key DB Antwaine Richardson off to Kent State, and on and on and on. As of right now, 12 Terps are expected to transfer and there’s still plenty of work to do.

Bottom Line: Things are hardly dire, even with the personnel losses. The lines still need working on, and consistency will be vital for a program that hasn’t had any, but there are enough playmakers to be interesting. However, few teams in the Big Ten need every practice more than Maryland.

– 2021 Pre-Spring Big Ten West

2021 Big Ten West Rankings: Pre-Spring 7-11

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Northwestern vs Auburn: Vrbo Citrus Bowl 10 Thoughts On NU 35-19 Win

Northwestern 35 Auburn 19. The 10 ten things you need to know about the Northwestern win over Auburn in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl.

Northwestern 35 Auburn 19. The 10 ten things you need to know about the Northwestern win over Auburn in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl.

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Northwestern vs Auburn: Vrbo Citrus Bowl

10. Really, Auburn defense?

Auburn didn’t get the memo that the Northwestern offense just doesn’t do a whole lot.

It failed to hit 300 yards of total O in four of its eight games before this and only hit 400 yards against Maryland and Illinois. The 457 yards against Auburn were the third-most this season, with everything clicking early to take control of the game, and then hammering to take over late.

Auburn struggled to get a third down stop, didn’t generate enough pressure, and couldn’t hold up as the game went on. The Wildcat passing game had time to operate, and the offensive line was able to blast away on a run defense that had big, big problems against teams that were able to control things on the ground. The 51 carries by Northwestern tied Ole Miss for the most against the Tiger D. And with that …

9. Cam Porter is going to be really, really good

The 5-10, 220-pound freshman didn’t do much of most of the season, and then he tore up Illinois for 142 yards on 24 carries and ran for 61 yards in the Big Ten Championship. This was his day to be the hammer, running 33 times for a tough 98 yards and a late touchdown.

Auburn didn’t give up a ton of big runs, but it got nickeled-and-dimed to death.

8. The Northwestern coaching staff

Is that it for Pat Fitzgerald? He’s being rumored to have a whole lot of interest from the NFL types, but he was supposedly in the mix for the next level a few years ago, too. For a program that couldn’t win bowl games and struggled to come up with any sort of success, that’s four bowl wins in four tries – five in the last six bowl appearances – to go with two Big Ten West championships in three years.

 

Fitzgerald might still stick around, but defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz is calling it a career after being a part of the success since 2008. The 73-year-old was tremendous during Colorado’s heyday, was a big part of great defenses at Arizona and Wisconsin, and then with the Cats. His D allowed some late yards, but it dominated.

7. Northwestern went Northwestern

You want to pitch a near-perfect game if you’re Northwestern? Control the clock for almost 36 minutes, don’t turn the ball over, dominate on third downs, and most of all, get up fast.

The 14-0 in the first quarter meant the world. This isn’t necessarily a come-from-behind team – even though it was able to do it at times – and it works a whole lot better when it got to rely on its defense and ball control style.

NEXT: Top Six Thoughts From The Vrbo Citrus Bowl

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Auburn vs Northwestern: Vrbo Citrus Prediction, Game Preview

Auburn vs Northwestern: Vrbo Citrus Bowl prediction and game preview

Auburn vs Northwestern: Vrbo Citrus Bowl prediction and game preview.

Auburn vs Northwestern: Vrbo Citrus Bowl Broadcast

Date: Friday, January 1
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET
Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Network: ABC

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Auburn (6-4) vs Northwestern (6-2) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM 

Three Reasons Why You Should Watch The Vrbo Citrus Bowl

– It’s a big game for the Big Ten. Northwestern played for the Big Ten Championship, it pushed Ohio State a bit in the 22-10 loss, and it has one of the hottest head coaches in all of football with the NFL about to be knocking on Pat Fitzgerald’s door.

It’s Northwestern, but it’s supposed to beat a mediocre Auburn team with interim head coach Kevin Steele keeping the seat warm before newly hired head man Bryan Harsin takes over.

– Yeah, it’s a big game for the Big Ten. Not only does it supposedly have the better team, and not only has Auburn gone 2-5 in its last seven bowls since 2011, but the conference has struggled lately against the SEC in this thing. Michigan’s loss to Alabama last year made it 1-7 in the last eight in the Citrus between the two power conferences.

– If you like lots of fun, exciting, high-octane offense, this isn’t for you. However, Northwestern doesn’t miss a whole lot of tackles – despite getting run over by Trey Sermon and Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship – it leads the nation in pass efficiency defense.

Auburn’s D has been sneaky-decent, and QB Bo Nix is a hit-or-miss playmaker who could use a big performance going into the offseason. This should be a close, tough battle.

Why Auburn, Northwestern Will Win
What’s Going to Happen, Prediction, History

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