* Stanford rated 21 in the nation.

* NU has a fine RB in Jeremy Jackson (rushed for 1100 yds last season)

* NU starting a freshman QB

* Will NU have a defense this season?

My prediction:

Stanford 33

Nu 27

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Go Cats.

Not a huge college football fan but NU is the team I follow.

I really hope they have a good year. Fitzgerald needs needs it.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

I saw several Stanford shirts and baseball caps while walking down Adams this morning, looks like the alumni may have traveled well.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

I just realized this is Pat Fitzgerald's 10th season as head coach.

60 wins, 53 losses

5 bowls, 1 Win, 4 Losses.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

Stanford -11

While they arent as good as when "Coach Jim" was there, they still thrive from his impact on the facilties. Constantly upgrading, getting donor money to create a big time program and lower standards to get top football players.

v. NU who, has the donors, but doesnt have the new facilities YET and needs to lower standards to get better player.

Coach Fitz could be Harbaugh if allowed and supported.

Coach Fitz could be your next Bears coach! Would need to check on the age of his kids, but the stars are aligning for it to happen one day.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

You made my day, Biggie.

I like Coach Fitz.

Would love to see him in Blue & Orange some day.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

granted , things need to break the right way, but I dont think any of them are crazy.

-This is John Fox's last job as a HC. I think he will due a good job here, but its not for long. if they do well, Gace will be offered a HC job, a good GM will hve his next coach in waiting.
-Ginny is gonna croak soon and real money is going to be an issue.
-Pat Ryan will have the chance to increase his ownerhsip % , it not own the Bears.
-Ryan and Fitz are tight.
-BY that time, Fitz might have had enough of running the Northwestern JC program while his guys share a 10 x 20 weight room with the girls field hockey team.

Like I said, pieces have to fall, but I dont think any of them are crazy, but it still is like hitting a 5 game parlay of heavy faves.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

What, if any, affect will the 2016 Olympics thing have on Ryan's future endeavors of the magnitude you detailed above, Biggie?

Granted, there were things that were way out of his control.

Personally, I think it is all water under the bridge and that much juice can pretty much make anything a memory.

Do you really think he could take majority share of Beloved? I think that may be something George would never allow to happen. If only for pride? They do some foolish things up there just to try and save face, IMO.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

2016 Olympics was Daleys baby. Ryan is fine...

I am not saying it would be easy for Ryan to get a higher % of the Bears and I know George will do what he can to control the Bears, as they have said a PLAN IS IN PLACE, which I dont doubt. I can only guess that plan is the Bears take on debt to retain Ginnys shares, which means for the first time ever they have a real expense to deal with instead of hoarding cash, which would further show you what a terrible ownership group they are. Companies take on debt to finance money making operations (New Stadium, New machines, new products). This Po Dunk family would take on debt just to say they have the shares. They really think they do a great job of owning the team, which is really the problem of everything.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

That's what figured but wasn't certain. This could really get interesting. Thanks for the info, BF.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

Fitz needs a good year. Another 5 or 6 win year will drop his coaching stock.

I dont think we can appreciate how bad of an organization they really are, because they are Bears and the only NFL most of us have ever known.

The entire Packer organization runs circles around them in EVERY realm.

The Bears = the Raiders.

if you took the same ownership group management style over the years, with the facilities and potential fan base, you would get the Raiders results.

In a way, you can blame the fans for continuing to eat at the shitty establishment and letting them keep telling everyone how good the food is.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I agree. Fitzgerald definitely needs a good year. Possibly another Bowl birth to keep his value up. They lost too many close games the last couple of years.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

I am guilty as charged. I love the Bears and always will - no matter what. However, I do see the valid points and comparisons involving the Packers & Raiders. No doubt that Bears Brass could do a lot better. Maybe McDonough can work his magic in Lake Forest someday?
I work with a few Bears fans but some are Packers and the generational Steelers fans. I don't like the Packers but I do respect what they have done with the franchise. The Bears Organization should be the model benchmark of an NFL team but they too often fall short.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

Sorry for the off topic Bears stuff.

Bottom line...

GO CATS!

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

I like Fitz, but I would prefer "Coach Jim" as the next Bears head coach.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

The conventional wisdom seems to be that Jim Harbaugh is not going to be at Michigan for the long term. That once the football program at his alma mater gets turned around, the expectation seems to be that Jim is going to return to the NFL.

Well he isnt coming here....and this Michigan Turn Around isnt happening in a year. I think it is easy to see Harbaughs term at Michigan. See what age the kids are and work from there.

I think College coaching is a tougher job than the NFL. You got so much more to worry about. Fans, Aloomni, NCAA, School, Dumb ass kids, Recruiting the next class, etc. The NFL....Just win, hore a ton of coaches, break it down, find an owner that will do anything to win...and saddle up. You get offseason to recharge.

So while I dont doubt Harbaugh goes back to the NFL....not going to be for awhile.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I knew a guy that was an assistant coach at both the big time college level and the NFL (NC State under Amato, then the RB coach when the "new" Cleveland Browns came around).

According to him, the college football coach's life is much, much easier than the NFL life. There is no "offseason" for an NFL coach, and the daily/weekly hours are much longer.
If you are a college coach, you have an extended offseason that is actually free time, plus a lot more "golf outings" and similar during the season. He left the NFL to go back to college because he needed some kind of life outside of football.
"Being a college coach is a job, being an NFL coach is your life". His quote.

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You cannot convince me that groveling at an entitled teenagers feet several times per week is easy

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.