I guess both fanbases will learn a lot this weekend about our respective teams. I think we both haven't really been tested yet and we're both heading in the right direction.

So what does NU have under the hood? We have a dual QB system that actually appears to be working. We have a thrower, Trevor Siemian, who strikes me a lot like McGloin. He can stretch the field, but can force it on occasion. TS is more accurate. We have the scrambler/slash QB in Kain Colter. NU unveiled having both TS and KC on the field at the same time last week against IU. Expect more of that this week... as Fitz promised to open up the playbook even more. TS stands strong in the pocket and can deliver the long ball with accuracy. And good thing that he has one of the best receiving corp that NU has ever seen (ranked #1 in the B1G by ESPN heading into the season). For the first time we have three great receivers over 6'3" and some speedy possession guys mixed in. We have multiple runningbacks that have been racking up yardage and the best thing is they are all healthy (suck it, Iowa!). Venric Mark is the speedster who, despite his size, can actually run with a bit of power. Local product Mike Trumpy is more of a traditional off-tackle RB.

The offense when working can tire a defense out. After a play, the team runs to the line, sees the defensive formation, looks to the sidelines for the play (usually trying to isolate a mismatch in coverage). It's proven very successful against mediocre defenses. Mauti and Hodges provides a unique challenge for the Cats. NU's OL has done ok, but struggles with picking up CB or LB blitzes. When Kain is in, you'll see the typical Rich Rod-style zone read run very well. The Kain-Venric combo in the background means that PSU needs to stay disciplined on the outside. When Trevor is in, I would jam WRs at the line of scrimmage. No one has done this to us yet, and I think could really get us off our rhythm.

NU's defense is getting better, but certainly not what I would consider good... yet. We haven't done much blitzing, which I think will change this week. The secondary is young and was a sore spot early on in the season. But our Cover 2 and 3 will bring in to play Ibrahiem Campbell, a safety who I think might play on Sunday. McGloin is experienced enough to find the seems in this defense and move the ball. Our LBs are actually pretty good this year, but we sacrifice a legit pass rush to make sure we have our LBs in position to stop the run. In short, McGloin should take his time and he should have a good stat day. We have some serviceable DL players, but none that should overly concern PSU's OL.

Special teams is truly special this year. NU's punting, placekicking, and return games are the best its been in years. The punt/kickoff coverage has been a bit lackluster recently, but I think they will fix that this week. PSU has genuinely struggled since their top place kicker jumped ship after the sanctions. If it comes down to a field goal, NU has the edge.

The intangibles don't look good for the Cats. They haven't done well in October during Fitz's tenure. NU doesn't do well on national TV. Happy Valley is a HORRIBLE place for the Wildcats historically. And NU flat out suck when we are ranked. Both teams are playing inspired football. The Purple are now 2.5 point dogs to the boys without names on their jerseys (oh, wait a minute), which shouldn't surprise anyone, but what is surprising is the O/U is 47. Both teams can put points on the board.

I think it could be one of the better games this weekend... or at least most evenly matched. And I hope the felines of the purple variety stay undefeated

Hypothetically speaking...
IF I'm going to the game tomorrow, does that mean I support child rape?

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How wonderful will it be when we can actually have a conversation about Penn State without bringing that up?

Give it through this FB season, it is Penn State's swan song in terms of relevancy for a while.

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You think child rape should be forgotten and overlooked?

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Only during football season.

Great game. Can NU hold on?

Hank Scorpio's favorite team is gonna win it's 4th game in a row.

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Looking at the schedule,it's quite possible the Cats could finish at least 8-4,possibly 9-3. They need to try slowing down their offense to keep the defense off the field. Keep the running QB in for a whole game. This bouncing back and fourth is nuts. I think Fitz might be a great recruiter and I think his co-ordinators are older guys,but I question the coaching. Since Fitz has been there,no "D" going into the colder months. They always seem to fade. Is it a conditioning thing?
Still,I root for the Wildcats every week.

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

I thought it was weird that NU went for it on fourth down at the end. They had three timeouts but I guess they hadn't been stopping the run game all day hard to second guess the call.

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Child rape defeated academic standards 39-28. This completes the Penn State Revenge Tour.

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Remember the weeklong gnashing of teeth on the Score when Pat Fitzgerald outed himself as an ignorant racial-coding asshole? Me either. Thanks, Northwestern University Wildcats Text Screen!

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.

"He can't let other people use his twitter like that."

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Fitz is in good company. Chief Keef allows guest tweeters as well. Say what you want about Oney Guillen but at least he owns his ignorance.

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The Court will accord substantial deference to the government's immigration policies, particularly those that implicate matters of national security.

WTF? Dave... stay classy.

Better team won the game. Hard to argue NU could do anything against Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska at this point. I'd argue that Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota will still be pretty close games. They shouldn't be, but they will be.

Come on Mud.

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