Week Eight: Big Ten West Champs play for the HAT
The 'Cats booked their ticket to Indy despite a bye week.
Good morning. Welcome to the latest edition of the Inside NUsletter. We took a brief hiatus last week with Northwestern’s bye (and finals), but we’re back just as everything seems to be getting into full swing. In this iteration, we’ll get you ready for the Wildcats and the Fighting Illini at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
A lot’s been happening on and around the gridiron. Despite their upset loss to Michigan State two weeks ago, Northwestern officially clinched its spot in the Big Ten Championship Game, its second in three years. Its opponent? That’s a little more complicated.
On the basketball court, the less said about the men’s team the better. The women’s team, however, opened up its season last night with a 93-57 win over Eastern Illinois.
A lot is happening right now in both the college sports world and the actual world. We have you covered every week, and we’d very much appreciate if you hit the subscribe button.
In case you missed it
Due to an outbreak in Minnesota’s program, Northwestern’s contest with the Gophers was canceled, giving a team a bye week after a heartbreaking loss Amid a ‘Cats-less. Saturday, the Big Ten officially announced that Northwestern would be returning to Indianapolis to play in the title game.
There was still some uncertainty in the NU camp, nonetheless. At the beginning of the season, the Big Ten decreed that teams must play six games to be eligible for the Big Ten title game. With No. 4 Ohio State having played only five games and its sixth game against Michigan canceled, the Big Ten reversed this earlier decision. Wisconsin’s loss to Indiana last Saturday means that, regardless of what happens against Illinois, it’s the ‘Cats and Buckeyes in Indy for the second time in three years.
Here are some other football-related articles from the past week, from a feature to an examination of the loss to Sparty to more optimistic content:
FILM ROOM: How Northwestern’s pass protection faltered against Michigan State
With its second division title in three years, Northwestern puts the Big Ten West on notice
In Big Ten country
The B1G is in chaos right now. Indiana-Purdue and Ohio State-Michigan are both off due to COVID-19 outbreaks, so there are only five games tomorrow. Iowa and Wisconsin should be an intriguing matchup for second place in the West Division. Nebarkas and Minnesota? Not so much.
BREAKING: Big Ten to change six-game minimum for conference championship game eligibility
Michigan-Ohio State football game called off due to COVID-19 cases with Wolverines
Around the Big Ten, Week Seven: the West is decided, Ohio State and Indiana earn statement wins
Big Ten Football Power Rankings, Week 7: Peak pandemic pandemonium
On the hardwood
After a 2-0 start, clobbering some god-awful opponents, the men’s basketball team proceeded to blow a huge halftime lead to Pitt at home Wednesday night. The Panthers began the game shooting 3-for-25 from the field, but Jeff Capel’s team out-rebounded his BFF Chris Collins’s squad and benefited from some odd shot selection, poor press breaking and missed free throws to escape Welsh-Ryan with a 71-70 win.
It’s a movie Northwestern fans have seen too many times. After SIU-Edwardsville and Illinois Springfield (a D-II opponent, what could possibly go wrong?), the ‘Cats play No. 4 Michigan State, Indiana, No. 22 Ohio State, No. 3 Iowa, Michigan, No. 6 Illinois, OSU and Iowa again before their next winnable matchup against Penn State. Yep.
The women’s side is a whole ‘nother story. After an entire summer and fall wondering what could’ve been after the NCAA Tournament was canceled, the defending Big Ten champs picked up right where they left off in a 93-57 win over Eastern Illinois. Lindsey Pulliam made a lot of shots. Veronica Burton hustled her way into every part of score sheet. Sydney Wood was everywhere on defense. Courtney Shaw established herself as an interior presence. You get the picture. It was fun to watch. The ‘Cats begin Big Ten play against Minnesota on Monday.
NU (M) vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Rapid Reaction: Northwestern destroys Arkansas-Pine Bluff 92-49 in season opener
Audige comfortable and critical as Northwestern rolls over UAPB
Three takeaways from Northwestern’s blowout win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff
NU (M) vs Chicago State
Rapid Reaction: Northwestern annihilates Chicago State 111-66
Without one clear leader, Northwestern relies on a collective effort to win
NU (M) vs Pitt
Rapid Reaction: Northwestern blows double-digit halftime lead in late loss to Pitt
Postgame press conference notes from Northwestern’s frustrating loss to Pitt
NU (W) vs Eastern Illinois
Northwestern women’s basketball 2020-2021 season predictions
Women’s basketball: NU looks to finish telling last year’s story
Rapid Reaction: Northwestern demolishes Eastern Illinois 93-57 in season opener
Preparing for the Illini
Illinois enters Evanston at 2-4 and hoping to end a six-game losing streak against Northwestern. Lovie Smith and his team started with three straight losses to Wisconsin (spawning the legend of one Graham Mertz), Purdue and Minnesota before defeating both Rutgers and Nebraksa and falling to Iowa. Starting quarterback Brandon Peters has struggled thus far, while the defense has looked mediocre.
Here’s some of our content for HAT week:
Five best moments from the Northwestern-Illinois rivalry over the past decade
Interviewing the Enemy: Q&A with The Daily Illini’s Gabby Hajduk
Editors’ Picks
We’re thrilled to have Sippin’ On Purple (the site that became Inside NU) founder and The Ringer writer (and now viral Tweeter) Rodger Sherman picking games for the Inside NUsletter all season long, and you won’t find his picks anywhere else on our platforms. He’s a great Twitter follow, as well as a very smart writer.
Rodger: Northwestern loses
Illinois, an extremely large hat like The Cat in the Hat wears, Northwestern, a tiny fez. I’m sorry I forgot to pick Northwestern to lose against Michigan State. Don’t worry, I’m extremely convinced Northwestern will lose this trap game.
Eli Karp: Northwestern 24, Illinois 10
Check the weather forecast for Saturday in Evanston. It’s going to be windy, it’s going to be rainy, and it may even be slushy. My evening flight from O’Hare may not make it out. HAT.
Lia Assimakopoulos: Northwestern 28, Illinois 13
HAT.
Daniel Olinger: Northwestern 31, Illinois 10
In short, Fitz kind of owns Illinois. HAT.
Colin Kruse: Northwestern 35, Illinois 10
I’m genuinely sorry for this:
Anyway, HAT—>Big Ten Championship—>Fiesta Bowl vs. Coastal Carolina.
Mac Stone: Northwestern 30, Illinois 10
HAT.
Good tweets
We’re just making this a Crimson Quarry feed, in part because Eli is lazy and partly because they’re already hilarious, and with Indiana losing out on a Big Ten title game appearance, we can do nothing more.
That’s all from us. Make sure you’re subscribed to the Inside NUsletter as this football season stumbles toward an unpredictable finish and basketball season heats up.
Give us your questions, comments, suggestion, compliments, good Tweets and everything else by emailing us at insidenu@gmail.com. Have tips, article ideas and more? Hit us up.
Written by Colin Kruse and Eli Karp.