Purdue Weather Forecast (Forecaster Jepson)

Damn! I forgot again! What the hell is wrong with me. But hey, at
least I reduced my inbox from 475 messages to 133.

Ummm. Purdue walks. Also, they're stupid. Thus, they will try to walk
to Evanston from West Lafayette starting tomorrow morning, not realizing
that they won't make it in time for the game.

Where does the weather figure in? It doesn't. But more drunkies will
come to the game if it's nice, so I think it's going to be 65 and sunny.

Sorry for the lameness, but I'm late for an appointment with my bed.

Jantz

Purdue Whether Report

Say, Josh, tell me whether...

...you'll ever put the odds or point spread in here without being reminded.
Boy, it sure seems like the answer is no. But I guess we can always hope that memory wins once or twice. I'm seeing Purdue -9.5 and an O/U of 54.

...there will be more than 40 kilopeople at the game on Saturday.
Yes, I think there will. The 11 o'clock start might make it one of those trickle-in type of crowds.

...there will be more than 30 kiloNorthwestern-fans.
That's a tough one. I'm gonna go with the heart and say "yes" cuz it's homecoming.

...there's a great Purdue fight song parody.
Not really. There's a great song about the good people from West Lafayette.

Oh, give me a school where the "students"* play pool
And the cows roam the campus all day
Where seldom is heard an intelligent word
and the athletes get very high pay.

Moo, moo moo Purdue.
It's a school any fool can through
Where chimpanzees can get bachelors' degrees
And the Golden Girl strayed from the zoo.

* quotes are mine

...you can come up with something original.
Fine. I'll give it 10 minutes...no I gave up even sooner than that. No lyrics (in limited searching) plus stupid songs make Josh something something.

...there was anything worthwhile on the Purdue band website.
Yes. They have something called "Tuba Cadence and Band Cheer." I love me some tuba cadence.

...The "All-American" band really has the world's largest drum.
No. It's a common misunderstanding based in past confusion.

...you're gonna explain that.
Yeah you know it! Back in "the day" Purdue was looking for something worthwhile to distinguish itself. So they tried out the "world's larget (blank)" with little success. "The World's Largest Um....." was a common expression in the Purdue board rooms during brainstorming meetings. Unfortunately, a rogue reporter misheard one of these starter sentences and ran with it. So they had the band paint up the biggest assiest drum they had lying around.

...they then hit it with Q-tips.
Apparently.

...you're gonna go out on limb and pick the ApostroCats again.
It's not so much a limb, as a tree that grows where none other can flourish. Cats 27-Purdue 20.

Purdue Preview

Yay for Homecoming! Not only are the Cats coming back to Evanston to try for yet another home win, it's the one weekend of the year when alumni (such as myself) are welcomed with open arms. Instead of being pushed gently (or strongly) away. And a big welcome home to NU coach Randy Walker after his stay in the hospital. We here (which is just me, but still) wish him speedy recovery and hope to see him healthy in whatever capacity on Saturday.

On to the game. Purdue comes in ranked in the top 25 after two tough losses in a row. NU had a loss of its own last week to one of those teams - Wisconsin. So, one of us will have to win. I'd just as soon it be the Cats, if it's all the same to you. I know the Boilers have a great QB in Kyle Orton and a receiver in Taylor Stubblefield. I say that's not enough and that the NU defense will show something just like last year at HC. So let's put that aside and look at something really important.

Homecoming. There's probably a ton of things for students and alumni to do during homecoming weekend. I don't really know what any of them are, so I'll be sticking to the basics:
* Leave work early "because I need time to get ready"
* Chill/eat/rehearse with NUMBalums
* Parade around like a ninny
* More chillin' & boozin'
* Gameday: amaze the assembled CatsFans with marching/playing prowess, Cats Win
* More chillin'
* More boozin'
I mean, I don't really think any "events" or "other things" can beat that master plan.

But just in case you read this because of the football "content," here's some funny Purdueness:
A different -- lamer -- homecoming: Dubler (Jr. CB from Gurnee), Hare (Jr. WR from Arlington Hts), Tranowski (Jr. DT from Wheaton), & Patton and Martin (from Chicago).
D'ya blow me, almost?: Anthony Heygood (Fr. RB)
Maybe not a girl's name, but I mean, c'mon: Fabian Martin (Fr. WR)
Even better than Heygood: Brian Wood (Fr. RB)
and not least: Walker, Turner, Spencer, Sester, Painter (hee hee), Oliver, Miller, Leimberger, Lecklider, Keglar, Grover, Golder, Fincher, Baker (ouch!).

GO CATS!

Wisconsin 24, NU 12

I've gotta say this. Madison was not as bad as I imagined it would be. I expected our seats to be surrounded on all sides by Badger fans, and I thought they'd be throwing batteries (car batteries), feces and what have they. As it was, our seats were among the calmer, more experienced (read: old) alums. The worst fan-based experience came from some unknown NU "supporters" nearby. I can only assume that when one of those young men twists a knee rollerblading to class, Marvin Ward will stand over him and yell "Get up, p-----! What the f--- are you doing going to class if you're just going to f--- up and hurt yourself?!"

On to the action. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. No wait. That was different. Much less than that happened in the beginning on Saturday. Points scored? 3. Turnovers? You know it. Much else? Not really. Then things happened and we all got sad. Sad to the tune of 0-17 at halftime.

And, despite two second half touchdowns by the ApostroCats, NU's defense wasn't solid enough to make up for a very bad day by Bret Basanez through air. Once again we get the Randy Walker-Josh Held Predicto-Stat Showdown. Turnover Margin: NU +1 (1 by, 2 forced). Passing yds per attempt: NU 4.3, UW 8.1. Now, I don't believe we necessarily need to have a greater PYpA than our opponents. Just maybe greater than 6 or 6.5. 4.3? I think not.

Anyway. Another Big Ten stadium crossed off my personal checklist. I need Ross-Ade (Purdue) and Michigan Stadium. It'll take a couple more years.

&
In My Opinion:
Cats' O: Not too bad. I mean, we could'a beat Penn State and Iowa combined.
Cats' D: Too many big plays. As is usual in our losses.
Cats' Spesh: Very good kick coverage against Jim"my" Leonhard. Another Huffman ick-fest kept us out of the running. Who's our next place-kicker? I'd like to see him this season.

Go Cats! Beat the Boilermakers! Go alums! Drink some boilermakers!

Wisconsin Weather Forecast (Forecaster Jepson)

* Please note: portions of this weather report have been previously
used with a successful outcome. Should this method be successful once
again, a tradition will have been formed. Said tradition will be
governed by the Northwestern University Marching Band Traditions
Committee, which is any and all members who are old. All decisions by
the Traditions Committee are final. Whiners will be prosecuted to the
full extent of the law, which includes death and/or spam.


Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger,
badger, badger, badger, MUSHROOM, MUSHROOM.....
This weekend's forecast calls for the same beer, cheese, and porn
showers that continually rape the entire state of Wisconsin. The
Badgers will rapidly become intoxicated, saturated with lactose, and
horny, making them the same as they always are. The 'Cats will not be
distracted by such foolishness, and thus will crush them until they
puke, lactate, and secrete other bodily fluids all at the same time.

SNAKE! SNAKE! Ooh, it's a SNAKE,
Jantz

P.S. I told you they'd get better as I became more sleep-deprived.
P.P.S. Where better = funnier.
P.P.P.S. Where funnier = much more disgusting.
P.P.P.P.S. Where disgusting = Wisconsin-like

Wisconsin Whether Report

Say, Josh, tell me whether...

...a line for this game.
Yes sir. Wisconsin -12.5, O/U 43.5. I think that's reasonable. I'm kind of hoping that the over is a bad bet though.

...Saturday is your father's bday.
It totally is! A couple weeks ago, I got a very belated birthday gift in the form of the win over OSU. Maybe the A-Cats will be in the same giving mood this weekend.

...he has any real rooting interest in the Badgers losing.
Well, I know he roots for NU. Plus he went to Minnesota, so he's probably all about beating Wisconsin and all about Paul Bunyan's Axe.

...he...wait? Wuh? Paul Bunyan's Axe?
I know! It's the trophy that the Gophers and Badgers play for. It was originated after the "Slab of Bacon" travelling trophy. Seriously. Slab of Bacon. Check it out.

...this isn't supposed to about Northwestern.
No. This is about me. But, I take your point.

...Wisconsin QB John "don't give me a nickname" Stocco did an ESPN.com chat yesterday.
Yes.

...he totally broke down and just started posting all of the Badgers' offensive plays online.
No.

...he totally broke down and just started posting all of his mom's recipes for Whuppin His Ass Soup.
Yes.

...you're gonna be rockin Camp Randall on Saturday.
Yes. If by "rockin" you mean hiding in the midst of as many large NU fans/bodyguards as possible.

...you really think NU can win this one.
I totally do. It'll take a lot of special play from O and D. Fine, and the special teams. I'm picking NU to upset Wisconsin to the tune of 14-10.

Wisconsin Road Trip Guide

This Saturday, the Wildcats are headin' up to Wisconsin for an appointment with the Badgers. Yes, yes, I know: We don't need no stinkin' et cetera. But up there in the great red north they need the Badgers very badly. They have very little else to live for, what with the Pack being all dreadful and only minor league baseball and basketball teams.

So, in the interest of your health and happiness, here's
Everything you need to know for your Wisconsin road trip.

* Getting there is less than half the fun but more than half the trip
So, Madison is around 150 miles from Evanston. I think UW is the closest Big Ten "school." So that means you'll be driving and you'll probably take I-90 most of the way. That means tolls, tolls, tolls. In addition to paying the tolls (maybe about $2 all together) blast the opening lines of Money (That's What I Want) at the toll-booth operator. They love it, I promise. If you don't have that track available, just sing it, baby:
(dun nuh nuh nuh!)
The best things in life are free
(dun nuh nuh nuh!)
But you can keep them for the birds and bees
Give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want, yeah
That's what I want

* Ok, I'm here. Now what?
Well, now's when I remember that you should've got a ticket before you left Evvy. Whoops! But if you actually do have a ticket, head for Camp Randall Stadium on the west side of campus. Once you go in, you'll be among 76,000 spittle-emiting Badger fans. Do not express your pity for them, as they understand not your human-feelings. They won't expect to understand you, and they'll probably be afraid, because they'll recognize you as a purple-clad Adonis (or Adonesse if you're a lady?).

* I'll be driving in Wisconsin for a few hours on Saturday. Anything I should look for?
We all know the official motto of Wisconsin is "Cows & Cheese & Beer & Porn," but let's dig a little deeper. In fact let's go to Amanda who's on the scene now with an in-depth report.

Well, there is more to Wisconsin than just your little motto, but let's look at those things first:

Cows-
The official state domestic animal is the dairy cow.  There are more than 1.3 million cows in the state.

Beer-
Known as the Beer Capital of the United States, besides having both Milwaukee and LaCrosse claiming to have the highest number of bars per capita (both different specifics), the state [has] probably one of the highest [bars per capita] in the 48 states.  It is also home to many manufacturers, such as Point, Miller, Sprecher and Leinenkugels.

Cheese-
Is the largest producer of cheese in the nation (duh!), making 350 varieties of cheese. They make cheese for 86 million people. They also produce large amounts of butter and milk. Cheese-making requires a cheese-maker's license; Limburger cheese-making requires a master cheese-maker's license. If you want to buy limburger cheese, WI is the place to go. Chalet Cheese Co-op in Monroe is the only cheese factory in the United States that still makes the notoriously odd-smelling limburger variety of cheese.

Porn-
Watch for all the adult stores along the highway.  Enough said.

Wisconsin is also known for hunting.  The opening day of deer season is a school holiday in many districts.  There are 800,000 deer in the woods, but I don't know if that's before or after hunting season.  There is also a season for almost anything, so watch it!

Food hints: Cheese curds can mean two things.  They can be the chunks of cheese, either yellow or white, that when fresh, squeak.  They can also be breaded and deep fried.  Both are amazing and should be enjoyed!  In other food items, fish frys are very popular and in fact, Milwaukee has the highest number of those per capita as well.

Weather: It could be snowing this game day so be prepared.  You may want to stock your vehicle with a winter survival kit as well, because you never know if you will end up in a ditch in the middle of nowhere and have to dig your car out/sleep in your car (many places are not traveled much).  This also means bring winter weather gear such as blaze orange stocking caps, camouflage gloves and flannel shirts.

Laws to be aware of:
*Livestock have the right-of-way on public roads.
*At one time, margarine was illegal. As people used to smuggle it in from Illinois, all yellow butter substitute is banned. So don't try to smuggle a case of Oleo in!
*If you hit a deer with your car, if you call the police and get a tag for it, you can keep it!

And after soundly crushing the Badgers, if you would like to travel further in Wisconsin, here are some other winning places to go:

*Hayward, home to the largest muskie in the world.
*Sheboygan, the Bratwurst Capital of the World.
*If you are here Labor Day weekend, you should check out The Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw  in Sauk Prairie, which draws 40,000 spectators.
*Mount Horeb, home to internationally known Mustard Museum, containing the world's largest collection of mustards (more than 3,500 different varieties).

Wow! This was a pretty comprehensive report. Expect less (from me, not Amanda) in the future!
See you in Madison!

Wisconsin Preview

That was an exciting bye week, huh? What? Don't tell me that you weren't thrilled by Pitt's OT win over BC! It's like I hardly even know you anymore. And some kind of thing with Purdue and someone else I think. Maybe it was the team we get on Saturday. I was too stoked about the Panthers to care. Oh and speaking of Panthers, how 'bout them Eagles!

ANYway. It's road-tripping time at a campus 70 or so miles northwest of the college formerly known as George Williams. Yes, the ApostroCats are travelling to Madison, Wisconsin to take on the 0-and-2-against-NU-lately Badgers (#7/6). Many of us are going along to witness the serving of raw badger-meat. So, for those of you going to the game, and those watching on ESPN, here's what you'll want to know.

* The UW defense was led by DE, Erasmus James. Isn't that a great name? Erasmus. Erasmus. Sorry. Erasmus (I said it again) won't be available Saturday due to an injury he sustained against Purdue last week. Undefeated Wisconsin does field one of the top-rated defenses in the country, but I would argue that they have played some weak teams before last week: Central Florida (0-6), UNLV (2-5), Arizona (1-5), Illinois (2-5,0-4), Penn State (2-4,0-3), and OSU (3-3,0-3).

* The Badger offense is "led" by sophomore QB John Stocco. He's not been impressive, so it's a good thing (for him) the offense is led by senior RB Anthony Davis. He's been back for three games since an injury and has rushed for over 160 yards in two of those. Last year in NU's 16-7 win, Davis went out with an early injury.

*Erasmus, Erasmus, Erasmus, Erasmus, some other guys' names, & Erasmus:
Won't you be my neighbor: It's Wisconsin, so there's lots of guys from Wheaton (Bell), Chicago (Cowans, Cribbs, Jefferson, Standring, Timbers, Tobias), Naperville (Daniels) and et cetera.
My brother could beat you up: Paul Standring (RS Fr, P) is the younger brother of former NU punter J.J, and Marcus Randal El (Fr, QB) is the younger brother of Indiana Hoosier and Pittsburgh Steeler Antwaan.
Don't call me Anthony Thomas: Anthony Davis (Sr, RB)
Please call me Jim Sorgi: John Stocco (So, QB)
That's "Coach" Krzyzewski: Mark Zelewski (So, LB)
At least Erasmus isn't a girl's name: Demi Omole (Fr, WR)
Thank God I hardly know 'em: Weininger, Walker, Walker, Stellmacher, Rentmeester, Holzbauer, Fuller,



GO CATS!

BYE Whether Report

Say, Josh, tell me whether...

...Randy Walker will design plays this week, based on the Wisconsin-Purdue game.
Yes.

...that's the same first question as last year's bye week whether report.
Yes it is. You're pretty damn sharp.

...you've got some picks for some other games.
Sure do. How about...Michigan 28-Illinois 14, Minnesota 27-MSU 20, OSU 17-Iowa 13, Purdue 20-Wisconsin 14. Also...Eagles 21-Panthers 10.

...your track record this year indicates that everyone should wager based on your picks.
Uh. Probably not. I haven't checked, but I'm probably under .500 picking against the spread and even worse picking winners.

...you want another crack at that last one, for those of us who need the action.
Yeah. I meant, um, those are my "Iron-clad Locks of the Week." Guaranteed or no money back.

...it's a short one this week.
Yup. I'm already resting up for some serious a) football-watching, b) drink-drinking and c) even more of a and b.

BYE Week Preview

Well, after last year's divergence into etymology, I think we can all enjoy something different during Bye Week 2004. I had an original idea: How about I talk about football? Needless to say, I was bowled over by my own genius. So, I'll be all over the four Big Ten matchups this week, plus some other awesomeness from around the country.

* Michigan @ Illinois: I know this game is at U of I and all, but I do not believe that Illinois can break its streak of conferense losses. If you wanna see that, get tickets to the Iowa or Indiana games in November. Maybe.

* Minnesota @ MSU: Probably the most boring game of the weekend in this conference. Unless it features 700+ yards by the Gophers or the triumphant return of Jeff Smoker!

* OSU @ Iowa: Ok. Maybe this is more boring. But I'm excited to see if Ohio State can manage to lose it's third straight game. I kinda think they'll win, and both teams will come out of the weekend 1-2 in the league.

* Wisconsin @ Purdue: Now we're talking. This is probably the most interesting game in the country this weekend. Maybe Virginia-FSU will surpass it. Or Texas-Mizzou. The winner of this game is probably the prohibitive favorite to win the Big Ten championship, and will be the only undefeated (overall) team in the conference. I'm all a-twitter. You can bet "ESPN2" will be burned into the corner of my TV screen by 7:30 on Saturday.

And, because I liked it so much last year...
* Around the country in 80 words: A reprise of last year's feature. I'll try to hit a lot of games with very few words. Starting....now!
OU-KSU: I love me some 'Cats, but Sooners shall crush.
MTSU-Fla: Wha-happened? No more SEC?
ASU-USC: PAC-10 undefeateds. If not for Purdue-Wisconsin I'd be all over this.
Mizzou-UT: I just don't think the Tigers can cut it. They need that big-haired basketballer.
UCLA-Cal: Cal falls just a week after losing to USC. Famous alumna saddened.
UVa-FSU: Highest rankings facing each other. Meh.
Tenn-Ole Miss: Manning Bowl, 2004. Peyton wins.

NU 31, Indiana 24 (2 OT)

I am starting to regain the ability to breathe. It's nice, the breathing. In this game Randy's stat held true while mine was in the gutter. The result? A tough one for me to watch. Maybe the coach had a more enjoyable time than I did. For the record. NU Turnover margin: 2-1 (+1). Yards per pass attempt: NU 5.3, IU 6.6. 5.3? Ick. It's hard to believe that we threw 48 times AND rushed for over 200 yards. Which brings me to....

...Noah! Herron! So far this was the game in which we needed him most, and he had his best game Ever. He completely showed up BenJarvis No-Blocking (who was out-rushed by his QB! The indignity!) and won himself Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. Nice one.

But.

On the other side of the NU football. The defense had a...um...bad?...difficult?...painful day. The front 4 (sometimes 3?) were nice. Good run-stoppers all. But everyone else seemed to be shocked by the injury to Jeff Backes and the loss of Nick Roach in the 1st half. I get that it's hard to come in for someone or adjust assignments on short notice. But come on. Bring a little more to it in the future. I'm talking to you: Herschel Henderson, Brian Heinz, & Brandon Roberson (who gets 1/2-credit for being a freshman).

But thanks to all for a win. It was there for the taking, and we needed it. You all deserve a bye. What a convenient time to have one then.

&
In My Opinion:
Cats' O: Well. Ick again to the passing game. But Noah Herron saved the offense with his career day.
Cats' D: Uh. That secondary needs a little strengthening. I guess Backes will help if he's back after the bye.
Cats' Special Teams: Great punt coverage against the best punt return team in the league. Mostly solid kickoffs from Howells. Huffman needs to get back on track again. DOINK!

Go Cats! Beat the Badgers! Eventually! I mean in two weeks! It's over!

Indiana Weather Forecast (Forecaster Jepson)

The weather in Evanston tomorrow will be clear and sunny. In Indiana, however, some sort of storm-thingy will destroy all of the corn fields. The Hoosiers, devastated by the loss of their primary form of entertainment (yes, I know this really applies more to Iowa, but you can just deal with it), will try to drink their sorrows away, and will show up to the game with hangovers (yes, I know this is more like Wisconsin, but you can just deal with it) reminiscient of you-know-who (or maybe you-don't-know-who), making them easy to stun and kill.

Hoosier finger,

Jantz

Indiana Whether Report

Say, Josh, tell me whether...

...NU is favored in this one.
Yes, indeed. I'm seeing NU -10.5. O/U is 59.5

...you've learned some interesting things about the state of Indiana.
I have. I'll save some for homecoming against Purdue. But here's a taste:
* Baths may not be taken between the months of October and March.
* In Santa Claus, IN (zip code 47579) --which is where the Post Office sends all the letters addressed to Santa -- there is a college there for department store Father Christmases that awards a BSC, Bachelor of Santa Clausing. The college issues pamphlets setting out rules and advice for its students regarding dress, deportment and conversation for practising Santas. (more thanks to Amanda for her research!)

...you've learned something interesting about IU coach Gary DiNardo.
You're totally on the ball today! I just found out that the head Hoosier spent a year as the coach of...wait for it...the XFL's Birmingham Thunderbolts.

...they were an awesome XFL team.
Oh no. Even there had been any awesome XFL teams, the 2-8 Thunderbolts were not.

...the Lugers are an awesome team.
Yup.

...by awesome, you mean last in the Big Ten in offense.
Yup.

...by awesome, you mean last in the Big Ten in defense.
Yup.

...you're perpetuating the under-estimation of IU that will result in the ApostroCats ultimate demise.
No. I'm telling it like it is. But I hope no one on the team reads this before Sunday.

...you've got a pick.
I've decided on NU 31, IU 17. Which means I'm picking NU to cover and taking the under. But don't forget that gambling is bad.

Indiana Preview

Ah. It's nice to be back on some sort of schedule for writing these things. It's also nice to be playing a team that I actually know a little bit about. Thanks to last week's night game, I was able to watch 20 minutes or so of IU's loss to Michigan.

What to look for from IU:
* Rushing - The Loosiers' ground game is based on "the back so nice they named him twice" BenJarvis Green-Ellis. The sophomore has taken over half of the team's carries and accumulated more than 60% of the total rushing yardage. He wears #7. And, in honor of his...er...unique nomenclature, I'll be upping the ante for his IU teammates this week. No player will be named with less than 4. names.
* Passing - IU is led in the huddle by 5th-year senior MattHarvey LoVecchio-Smitherstien. I'm pretty torn about this dude. One the one hand, he's from NJ. Which is sweet. On the other, he went to Notre Dame before Indiana. On the same second hand -- the bad one, for those of you keeping track -- he plays for Indiana. All in all, I think I'm inclined to fart in his general direction. . LoVeccio-Smitherstien (#10) is backed up by RS freshman BlakeSamuel Powers-Powers (#14). LV-S's favorite target this year has been senior wideout CourtneyJennifer Roby-Slippers. Wearing #19 for IU, he is the only player with more than 10 receptions on the year. Keeping him in check could be the name of the game.

Defensively, Indiana had a nice 2nd half against Michigan last week, but gave up big plays too often. NU should be able to use the spread offense effectively on Saturday to keep the good-but-not-great defense on its heels.

Meet the Hosers! (still 4 names. If you want the real ones, subtract the 2nd half of each)
* Get your ass back here - ChrisHenry Jahnke-Jibb (Sr, OL) from Evanston, IL.
* But even better! - KennyMike Love-Thirty (Fr, DT) from PENNINGTON, NJ! If this guy sees no time, I'll have no problem cheering for him. Even though he's officially a preppy and a Red Raider.
* Gets credit for trying to play my game - Herana-Daze Jones (REAL NAME ALERT) (Sr, S)
* What is it with seniors and not having a position? - KyleJohn Warriner-Doe (Sr, ?)
* Give the nice girls back their names - JodieAmy Clemons-Climes, CourtneyMelliza Clency-Clancy, CleoAurora Harbison-Orbison, TraceyUllman Porter-Cole, CourtneyJennifer Roby-Slippers.
* And as always (MORE REAL NAMES ALERT) - Warriner, Wagner, Spencer, Porter, Luster (ooh), Kremer (um), Hatcher (uh), Harker, Halterman, Halterman, Emerson, Braucher, Anderson.

GO CATS!

NU 33, Ohio State 27 (OT)

It's hard enough to write about a football game as big as the NU win over OSU on Saturday. Let alone the fact that I try (and often fail) at being funny. But this week, with the death of Frederick Lieb, it seems a little trite. So, I'll first direct you to some nice articles in The Daily's forum and sports sections. Now I'll just make a couple notes.

I should point out, because you all crave my infinite wisdom and point-out-ness, that my favorite stat held up again this week. Yard per pass attempt: NU 6.3, OSU 5.0. Now, 6.3 YPA isn't that great, but it's a lot better than 5.0. 5 is puh-oor. It's more of a statement about our suddenly decent pass coverage. Now, maybe we did use a lot of 5- and 6-back coverages. But we also held them to less than 100 yards on the ground. When you do that you can play Cover 3 defense all day if you want.

In other nice news, the win got a good reception from the conference and the country. Pickens was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week in his first game back this year. And the Cats were named the Team of the Week by both the FWAA and SI (independently, I think.)

So, it's nice to be noticed, and it's nice to be the early 11 point favorite against Indiana next week. I hope this niceness lasts for a while.

Oh, and by the way. Mad props to the person that gets the clock tower purple so quickly after a win. That's epic.

&
In My Opinion:
Cats' O: A couple more first downs and we could have iced the game during regulation, but it's hard to argue with 400+ yards and 33 points.
Cats' D: Pi-ckens. Clap clap. Also, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really hope Backes isn't too hurt!
Cats' Special Teams: If forcing the opposing team to start from the 35-yard line is an art, then Joel Howells will go down in history as one of the great masters.

Go Cats! Beat the Hoosiers!

Ohio State Weather Forecast (Forecaster Jepson)

Well, I cannot lie: my weather reports have only produced a 25% winning
percentage. However, the 'Cats are playing .500 ball when I give the
weather report and it's a home game, and 100% when the students are
there! So here goes:

Well, it's now October in Chicago. Thus, in a matter of hours, we will
be up to our waists in snow, which will remain until spring quarter. At
the same time, there is a large mass of air saturated with upset that is
making it's way to the Chicago area. This upset will precipitate in
said snow, which will hopelessly bury the Buckeyes so they cannot take
root and grow until the snow melts.

Go 'Cats!

Jantz