Gameday/Noon Games Open Thread

Submitted by justingoblue on

Iowa at Northwestern and IU at Illinois in Big Ten action. In other irrevelant games around the country, Texas plays at Kansas and Tennessee is in South Carolina.

Pulling hard for Northwestern today, as a Michigan victory and an Iowa loss would be ideal.

superstringer

October 27th, 2012 at 11:35 AM ^

Several B1G games are like playoffs for te division title or a bowl game. Minnie-Purdue loser likely not bowling. NW-Iowa loser has no shot at division. NU-UM winner in drivers seat.



And IU-UI loser is relegated to FCS.

B-Nut-GoBlue

October 27th, 2012 at 11:59 AM ^

God I love Saturdays in the Fall.  Pretty good slate of games throughout the whole day and I can't wait to sit on my duff and drink beer enjoying them all day.

Ughh...Herbstreit just called us Big Blue in picking us over 'Braska...Thanks, I guess

justingoblue

October 27th, 2012 at 12:02 PM ^

Usually I'm out for most of the day when there's a night game, but I managed to f@%k my knee up pretty good last night (tossing around a softball, of all things) so I'm pretty much stuck on the couch, hanging out with my TV, laptop and some beers. Other than the frozen vegetables on my knee, not a bad way to spend a day.

OTOH there are two conference games on right now, and IU/Illinois is 1.0 Pillowfights, while Iowa/NU is .5 Pillowfights. So that kind of sucks I guess.

B-Nut-GoBlue

October 27th, 2012 at 12:17 PM ^

Bummer about the knee (silver lining though?!).  Enjoy the day; at least you have an excuse now for such an ambitious day!  The Iowa game is where my attention will be (nice start for them too, Coulter drives them down the field by himself for an early TD).  In the heart of Hawkeye land so by nature I watch and follow them.  But yea, there's definitely a theme in not scheduling very good games at noon (11am for me).  So many good games at 3:30 and later today (Ohio-Penn State I feel could have been a good one played at noon).

justingoblue

October 27th, 2012 at 12:20 PM ^

Hopefully it will be fine in a few days, it doesn't seem like something that will be a long term deal.

Agree about Northwestern/Iowa. I usually like watching NU, they're a bit of a cool story with their small academic school and purple uniforms and whatnot. I also like Pat Fitzgerald better than pretty much any other coach, so I watch (and root for) them when I can. Doesn't hurt that them winning coupled with an M win means great things for the division this year.

justingoblue

October 27th, 2012 at 12:09 PM ^

Colter manages to scramble for 20+ yards for the first down, NU in Iowa territory.

Edit: And rushes into the endzone. NU up 7-0 and rushing pretty much at will. Nice.

LSAClassOf2000

October 27th, 2012 at 12:10 PM ^

In a sort of "This is what we're doing, try to stop it" drive, Iowa doesn't stop the run but for a moment here and there, and the Hawkeyes lose their best linebacker in the process. 7-0 Wildcats. 

LSAClassOf2000

October 27th, 2012 at 12:26 PM ^

So, although Northwestern's passing defense really isn't spectacular, Iowa has apparently decided to go mostly run here, and because Northwestern's rushing defense is middling, that sometimes works too. Nonetheless, Ferentz elects to play it conservatively on  4th  down. 

Meyer hits the FG for Iowa. It's now 7-3. The hope for the Hawkeyes may be the Wildcats' uncanny ability to not get to the edge and leave the odd receiver open in the 4th quarter, of course.

Note to Kain Colter - I am pretty sure the CB had your WR beat there.  

B-Nut-GoBlue

October 27th, 2012 at 12:27 PM ^

Bad throw by Colter, nice way to pick it off by the safety.  Also, Iowa's D-ends need to contain more versus getting upfield in pass-rush, Coulter will exploit that further.  We'll see if the adjust and don't get so aggresive.  Iowa ball...yay offense

Mattinboots

October 27th, 2012 at 12:27 PM ^

Just said PSU and OSU are the two best teams in the Big Ten. PSU tough to argue against right now, but OSU is incredibly lucky to be undefeated. Not saying they aren't good, but I don't see how toucan say a team that scraped a win against Purdue is a top team. And Griese is in the booth as well, but he didn't make the comment.

LSAClassOf2000

October 27th, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^

Delay of game when it looked like you were just about to convert on 4th and 3? Really, Vandenberg? 

EDIT: Further, Mark is pretty damn fast. 72 yard run through a disorganized Hawkeye defense. Colter manages to get to the 7 yard-line. 

Things to do: 

- Establish run. Check. 

LSAClassOf2000

October 27th, 2012 at 12:58 PM ^

174 yards rushing with 11:33 to go in the 2nd quarter for Northwestern. If they keep running like that, this might hit 400+ at the end of regulation unless Iowa dares get in front of Colter or Mark. 

EDIT: So, they are rotating in Simeon to show that they could - if they wanted to - carry out this assault in the air, right? He did, after all, throw a complete pass. 

 

LSAClassOf2000

October 27th, 2012 at 1:08 PM ^

I have to think that, for a second, Micah Hyde thought about muffing that punt and thereby encapsulating Iowa's season in an interpretive dance style, but he apparently thought better of it. 

Of all the passes Vandenberg would connect on, it would be a floater that, if the Wildcats had a secondary that wasn't afraid of people, could have been picked. Fortunately, Northwestern's secondary doesn't believe in pass coverage, at least the numbers say so.