Big Ten Daily (Nov. 20): What They're Saying About Indiana at Northwestern
There are only 12 unbeaten teams remaining in college football, and six of them are right here in the Midwest. Four are in the Big Ten, and they're all squaring off against each other this weekend. Wisconsin vs. Northwestern and Indiana vs. Ohio State could determine which teams meet in Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship.
Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellinger and Pat Forde are touring campuses of these unbeaten teams for their series "Midwestern Revival.'' Here's some interesting comments from Northwestern, where the Wildcats, just like the Hoosiers are a somewhat surprising 4-0.
- From Northwestern president Morton Schapiro:
“I have watched Indiana,” Schapiro says. “They’re real. I don’t know if it’s going to be us against Indiana or us vs. Ohio State [in Indianapolis] or Wisconsin vs. Ohio State or Indiana, but you’ve got to go through Evanston and Bloomington.”
If that sounds weird—“Evanston and Bloomington”—it is.
“In a COVID year,” Schapiro quips, “it’s crazy.”
- Undefeated vs. COVID, too:
But in regard to the 2020 Wildcats, the most important figure is zero. As in, zero legitimate positive COVID-19 tests. Since beginning daily testing in late September, the Northwestern football program has endured no positives, the school says. While other programs are pausing activities because of outbreaks (three did so last week just in the SEC), Northwestern is cruising toward two months of COVID-free football.
People around here have one reaction to that. “Knock on wood,” Fitzgerald says.
- The Peyton Ramsey effect:
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey, a graduate transfer from Indiana, isn’t necessarily prolific, but he’s proficient — a 67% completion rate, 723 yards passing and another 122 yards on the ground, with seven touchdowns. Other newcomers have helped, as well.
Tight end John Raine, an FAU grad transfer, has 11 catches for 112 yards, and Kent State transfer Derek Adams, the starting punter, has positioned his team well, with seven of his 20 punts downed inside the 20. And don’t forget about Peter Skoronski, a true freshman starting at left tackle.
Lastly, there’s new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, whose unit this season hasn’t been explosive but has been consistent. In fact, the Cats have scored at least 20 points in each of their first four games against Big Ten opponents for the first time in 2012, and they’re solid in the red zone, ranking third in scoring within the 20s.
- Last year's 3-9 more the 'aberration':
“I said this on our air last week,” says Dave Revsine, a Northwestern alum and a studio host at Big Ten Network. “The aberration was last year, not this year. It’s been a really good program for a while. I don’t think people are stunned like people are in the same way that they are stunned like Indiana.”
- Peyton Ramsey in the library?:
“I was walking through the science and engineering library one day and I recognized the Northwestern quarterback,” says Kevin Leonard, in his 40th year working at the Northwestern University archives. “He was poring over a big, thick book of equations. I thought, ‘Holy cow!’”
For the complete Northwestern story in our 'Midwestern Revival'' series, CLICK HERE
Related football stories
- FIELDS vs. PENIX: The big showdown this weekend likely will be determined by quarterbacks Justin Fields of Ohio State and Michael Penix Jr. of Indiana. Both have been sensational this far. Fields is 16-1 at OSU, and Penix is 9-1 as the starter for the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE
- McFADDEN SHINES FOR INDIANA: Micah McFadden wasn't sure he was Big Ten material was he was being recruited very lightly out of Tampa, Fla. He only had two Power 5 offers, but now he's one of the best linebackers in the country and he's led Indiana's defense to a 4-0 start. CLICK HERE
- PEYTON RAMSEY'S JOURNEY: Here's the YouTube video of the Peyton Ramsey feature on the Big Ten Network. CLICK HERE
