In one respect, Northwestern needed to beat Penn State last season before true recognition could come to Evanston. The Nittany Lions were the reigning Big Ten champs, and it takes one to beat one.
Incredibly, with Northwestern’s conference winning streak now at 13 games, the Wildcats once again are seeking such recognition at Penn State’s expense. That seems silly for a team ranked 11th nationally and in the running for another Rose Bowl, but several victories apparently have not impressed observers.
After beating its last four foes by a total of 10 points, Northwestern (7-1 overall, 5-0 Big Ten) is a 10-point underdog entering Saturday’s game against the 15th-ranked Nittany Lions in Happy Valley. There is a sense that the Wildcats are living on borrowed time, what with comeback after comeback over a series of mostly bad opponents.
And there is some truth to that criticism: The Wildcats have played teams with a combined record of 23-36, including four Big Ten teams that have a 1-16 conference record between them. Northwestern this year doesn’t play Ohio State or Michigan State, the two squads right behind it in the league standings.
“Somebody asked me if we just play as well as it takes to beat a particular team, and I guess we have the last couple of weeks,” conceded Wildcat coach Gary Barnett. “But you never want to admit that.
“We haven’t played spectacularly, and not as thoroughly as we played last year.”
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Said wide receiver Brian Musso: “It definitely is scary. As close as we’ve come to losing, you don’t ever want to put yourself in a situation like that where there’s nothing you can do to win.
“People still kind of question us, which is fine. We haven’t been as convincing in some areas. Penn State was a breakthrough game for us last year, and we need to do that again.”
These next two weeks are the test for Northwestern. They visit Penn State and then No. 25 Iowa in a long make-or-break road trip that could validate, or cast doubts upon, this entire season.
Many of the Wildcats admit that they have not put together a complete game yet, with offense and defense clicking for an entire 60 minutes. All that really matters now, however, is whether they will–or even whether they have to in order to win.
So far, Northwestern has been able to overcome short lapses and sporadic inconsistencies. Call it luck or call it determination, but it appears to be working.
“If people don’t believe we’re for real already, then something’s wrong,” said offensive lineman Brian Kardos. “I have a feeling it’s all coming together.”
Penn State coach Joe Paterno, one of only a very few Big Ten insiders who in August picked the Wildcats as a favorite to repeat, dismissed Northwestern’s close calls. He joked that perhaps the school is trying to lure fans with exciting games.
“Everybody is playing better against them,” said Paterno, whose loaded squads in 1993 and 1994 managed only a 12-game Big Ten winning streak. “They’re defending conference champions, and that makes a big difference.
“If they can handle that, it says a lot about them.”