There's one school in the Big Eleven that scares me. Football, basketball, women's field hockey, tiddlywinks, just scary.
Ohio State.
It doesn't matter who NU brings to the gunfight, they've got a bazooka. You've finally got a guy who can play quarterback? They've got Terrelle Pryor. You bring a guy who can average 20 points a game in conference? NU finally brings in a guy who can get a 1300 on his SAT's and score 20 points a game in conference? They've got Greg Oden and Mike Conley, followed by B.J. Mullens, followed by Evan Turner, followed by Jared Sullinger leaving early to get drafted in the first round of the NCAA draft.
I hate playing Ohio State. Luckily, over the course of my four year college career, I will see them play less than any other Big Ten team in both football and basketball: only one football game, an embarrassing loss at home where Pryor murdered NU's defense and Jim Tressel called a fake punt up three touchdowns that made me burn my then-extensive sweater vest collection, and six basketball games, thus far, three of which have been played, with the only win coming my freshman year on a John Shurna three. (I was in class and watched it online. I kinda sorta refuse to believe it actually happened.)
HOWEVER: I am super friggin pumped for tomorrow's game.
Tomorrow, No. 1 steps into Welsh-Ryan Arena. The best team in the country. The ones with the targets on their back.
I don't remember the last time a No. 1 team played at Northwestern. There almost certainly won't be another one before I graduate next June.
Sure, the chances are slim - slim to none - and the odds are against them. But they're there. The best team in the country is going to come into NU's gym and has to win if they want to stay the best team in the country.
Tomorrow, NU gets a shot - a chance to take on the best and beat them.
They probably won't.
But hell, we can get rowdy in case it does happen. Also noteworthy: this game will be huge in deciding the freshman of the year contest between Jared Sullinger and JerShon Cobb.
Preview after the jump. It's pretty easy, because they're the No. 1 team in the nation. My goal is for all the questions I ask that normally take a paragraph to answer to take ten words or less.
Are they good? They haven't lost a game yet. (Boom. Six words.)
Who they got? Jared Sullinger. He's awesome. And Jon Diebler is a gunner. (Ten words. Cutting it close)
What are they good at?: EVERYTHING. (one word.)
What are they bad at?: Pretty much nothing. (three words.)
How can NU beat them?: It's difficult to imagine a scenario. Sullinger is a next-level player - remember Trevor Mbakwe the other day? Imagine if he was better at what he's good at but also could pass and shot 75 percent from the line - and these guys have four rotation players who shoot over 40 percent from deep, including Diebler, who shoots 47.6 percent jesus. I see no weaknesses. NU would need every single player on its roster to show up and play well above average. (I didn't try on that one.
Should NU beat them? HELL NO. (Two words!)
Can NU beat them? For the first time, I'll say this: probably not. (nine words.)
So, that's gloom, and that's doom. Now that reality is over, LET'S DO THIS.