by Kevin Trahan (@k_trahan)
Joraskie picks the Cats
Northwestern picked up a new recruit Tuesday, as three-star defensive tackle Eric Joraskie picked the Wildcats, according to Scout. Joraskie is a native of Mount Carmel, Penn., and is ranked by Scout as the No. 67 DT in the country. He committed to NU after his visit.
"I just absolutely loved everything about it, there's not a better place I've been," Joraskie told Scout.com. "It has a beautiful campus, high-end academics, high-end football, has a small-town feel. Evanston is a great town and still has all the opportunities of Chicago. The people were the best part. Everything you'd want is there."
Joraskie is the seventh commit in NU's class of 2013.
Schedule cards for a super fan
Great story from NUSports.com on super fan Kevin Schneider, who works at the Dominick's near NU's athletic facilities and has been very involved with NU Athletics while living with a developmental disability. He also collects schedule cards, and as a favor to their super fan, NU sports is helping him add to his collection. Here's more from the release:
"Bottom line: We love Kevin, and we're asking for your help. Northwestern's alumni network and fans form a true national base. Wherever you are located, pick up a schedule card from your local team, be it college, semi-pro, minor league, male, female or the New York Football Giants. Drop it in the mail to us at the address below. Ask your friends and family to do the same."
Read the full release here.
Amonte Hiller to visit the White House
Just a month after winning her seventh National Championship, NU lacrosse coach Kelly Amonte Hiller will head to the White House today to be part of a ceremony celebrating the 40th anniversary of Title IX. The event will take place between 1 pm and 3 pm central time and will be hosted by the White House Council on Women and Girls. It can be viewed live online at whitehouse.gov/live.
NU sports released a YouTube video of Amonte Hiller's contributions to women's athletics and be sure to check out the full release here.
Playoff Possibilities
As the endless soap opera that is college football continues, the BCS conference commissioners are in Chicago today ironing out the details of their playoff proposal, which will be voted on by the Presidential Oversight Committee. CBS Sports' Brett McMurphy has more on the subject, but he lists these as the most likely scenarios the commissioners will send to the Oversight Committee to vote on:
• A four-team playoff consisting of the top four ranked teams. The semifinals will be held at neutral sites using existing bowls;
• A four-team playoff consisting of the top four ranked teams. The semifinals will be held at neutral sites outside the bowl system;
• A four-team playoff consisting of conference champions (if ranked among the nation's top six or eight teams). This would also allow access for at least one non-conference champion or independent or more if at least three conference champions don't rank among the top six or eight teams. The semifinals will be held at neutral sites using existing bowls;
• A four-team playoff consisting of conference champions (if ranked among the nation's top six or eight teams). This would also allow access for at least one non-conference champion or independent or more if at least three conference champions don't rank among the top six or eight teams. The semifinals will be held at neutral sites outside the bowl system;
• A two-team "plus one" championship game, which would pit the nation's top two ranked teams after the bowls are completed.
NU needs still needs to show major improvement on the field for any of this to end up mattering for the Cats — it likely won't matter for a while — but with a playoff coming, it's much more likely that the Big Ten Champion will be competing for something more than the Rose Bowl in the future.