Do it to it!

• So I didn't post NUBears' weekly highlights video yet. Key word, yet.
  
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• For those of you who were like, "man, I wish that were 2 hours and 50 minutes longer", I have great news: because the game was on ESPN, you can go to ESPN360.com and watch the whole game, anytime you feel like. From now until, presumably, when ESPN goes off the airwaves, which my predictions tell me will happen after sports-hating robots take over the world in 2233. So you've got a good 230 years to watch this game as much as you want. Enjoy.
• You can't throw a rock at the Northwestern internet without hitting a post linking to dozens of articles about the NU-Iowa game, so I'll choose not to. Although this hilarious fanpost at BHGP caught my eye. I'll highlight the relevant part:

"Let's clear up this simple caveat: you held our offense, without its 1st, 2nd, and 3rd string running backs, to 10 points.  You held the offense, who lost it's starting QB in the 2nd quarter, to 10 points.  You held the offense, sure, but as far as offenses went, we were tied."


• Is it that absurd of me to note that they also held our offense without our first, second, and third string running backs (check where Scott Concannon was on that preseason depth chart - fifth if you include the injured Alex Daniel, probably sixth depending on how you felt about Jacob Schmidt), and that our starting quarterback was injured, then our backup quarterback got injured, and then our starting quarterback came back in for him. You guys held that offense to ten points. But we also, uh, tackled your quarterback in the end zone. And he dropped it. And we picked it up. Which is worth seven points. 
• However, for the most part, the Iowa blogosphere has been pretty accepting of what happened, so, congrats to them on a good season for nine games, and here's to them still going to Pasadena, if for no other reason, so that we look good for having beaten them.
• Fitz intense-o-meter: Despite pleas of me being crazy when I made Fitz only a 4.4 last week, the man himself didn't seem all that intense on the field, and even went so far as to not call the win an upset. That's practically calm for Fitz, although remember that even a 4.4 on the Fitz intensity meter would cause life-long mental harm and quite possibly the permanent inability to taste. This week, after the win, there's a decent season/bowl in sight, and of all the opponents to face, we have Illinois, our, uh, rival? And there's a trophy on the line. Fitz is currently at a 7.1, indicated by symptoms such as frequent, loud, uncontrollable stomach growlings to the tune of the intro to the song "Crazy Train" by Black Sabbath.
• I bring you this article for two reasons: one, the interesting and relevant piece of information that Juice Williams, Illinois' quarterback of the last few years, recent benchee, and thrower of a pick last year will most likely not be playing. But primarily because of the troubling ad (I hope all of you see it, it shows up when I reload) for Engelbrecht Grills and Cookers: in case you can't see it, it's a game called "Whack-A-Wildcat," wherein a very angry Sidney Stewart with his teeth clenched pops out of multiple holes and you're supposed to hit him with a hammer as many times as you can in 30 seconds. The reasonable thing to think would be, "well, it's a local company, I'm sure they pay this newspaper to have some guy change the player's uni, helmet, and the word "Wildcat" to whatever team the Fighting Illini happen to be playing this week." However, because I'm not reasonable, I view this as a personal affront against Sidney Stewart and all Wildcat fans in general. Engelbrecht Grills and Cookers: you are officially no longer friends of Sippin' on Purple. That's right. Your time here is over. I swear on my life never to purchase any Engelbrecht grills OR cookers. And that's final.
  

• HTP more than doubled our bowl likelihood from 40% to 85% after last week's win. If  we win this week, we definitely won't see Motor City. And I'm looking forward to chadnudj's Rooting Interests post later in this week, because, yo, first off, we could theoretically sit where we are, and if other teams lose in ways that would be beneficial towards us, we could still miss out on the D. And if other teams go our way and we win out... well, we could be in Tampa or San Antonio. Cross your fingers. (and post, chad, because it worked well last time. Superstition.)
• Last but not least, power poll! (please, people, like I said, superstition, so call me an idiot in the comments. We always seem to win when people do that.

1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Iowa
4. Wisconsin
5. Michigan State
6. Northwestern
7. Purdue
   
8. Illinois
9. Minnesota
10. Indiana
11. Michigan

Post later, gents and ladies.