Northwestern Wildcats vs. Texas A&M Aggies Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas Prediction Thread!

by Rodger Sherman on Dec 30, 2011 9:00 AM CST in 2011 Northwestern Wildcats Football

It's that time, son!

Northwestern plays Texas A&M in the game of the... well, whatever. But it's important, since it's the last hurrah for some talented seniors and a chance for NU to get its first bowl victory since... well, whenever. Don't worry about it.

Hit the jump for the SoP staff's predictions, and remember to leave your ideas in the comments and in the poll.

MountainTiger

I should be more optimistic about this game than I am. Texas A&M is another 6-6 team that can't finish a game, but I still can't bring myself to predict a Northwestern win. In the end, NU falls.

Texas A&M, 41, Northwestern, 31

Herman

NU is under the radar in this game, even among NU fans it seems, and that's when the Wildcats tend to do their best. Plus, A&M has a ton of distractions, and then some. NU isn't a great team, but when it plays with focus and puts it all together for 60 minutes, great things can happen, like the Nebraska game. There'll be a ton of scoring in this one, and I think our offense has the horses to keep up. Call it blind optimism or what you will, but I feel pretty good going into this one.

NU 31, Texas A&M 27

Loretta8

I started trolling my prediction in a fit of depression when NU was 2-5, and NU then went on a four game winning streak. Then I actually put in effort for my Michigan State prediction, and NU lost. Sorry about that, you guys (and yes, I do have supernatural powers.)

Anyways, Texas A&M is better than Northwestern in all three phases of football, but that was true against Missouri in the Alamo Bowl and Auburn in the Outback Bowl, and NU still almost won. So, I say we get a repeat of those games in this one, yet somehow lose in even more heartbreaking fashion, probably on a 60 yard field goal by the Aggies' All-American kicker whose name I'm too lazy to look up.

Aggies 31, Northwestern 30

Rodger

Northwestern is not the better team here. Ryan Tannehill should have no problem tearing apart a Northwestern secondary made up of Daniel Jones and Jeravin Matthews, the Aggies are getting star running back Cyrus Gray back for the game. But... well, I have hope. Northwestern has some luminaries playing their last games in purple, including one of the best quarterbacks in recent memory in Dan Persa, a star wide out in Jeremy Ebert, an all-conference defender in Vince Browne, and, well, we have a 63-year old monkey on our backs. (Literally, they strapped a monkey to Treyvon Green's back.) Meanwhile, the Aggies are short a coach and their interim head coach already has a head coaching gig at another school. It's hard for a bowl to be a letdown game, but for the Aggies, this is just an awkward end to a bad season, a weird intro to the book on the SEC/Kevin Sumlin eras in College Station. For NU, it's a chance for a lot more.

That said, they're the better team.

Texas A&M 48, Northwestern 35

Poll

Who ya got: BOWL EDITION

Northwestern Wildcats

57 votes

Texas A&M Aggies

50 votes

107 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 14 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Not to go all Chad here

But I am unusually optimistic about this game. I think this team is a good deal better than it’s played most of the season, and I think aTm is particularly unmotivated and discombobulated right now. I think our seniors step up big time and we slaughter these guys. 45-20

by buckyor on Dec 30, 2011 9:34 AM CST reply actions

Aggies, 59-48

by Craig from the Southside on Dec 30, 2011 9:43 AM CST reply actions

NU 52 - TAM 45

NU is more motivated than TAM. That’s the only reason, both teams are bad at defense, have had very disappointing years, and are hard to predict in the fourth quarter.

Plus, just win the game so we don’t have to hear about some meaningless bowl success record and watch players wear stuffed monkeys on their backs.

by NU Alumni - Class of 2002 on Dec 30, 2011 10:02 AM CST reply actions

NU 38, A&M 31

Sloppy game, ‘cats pull it out and end our GD streak once and for all.
On another note…Anyone in the Chicago area looking to watch the game at a bar but not wanting to go to Kendall’s? I have a group of 10-15 so far that will be getting another bar to host us. Let me know if you want in (and if you have any location suggestions). It would be great if we could get 20-30 people…

by jro827 on Dec 30, 2011 10:06 AM CST reply actions

I'm heading to State Restaurant and Bar with some friends.....

….just south of Sheffield and Webster. Huge bar, tons of TVs, open early, great beer selection. It’d be fun to get more Northwestern fans crashing the bar there.

As for my prediction: Northwestern 41 – Texas A&M 33. Persa/Ebert/Dunsmore/Peters will not leave the field for their final game in purple as losers.

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 10:42 AM CST up reply actions

State sounds good

I’ll hopefully be bringing a decent sized group there. I’ve been there a number of times and had a good experience. Great place to watch a game. Have you talked to any management there, or are you just showing up?

by jro827 on Dec 30, 2011 12:51 PM CST up reply actions

Just showing up....

…it’s not like there’s any other games that early in the morning. And it’s a big bar.

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 2:19 PM CST up reply actions

Chad, please don't do this.

From now on, I’ll do my best to refrain from overreacting to every single absurd Fitz comment if you stop declaring these statements of so and so will not leave the field as losers. You’ve said it twice now and both time the teams were soundly beaten.

Enough.

by NU Alumni - Class of 2002 on Jan 1, 2012 11:27 AM CST up reply actions

NU is one of the biggest underdogs in all the bowl games this year

Despite my hopes and dreams, I can’t pick the Cats this year. I sincerely hope I’m wrong, but I see something like 45-27 A&M, with the game not even being that close. The D can’t stop anybody on 3rd down, and even if Persa plays well, the running game won’t be able to get going.

…Damn I hope I’m wrong.

by Nirvana91 on Dec 30, 2011 11:08 AM CST reply actions

We're always the biggest underdog...

….and each of the past 3 years, we’ve covered. Bet lost of Lundies on Northwestern.

by Chadnudj on Dec 30, 2011 11:55 AM CST up reply actions

Nope, sorry.

I just can’t predict a bowl win.

aTm 41, NU 38, most likely in some heartbreaking fashion.

by MNWildcat on Dec 30, 2011 2:00 PM CST reply actions

NU 24 A&M 33

In nu fashion they will have the early lead then be stupid at the end of the half. It wil be the end of the game and NU will have possession down by 9 just with a slimmer of hope, but lose. Its not an NU season without a bowl loss.

matthew0

by matthew0 on Dec 30, 2011 3:41 PM CST reply actions