 Ross Siler is a Medill junior. . He can be reached at [email protected]. |
Even the most bitter Gary Barnett critics have to empathize with the plight of the former Northwestern football coach. It’s only the first week of October, and Barnett’s stuck with an 0-4 Colorado squad that’s going nowhere.
And he’s had to watch the past two weeks as the players he recruited to NU went out and knocked off two top-20 teams.
Wasn’t it just a week and a half ago that Randy Walker, Barnett’s successor, held up a “Gary Who?” sign like a “Dewey Defeats Truman” Chicago Tribune?
The faithful in Boulder, Colo., already are questioning Barnett’s ability. All they usually get riled up about are layoffs at the Celestial Seasonings plant and JonBenet’s parents.
During Monday’s Big 12 coaches teleconference, Barnett described his Colorado team, in no particular order, as being in disarray, devoid of chemistry, looking for answers, soft and not having any life. He questioned how many players would be making the road trip to Saturday’s game at Texas A&M. He announced his third different starting quarterback this year.
And what about NU, Barnett’s former squad? Well, Barnett spoke fondly about the experience his last recruiting classes gained in his final 3-8 season in Evanston. About how great it is watching Damien Anderson run with confidence and Teddy Johnson catch balls with poise.
“It’s just great to see them do so well,” Barnett gushed. “I figured they would if they stayed tough and stayed together.”
The players did, but the coach left. At least the questions about NU provided Barnett a chance to think about something other than the 44-21 drubbing No. 5 Kansas State handed Colorado on Saturday. Especially given that the Buffaloes had two weeks to prepare for the game and were creamed by a team that tuned-up for the season with Iowa, Louisiana Tech, Ball State and North Texas.
The combined records of those teams is 1-17. Meanwhile, Barnett warmed up by dropping close games to Colorado State, Southern California and Washington.
He could always point to the merits, however, of playing top-notch competition. Until Saturday, that is.
“We played poorly, very poorly on defense,” said Barnett, whose defense is yielding 414 yards and 26 points per game. “Probably the worst I can ever remember. We didn’t play with any emotion, any tenacity, any toughness. And I can’t put my finger on why it happened.”
There’s still the consolation of being the best 0-4 team in college football, as one reporter put it during Monday’s teleconference. Just like the Cubs (not the Phillies) were the best 65-97 club in baseball this year. The only problem is the agony that fans will suffer when Barnett drops games to Colorado State, Washington (led by former Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel) and hated Nebraska for the second straight year.
Insight.com Bowl victories, no matter how glorious, don’t pacify the public for long.
Not to mention that Barnett’s incredible turnaround at NU is losing its luster with every win that Walker’s Cats record. One of the questions posed Monday was whether the national story of a resurgent NU will play well the second time around.
“I hope so,” Barnett replied. “Those kids there deserve everything. They all came there on that promise” of reaching New Year’s Day bowl games.
The truth is that a fair amount of credit for this year’s NU team should go to Barnett. With the exception of Zak Kustok, every starter on this year’s team was a Barnett recruit at one point. Anderson, Johnson and Napoleon Harris came aboard after the 1997 Citrus Bowl, when Barnett captured NU’s first-ever Top 20 recruiting class. Harold BlackMonday, Dwayne Missouri and Rashad Morton signed after the 1996 Rose Bowl. Billy Silva, Raheem Covington and Kevin Bentley followed in 1998. And Jon Schweighardt, Austin King and Kunle Patrick honored their commitments to NU (made to Barnett) just after Walker came aboard in 1999.
So give credit to Walker for installing a new offense and instilling new attitude in this team. He’s the Big Ten Coach of the Year if they give out the award today. To take another coach’s players and win with them is a fantastic accomplishment — something Barnett is failing to do with Neuheisel’s troops.
Just remember the contribution Barnett made and the position he is in. Texas A&M on the road this week, Texas at home the following week and another potential loss at Kansas the week after that. And nobody, especially the dire-sounding coach on the teleconference, is expecting victory.
