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NU @ TU Prediction Thread

R

rmndcat

Junior
Sep 4, 2009
2,805
234
63
Wildcat football returns on Saturday as the Cats travel to the Big Easy to play Tulane. With the Cats, things are rarely easy, including making a prediction for these two teams in the first game of the season. Tulane is favored in the AAC this season and the Cats seem to be improved, notably at QB and the D-Line, but it's hard to thoughtfully handicap those match-ups. Vegas has the Cats as 7.5 point underdogs.

But hope springs eternal so...

Purple Cats 20
Green Wave 17

P.S. The game will be played in the same week as the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans. I hope that, while anticipating the game, we give a moment of thought to those lives lost.
 
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TheC

TheC

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
19,214
1,301
62
I have NO idea what to expect from our Cats this year. I don't think we are competing for any BIG titles, but I really don't know if this team will win 7-8 games or zero games. I am generally pessimistic about NU sports (beaten into me over nearly 40 years), so will pick against them here, but would love to be very very wrong:

City of Jazz 27
City of Blues 13
 
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SmellyCat

SmellyCat

Junior
May 29, 2001
7,293
352
83
Low scoring. I’m gonna say 17-13. I’ve dreamed twice about long Himon runs recently, so I’m predicting he’ll get a long one Saturday.

I can’t decide who’s going to win 17-13 (my dreams won’t tell me), but since this is an NU board I’ll pick the Cats.
 
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BosCat

BosCat

Sophomore
Nov 29, 2008
1,276
189
63
Alvious said:
My only prediction is that we will have the ball inside our 5 yd line and we will do something stupid.
Click to expand...
But of course we won't do anything stupid when we have the ball inside their 5 yd line ;)

Purple Haze 23 / Green Wave 16
 
A

Anon1753033624

Redshirt
Jul 20, 2025
13
9
3
We don't realize we're in a football game until start of the second half. We make a furious comeback but still lose 28-17.
Hàve seen this scenario too many times over the years.
 
B

Baz = Heisman

Junior
Aug 15, 2025
548
327
63
rmndcat said:
Wildcat football returns on Saturday as the Cats travel to the Big Easy to play Tulane. With the Cats, things are rarely easy, including making a prediction for these two teams in the first game of the season. Tulane is favored in the AAC this season and the Cats seem to be improved, notably at QB and the D-Line, but it's hard to thoughtfully handicap those match-ups. Vegas has the Cats as 7.5 point underdogs.

But hope springs eternal so...

Purple Cats 20
Green Wave 17

P.S. The game will be played in the same week as the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans. I hope that, while anticipating the game, we give a moment of thought to those lives lost.
Click to expand...
Tulane is doing a tribute to their 2005 team I read which will be nice.
 
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CatManTrue

CatManTrue

All-American
Oct 4, 2008
16,535
5,695
97
Feeling optimistic about this game and season in general. Stone is a stud, the offensive line is big, the running backs are too, and the defense has talent.

Plus we have Nothing to Lose.

Cats 30
Wave 17
 
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Z

zanycat

Redshirt
May 29, 2001
495
4
11
Heat and humidity are in the mind. Hydrate well, hopefully have sideline cooling fans, and with all the modern UA wicking materials plus a dash of good clock management and we can negate that environmental advantage. Chicago summers were 95 heat / 95 humidity in the late 90’s so I can’t believe we aren’t somewhat accustomed to it. Just smells different on the bayou but close enough to the North Branch. Both defenses might wilt like a southern magnolia a little.

Cats win 27-21.
 
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E

EvanstonCat

Senior
May 29, 2001
50,767
767
73
44-3 Cats.

I don’t see a weakness in defense.

Preston Stone is a stud and I think our Oline will be much improved. This ain’t going to be the O we’ve been used to seeing with inept OC’s and QB’s.

and Tulane will have glaring first game issues with a team that returns 5 starters total and reliant on a ton of transfers who need time to gel.

Hope springs eternal for game one
 
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eddie_gocats

eddie_gocats

Senior
Sep 4, 2018
1,348
420
77
Going with 2020 vibes when Peyton Ramsey debut blew away Maryland.

Stone's performance will remind us of that.

D I think will perform well with key interceptions.

Tulane will have hiccups with all the transfers coming together.

Why not?

NU 31-TU 13
 
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D

Deeringfish

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2008
21,141
1,383
63
I'm optimistic. I think the D will shock the new Tulane QB who has not spent enough time with the team to get over his rough departure from Utah.

Stone will be solid and the run game will wear Tulane out.
Cats 27 Tulane 10
 
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G

Gladeskat

All-Conference
Feb 16, 2004
116,627
1,823
113
zanycat said:
Heat and humidity are in the mind. Hydrate well, hopefully have sideline cooling fans, and with all the modern UA wicking materials plus a dash of good clock management and we can negate that environmental advantage. Chicago summers were 95 heat / 95 humidity in the late 90’s so I can’t believe we aren’t somewhat accustomed to it. Just smells different on the bayou but close enough to the North Branch. Both defenses might wilt like a southern magnolia a little.

Cats win 27-21.
Click to expand...
So, the late '90's featured 93-degree dew points? Sticky slick!

I doubt if I ever practiced in 95-degree heat in Evanston with the cool breezes that come off the lake on hot afternoons.
 
TheC

TheC

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
19,214
1,301
62
No one really knows before the season starts, but people expect Tulane to compete for the American crown. If they are anywhere near as good as South Florida, we may have our hands full. South Florida dominated a ranked (for what that's worth in Week 1) Boise State last night.
 
D

Deeringfish

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2008
21,141
1,383
63
TheC said:
No one really knows before the season starts, but people expect Tulane to compete for the American crown. If they are anywhere near as good as South Florida, we may have our hands full. South Florida dominated a ranked (for what that's worth in Week 1) Boise State last night.
Click to expand...
I really don't get it. They have 60 new players. Their starting QB has been their only a short time and the second QB is hurt. They lost most of their best players from last year. I feel like if NU were to have all that transition they would never be elevated like Tulane has.
 
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J

JoeWildcat

Sophomore
Jul 31, 2001
2,718
129
46
Defense keeps us in game until offense starts clicking, then we blow them out:

NU 24
TU 13

Blowout by NU standards.
 
O

OblioCat

Redshirt
Feb 5, 2009
296
23
18
'Cats 32 Green Swamp Wave 17

My family in NOLA said there's probably too much hype for Tulane, but it will be smarmy wet and cats don't like getting wet.
 
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H

HKKJB

Freshman
Apr 23, 2016
398
99
22
Deeringfish said:
I really don't get it. They have 60 new players. Their starting QB has been their only a short time and the second QB is hurt. They lost most of their best players from last year. I feel like if NU were to have all that transition they would never be elevated like Tulane has.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Well said on the Tulane situation. I don't get it for the same reasons. I would take the spread for sure and I'm guessing we may beat them by a few TD's. I think our defense may dominate. Last year the D had no support from the O because we couldn't sustain drives. This year we can expect the D to really show its teeth.
 
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Z

zanycat

Redshirt
May 29, 2001
495
4
11
Gladeskat said:
So, the late '90's featured 93-degree dew points? Sticky slick!

I doubt if I ever practiced in 95-degree heat in Evanston with the cool breezes that come off the lake on hot afternoons.
Click to expand...
83 was the Chicago dew point in the summer of 1999. Anything above 70 is oppressive. The heat indexes were like 120.
 
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E

EvanstonCat

Senior
May 29, 2001
50,767
767
73
EvanstonCat said:
44-3 Cats.

I don’t see a weakness in defense.

Preston Stone is a stud and I think our Oline will be much improved. This ain’t going to be the O we’ve been used to seeing with inept OC’s and QB’s.

and Tulane will have glaring first game issues with a team that returns 5 starters total and reliant on a ton of transfers who need time to gel.

Hope springs eternal for game one
Click to expand...
Sorry, I meant 44-3 Green Wave.

I don’t see a strength on defense.

Preston Stone is a dud and our Oline is unimproved. This is the O we’ve been used to seeing with inept OC’s and QB’s.

and Tulane didn’t have glaring first game issues with a team that returned 5 starters total and reliant on a ton of transfers who needed no time to gel.

Hope is crushed and dead after just game one
 
eddie_gocats

eddie_gocats

Senior
Sep 4, 2018
1,348
420
77
eddie_gocats said:
Going with 2020 vibes when Peyton Ramsey debut blew away Maryland.

Stone's performance will remind us of that.

D I think will perform well with key interceptions.

Tulane will have hiccups with all the transfers coming together.

Why not?

NU 31-TU 13
Click to expand...
Trash take!
 
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