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What Pat Fitzgerald said ahead of facing Ohio State in Big Ten Championship
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Northwestern did anything but dominate its non-conference competition this season.
In the 3 games outside the Big Ten, the Wildcats went a horrendous 0-3. It was bad.
Inside the conference, however, Northwestern went a near perfect 8-1. Ohio State, the No. 6 team in the country, also went 8-1 in B1G play.
The two are now matching up on Saturday night to determine the winner of the conference. Kickoff is set for 8:17 p.m. and the game will be televised on FOX. Pat Fitzgerald, the coach of the No. 21 Wildcats, knows that Ohio State will bring his team a tough challenge.
A day prior to the B1G clash, Fitzgerald spoke with the media:
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is starting his press conference. Said team arrived 20 minutes ago. "Excited to represent the Big Ten West. Our guys have earned it."
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 30, 2018
Fitzgerald repeated that he would have voted for Dwayne Haskins Jr. if he had a Heisman vote.
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 30, 2018
Fitzgerald on how strong Northwestern's program is for the long haul: "This is a program that has been built on bedrock not sand."
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 30, 2018
Fitzgerald said that Urban Meyer brought a championship pedigree when he came to Ohio State and backed it up with the Buckeyes' performance.
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 30, 2018
Fitz said recruiting Ohio is "critically important" for Northwestern. That's not to say he takes Ohio State's targets. "I am absolutely 0-fer. We haven't beaten the Buckeyes on a recruit yet. That's the way it goes."
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 30, 2018
Fitzgerald said OSU had an A+ performance vs. Michigan.
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 30, 2018
Fitzgerald on whether he will play up underdog angle: "I don't really have to. Everybody has done a pretty good job at it so we don't have to."
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 30, 2018
Fitzgerald on Northwestern's progression: "We're nowhere close to being satisfied. We're far from being a finished product."
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) November 30, 2018
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.