First, the betting lines, and this week’s line might be my favorite of the year. We’ve seen Northwestern get shafted (underdog at 3-7 Michigan? really?). Now, the 8-3 Wildcats are a three-point underdog at home to an Illinois team that’s 5-6 and lost to Western Michigan two weeks ago.

Coach Pat Fitzgerald consistently talks about his team not caring what the media and the outside world writes or says about the Cats. But if the players need any extra motivation, they should take a look at that line.

On to the Week 12 musings around the local newspapers…

FACT: “It’s tempting to spy the Senior Day game on the schedule… and frame it as the end of an era for those young men. Then you look at it through the other end of telescope. From the end the players use.”

-Lindsey Willhite, Daily Herald

This lead to Willhite’s insightful, off-the-field look at Eric Peterman, Kevin Mims, and C.J. Bachér encapsulates the double life these players lead. Too often, fans and reporters focus only on Saturday afternoons and overlook the surprisingly ordinary lives these men lead. Pieces like this shine some light on that.

FACT: “The 6-7-pound junior (Corey Wootton) is definitely on NFL radars and reminds some of a young Richard Dent with his range and sinewy explosiveness.”

-Jim O’Donnell, Chicago Sun-Times

O’Donnell’s got the gist of it right here. Before the season, the defensive lineman in vogue was tackle John Gill. But Wootton has been virtually unstoppable all season, racking up 8.5 sacks and countless big plays. And did I mention he’s just a junior?

james-simpson@northwestern.edu