Northwestern’s football team welcomed the weekend in Los Angeles for a rare Friday-night game, trying to upset heavily favored USC and become bowl-eligible.
Out-of-work coach Pat Fitzgerald, still the No. 1 name in Wildcats history, was headed to Iowa City to see son Ryan and enjoy some Saturday tailgating before watching Iowa take on Oregon in one of college football’s hottest Week 11 matchups. Ryan, a former two-year starting quarterback and state champion at Loyola, is a preferred walk-on with the Hawkeyes.
Fitzgerald made news Thursday with his appearance on an ESPN podcast, during which he spoke publicly for the first time since his July 2023 firing about his not-so-secret desire to get back into the game.
“I’m well rested, no bags under the eyes and ready to put the whistle around my neck and put the neck roll back on and [go] win some championships,” he told the “College GameDay” pod.
Fitzgerald, 50, reached an undisclosed settlement with Northwestern in August, having sued his alma mater for $130 million after being booted amid a hazing scandal. He referred to himself as being “100% vindicated” and called his “sabbatical” a “blessing” because he got to help coach two of his sons at Loyola.
But now his focus is on selling himself and landing his next head coaching gig.
“I know how to build a program,” he said. “I know how to run a program. We know how to compete for championships and graduate guys and develop guys to be prepared for life.
“Am I disappointed in some things that happened? Absolutely. I’m going to use that as fuel as we move forward and do a better job as a leader.”
Reached via text by the Sun-Times, Fitzgerald declined an invitation to talk. But multiple sources — including Illinois coach Bret Bielema — indicate the Fitz train is building up steam.
“I was very excited to hear that he is in the mix on a few jobs in college football,” Bielema said. “He is a tremendous coach, person and leader. Very excited for the opportunities ahead of him. It will be great to have him back in our sport.”
There are huge openings at LSU, Florida and Penn State and other Power Four ones at Auburn, Arkansas, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State and Stanford. Fitzgerald as a serious candidate at some of those places is simply unrealistic, though there could be an exception or two. There are some non-Power Four openings — Colorado State, Oregon State, UAB — and, perhaps more relevant, hot seats under a variety of current Power Four coaches.
Some are whispering about Iowa as a potential landing spot for Fitzgerald down the road, though longtime Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz — definitely not on the hot seat — has given no indication he’s thinking about hanging it up.
Fitzgerald won more games at Northwestern than anyone who came before him — 110 in 17 seasons — but his last two teams were a combined 4-20. He’ll need to explain that to prospective employers. He’ll also need to convince them he can hit the ground running in a vastly different, pay-for-play world.
His name still has some oomph, though, no doubt. The Fitz train isn’t whistling yet, but there’s movement.
Week 11 picks
All games are Saturday.
No. 2 Indiana (-14½) at Penn State (11 a.m., Fox 32): Are things really that bad in Happy Valley? No. They’re worse. Hoosiers, 31-14.
No. 7 BYU (+10½) at No. 8 Texas Tech (11 a.m., ABC 7): Folks in Lubbock are calling this the biggest game at Jones AT&T Stadium since the Red Raiders knocked off No. 1 Texas 39-33 in 2008. Guess who was there that night? I can still hear the Victory Bells. I fear there might also still be some barbecue sauce under my fingernails. Tech, 34-21.
No. 3 Texas A&M (-7) at No. 22 Missouri (2:30 p.m., ABC 7): What a challenging week for Mizzou freshman QB Matt Zollers to be making his first start. Can his team’s defense — statistically, the SEC’s best — carry the day? It’s a big, big ask. Aggies, 27-21.
LSU (+10½) at No. 4 Alabama (6:30 p.m., ABC 7): If the very talented Tigers are happily moving on without fired former coach Brian Kelly — come on, you know some of them are — then we might see a free-and-easy team take the field for a rivalry game with almost nothing to lose and make it a memorable night. Or am I just dreaming? Roll Tide, 31-21.
Navy (+27½) at No. 10 Notre Dame (6:30 p.m., NBC 5, Peacock, 780-AM): Irish first-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash has been around the block, but he doesn’t have an abundance of experience scheming against the triple option — which Navy, led by relentless senior QB Blake Horvath, runs better than anybody. Irish win, Middies cover.
My favorite favorite: No. 9 Oregon (-6½) at No. 20 Iowa (2:30 p.m., ABC 7): The Hawkeyes have been on fire lately, but November is when the best teams separate — and my sense is the Ducks are getting ready to put both webbed feet on the gas pedal. Holy mixed metaphors, people.
My favorite underdog: Nebraska (+1½) at UCLA (8 p.m., Fox 32): The Bruins are better than most expected, or are they? The three teams they’ve beaten — Penn State, Michigan State and Maryland — have lost a combined 15 games in a row. Give me the Huskers.
Last week: 6-1 straight-up, 4-3 against the spread.
Season to date: 46-24, 35-35.