Gary Barnett kept his promise. He's taking the Purple to Pasadena.
Northwestern, one of the biggest losers in college football, is going to the Rose Bowl. For this season at least, athletics overshadows academics in Evanston.Shake your head and blink your eyes but the picture remains the same. The Wildcats are champions of the Big Ten and, for only the second time in school history and first since 1949, the football team is going to a bowl game.
The Wildcats got all the help they needed Saturday from No. 18 Michigan, which shocked No. 2 Ohio State 31-23.
For three ooh- and aah-filled hours, 16 Northwestern players squirmed in their seats or paced in a small auditorium about 100 yards from Dyche Stadium.
The Wildcats accepted the Rose Bowl invitation immediately after the Michigan game and then the players were handed roses. A boom box was brought into the auditorium and the school's fight son blared long and loudly.