Northwestern football: David Braun wants the glory. Saturday's near-upset offers a pathway for it
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CHICAGO - David Braun welcomes all.
Northwestern's head coach sat and championed his team, who just had their hearts torn out of their chest at Wrigley Field by No. 18 Michigan 24-22.
A single tear fell down the side of his right cheek as he reaffirmed his position on the Big Ten.
"This program isn't that we're going to give it our best and see what happens," Braun said. "The expectation is to go and win a Big Ten championship. Everyone better understand that."
On Saturday, his 'Cats picked up the shattered pieces on Wrigley Field.
They also showed a mettle that hadn't been there under Braun before.
Big picture view:
The emotional Braun nearly had his signature win.
Northwestern had No. 18 Michigan, which had just won the national championship two years prior with top-ranked recruits all over the field, on the ropes.
A conversion here, or a better play call there, and this might be a celebration far into the night in Evanston. Braun doesn't want moral victories, either.
"I don't want to hear ‘Good effort. You gave Michigan, a run for their money,’" Braun said.
Braun's emotion was pointed. He had a purpose.
Northwestern's game is always behind the sticks, so to speak. Top-rated quarterbacks like Bryce Underwood don't pick NU, they choose the team with flush NIL systems and a history of success.
The ‘Cats make due with what they have. It’s what worked for Pat Fitzgerald, and it's what Braun needs to do if he wants to be successful at NU, too.
The first step is making it clear that moral victories are never acceptable. Not in a conference that's won the last two national championships and spans from sea to shining sea in America, from Eugene, Oregon, and Los Angeles to State College, Pennsylvania, and New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Braun made it clear as the tears welled.
"You gotta find a way to beat Nebraska on the road. You gotta find a way to beat USC on the road and, when you got your foot on somebody's throat at home on a team like Michigan, you gotta put 'em away," Braun said. "Do I. Do I love this team? Am I proud of this team? Am I excited to get back to work with this team? Yeah. Is anyone satisfied with the result today or feeling okay because we came back and we gave it a good try? Absolutely not."
What's next:
The ‘Cats aren’t as brash as Ohio State or Michigan, or brandish their success like USC or Oregon.
Matt Leinart, who won a Heisman Trophy with then-Pac 12 USC in 2005, now has that Heisman claimed by Big Ten, after all.
But, there's a fire that burns Braun. It was on display Saturday in the bowels of Wrigley Field.
"Don't mistake my politeness for weakness," Brain said of his NU program, which also aptly fits him, too.
Braun wants to prove his Northwestern tenure has a ceiling higher than people give him credit for.
Saturday was a good start.
Michigan is far more talented. The Wolverines are deeper and boast the recruiting that's becoming of a top-25 program. NU hung with them. NU comeback to take the lead on them. NU was one stop away from beating them.
If anything, Saturday showed how the 'Cats have a long way to go before they can sit atop the conference. But, Saturday proved they have a pathway to get there under Braun with an opportunistic defense, stout special teams and an offense that grinds out yards on its way to the end zone.
Northwestern was good Saturday. That performance could beat the likes of Minnesota and Illinois. It surely would have beaten the Tulane team it faced in Week 1.
But, it needed to be great to beat Michigan.
"What is a gut punch is that we had it," Braun said. "We're not going to let that deter us from getting back to work and making sure we finish this season off the right way."
Northwestern has tasted success this season already, beating Penn State on the road in the middle of a four-game winning streak.
The success was there at 4-2. Now, at 5-4, NU is two losses away from losing a potential bowl game.
Braun can't shy away from that failure. He said the fear of failure restricts performances sometimes. NU might have had that fear earlier this season. It doesn't have it now.
That's something Braun found on its path as Northwestern keeps aiming for glory.
"This isn’t just the good old Cats that are going to try their best," Braun said. "I know there’s big boys in this conference. Good, bring them on."