ESPN's College GameDay is nothing without the funny, snarky and often ridiculous signs fans and students make to praise their school, disparge its opponent or just give mom a nice shout out on national TV. Of course, Northwestern can be a mentally exhausting place, and if the only way you can keep track of the days of the week is by the appointments on your Google Calendar, coming up with a passable sign won't be easy. But don't worry: North by Northwestern has you covered better than Ibraheim Campbell on an Ohio State receiver with some inspiration.
The Great ‘Catsby by F. Pat Fitzgerald
We can’t take credit for this one. NorthwesternU’s Instagram account launched a social media campaign to collect #NUGameDaySigns and post them on Northwestern University’s official Facebook page. Fitz as Jay Gatsby himself was the first submission and possibly one of the best. Not only does it play on coach Pat Fitzgerald’s name, but it also rhymes “Cat” and “Gat” and you can’t get much better than that.
An Ohio State University vs. The Northwestern University
We’ve probably all heard Ohio State alums who went on to play in the NFL call their alma mater “The Ohio State University” on Sunday or Monday Night Football, with emphasis on “the.” It’s obnoxious. Almost as obnoxious as the players who throw up the misshapen, squared "U" when they say they’re from the University of Miami. Bottom line: There are a lot of schools in the state of Ohio and OSU is nothing special. But there’s only one Northwestern University. Plus, if there’s one thing Northwestern students love to do, it’s poke fun at state schools.
In Fitz We Trust
This phrase is a personal favorite and I’d love to see a sea of “In Fitz We Trust” signs on Saturday morning, with our fearless leader's face gracing a large bill. It’s not just an ironic phrase uttered before kickoff (although it serves that purpose, too); it’s a real phenomenon. Very few schools can boast that they love their head football coach as much as Northwestern can. We think good ol’ Ben Franklin would understand our change to the face of the $100 bill.
Citizen Kain Colter
This is another submission that appeared on Northwestern’s Facebook page. As Northwestern currently has the second best journalism school in the nation, a comparison between Citizen Kane and quarterback Kain Colter seems fitting. The 1941 classic features a newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane who demonstrates the power of the press through some questionable means. Similarly, all of the media coverage (Mike and Mike, ESPN’s College GameDay, ABC in primetime) surrounding Saturday night’s game reminds us just how crazy college sports can be.
5-0 with Venric
Venric Mark is back. After spending three weeks on the bench with a leg injury, Mark will return to the backfield and special teams unit for Northwestern. With his potential to break long runs and to score touchdowns (he had 12 rushing TDs last season), Northwestern has a fairly good chance of continuing its winning streak. And Mark’s jersey number is aptly #5.
Coincidence? I think not. Just add the "-0" alongside it and you'll be set.
In short, when you’re making a sign, don’t be this guy. We go to Northwestern. We are smarter than this. Represent NU well, and go, ‘Cats.