No team in the Big Ten has been as mercurial as Northwestern in recent years. In the last 10 years they have had a pair of division titles and 10-win seasons, as well as a 9-win season. They have also had a stretch where they went 1-15 in conference play and they didn't win a game on the North American continent for nearly two years.

The last two seasons have been particularly volatile. In 2023 they had an offense that made Iowa look explosive. They scored 7 points or less in six of 12 games and went 1-11, closing the year on an 11-game losing streak. Then there was last year. Pat Fitzgerald was fired before the season and David Braun stepped in. He only won eight games, the Big Ten Coach of the Year Award, and the job full-time.

Northwestern enters this season on a four-game winning streak, including a nice bowl win over Utah. Their late season win over Purdue got them to a bowl last year, and with the positive momentum they have they should once again contend for a bowl game.