The Iowa Hawkeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats: two teams that, at least in recent years, are not often recognized as football powerhouses. This year, it is different.
The Big Ten is arguably one of the strongest conferences in college football right now. Certainly stronger than the SEC. Five Big Ten teams are ranked in the AP Top 25. There are only three ranked SEC teams, and Florida is ranked the highest at number eight.
At the beginning of the season, it seemed Ohio State had already clinched the Big Ten East. However, Michigan blew the field right open with three shutouts in a row. Michigan defeated #13 Northwestern 38-0 just last week.
The Big Ten West is just as open. #17 Iowa has yet to lose. #20 Northwestern is 5-1, and these two teams will meet this weekend at Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. This game will prove critical in determining the front-runner for the West division.
While Iowa is undefeated, the caliber of the teams they have played speaks volumes. The only challenge they have faced is Wisconsin, who they beat 10-6. Other teams include North Texas and Pittsburgh, not exactly Top 25 teams.
Northwestern football, on the other hand, has upsets against both Stanford and Duke. Both of those teams are currently ranked and have suffered no other losses. NU shut out Minnesota 27-0. The average win percentage of teams Northwestern has played this season is 69 percent, the highest in college football. Looking at these facts, Northwestern is arguably the better team.
Northwestern is not known for being the most consistent team. The last time the Wildcats felt hope for a great season was in 2013. Coming off a strong Gator Bowl win against Mississippi State, the ‘Cats looked strong. They started the season ranked at #22 and won their first four games. ESPN’s College GameDay came to Evanston for the first time since 1995 to watch the ‘Cats take on Ohio State.
And that’s where it went wrong for NU. They led most of the game before OSU took the lead in the fourth quarter. After a nail-biter of a quarter, OSU won 40-30 and the ‘Cats lost their next seven games.
Two years later, coming off back-to-back 5-7 seasons, Northwestern is 5-1 and ranked #20 in the AP poll. After NU defeated both Stanford and Duke, Stanford beat higher ranked University of Southern California and Duke took down then-ranked Georgia Tech.
This match against Iowa is absolutely critical for Northwestern. It will determine if 2015 is another 2013. If Northwestern can hold its own against Iowa and not fall to pieces, the ‘Cats will clinch the Big Ten West. If not, will not look great for NU.
The ‘Cats have the number one scoring defense in the nation. They need to take advantage of any Iowa turnovers and get on the board early.
Players to watch
Clayton Thorson: This freshman Northwestern quarterback needs to step up this weekend. His passing game has been anything but consistent. He hit only 39 percent of his passes against Duke and 48 percent against Michigan. However, Thorson did help shut out Minnesota.
Justin Jackson: The Northwestern sophomore running back is one of the best in the country and has 661 yards in just six games. He struggled against Michigan’s defense and gained just 25 yards. Jackson needs to look like he did against Stanford, where he earned 134 yards.
originally published: http://isportsweb.com/2015/10/15/northwestern-football-the-fight-for-big-ten-west/