Northwestern is going bowling! Well, it's not absolutely certain yet, but with six wins, NU is eligible, and the Big Ten typically places its eligible teams.

The loss to Illinois in the regular season finale gives the Wildcats a .500 record, enough to get to a bowl. However, NU will be one of the last Big Ten teams selected, likely headed to either the Rate or GameAbove bowls, or perhaps to an at-large bowl not aligned with the conference.

Updated HTP projections are posted below.

Preseason POV:

After a pleasant surprise in 2023-- new Wildcat head coach David Braun held the team together and helped forge a campaign for the ages-- the 'Cats suffered a letdown season in 2024. The team enters 2025 with a new quarterback and questions about key positions on offense and defense. It also faces the usual supreme challenges in the Big Ten, facing off against conference powerhouses Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State.

The big change this season is at quarterback. Preston Stone has officially taken the reins on offense. Stone, a transfer from SMU, could provide the necessary shake-up to NU's offense to lead it to improvement. The offense will also feature the return of Cam Porter, and the run game should be solid. Receivers, however, will be hard to predict: the wideouts will likely be led by additional transfers. The offensive line also is new-look and transfer-heavy (a pattern certainly emergent on both sides of the ball in 2025), although Jack Bailey is set to return to center.

The defense is also rife with transfer players, including several from other Big Ten schools.

Most of the national media have low expectations for NU this fall. CollegeFootballNews.com ranks the 'Cats 65th in the nation and 17th in the conference in the preseason. CFN predicts that Stone should improve the offense, but that it won't be enough to move the needle significantly. Then again, CFN also mentioned in its preseason POV that "The Wildcats move back into their normal stadium [sic] with a decent-looking veteran team," so they might not be on top of the situation.

Athlon ranks NU 70th, just ahead of Maryland, and also comments on Stone's potential contributions. Sports Illustrated's power rankings put NU in the familiar 17th spot in the Big Ten, just ahead of Purdue. SI called out the sizable changes to the defense and the amount of departing defensive talent.