At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Clayton Thorson looks the part of a big-time starting quarterback. He also sounds like one. He's already well-versed in cliche's about his leadership qualities, his role as a freshman starter and his responsibility to his teammates.
But until he takes his first snap Saturday, it remains to be seen if he plays like one.
Every other facet of Northwestern's roster is fairly predictable. On offense, running back Justin Jackson will be the focal point and the receivers, aside from a healthy Christian Jones, will be inconsistent and young. The line has a bunch of moving parts, and should be talented enough to show flashes of competence during Big Ten play.