Following a 1-11 campaign last season and a hazing scandal that has made national headlines, no one expected much of anything from Northwestern football in 2023. However, to our collective surprise, the ‘Cats enter the bye at .500, after a string of victories against UTEP, Minnesota and Howard.
These early results leave Northwestern in contention for a bowl game, a conversation that seemed an afterthought only a couple of weeks ago. The most straightforward path for the Wildcats to make a bowl game is to win at least three games against their remaining competition — which is comprised of only Big Ten opponents — but even reaching the five-win watermark could open the door.