The Northwestern Wildcats may be coming off a 10-win season, but you won't find them in any preseason polls or Big Ten championship conversations.
And they're not surprised.
"As a program, we're kind of used to it," cornerback Matthew Harris said last month. "Year in and year out, we never get much credibility. But it's a motivator. Hopefully, we can build upon last season and do a lot better."
Coach Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats are looking to silence those critics and get fans talking by achieving what the program has never before done: Win 10 games in back-to-back seasons.