If there is a more improbable Big Ten West winner than Northwestern in the last decade, I would be all ears because this is a team that has consistently defied expectations throughout the season. They went winless in non-conference play and have not won or loss a game by more than 14 points, including their four point victory over the Iowa football team.
Against a 1-11 Rutgers team, Northwestern won by three points. Against third ranked Notre Dame, Northwestern only lost by ten points and versus 10-2 Michigan, they only lost by three points.