Northwestern's offense has become excruciatingly predictable

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY SportsFans and media members alike tend to overreact to both wins and losses, and Saturday's 38-0 Northwestern loss to Michigan was no different. College football performances happen on a bell curve, and just like we couldn't expect NU's play against Minnesota to be the new normal, the play against Michigan isn't the new normal, either.

As Henry Bushnell wrote, NU is still a Big Ten West contender, and the Wildcats are a win against Iowa away from being the odds-on favorite.

There were bright spots to build on yesterday, including Clayton Thorson's improvement. He moved the ball well at times, and made some clutch throws on third down. Northwestern is getting better,…