In the battle to escape Others Receiving Votes, it's get ranked or get out for the Nits against the artists formerly known as jNW.
Every time I make a prediction against Northwestern, be it basketball, football, or otherwise, I manage to jinx it. It's rather unfortunate, considering Northwestern isn't actually that good at most sports, typically. This year is different, as a great defense has made NU a legit ranked team, albeit one that might be a bit overrated after a great first game against Stanford. A decent offense lead by Clayton Thorson paired with it has Pat Fitzgerald's boys on the rise, as they're 6-2 with losses to Michigan and Iowa (it should be noted they got slaughtered in both games, however).