NORTHWESTERN Wildcats

National Forecast: 47 • Big Ten West Prediction: 4 • Projected Record: 7-5, 4-5 Big Ten

Many Big Ten teams ended 2020 wanting to press delete and start over. Northwestern emerged from a delayed and difficult season feeling revitalized and emboldened. The Wildcats won their second division title in three years, made overdue changes to spark a dormant offense and wiped away a 3–9 clunker in 2019 — a clear outlier for a program with four Top 25 finishes since 2015. They finished No. 10 in both polls under Pat Fitzgerald, who again spurned NFL interest and signed a new 10-year contract with his alma mater. “We’re in an amazing place as a program,” Fitzgerald says. “We just have to eliminate the step backward like we had in ’19.” Northwestern is facing pressing personnel challenges after key departures. Arguably the best defense in team history (15.9…

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Athlon Sports (Digital) - 1 Issue, 2021 National College Football

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