B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

[redsox907]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

HUGE win over Penn State. They're always a tough defensive team with some sneaky offensive players in my USC dynasty.

And glad to see you've got the next Starr at QB behind Boe! What are their playstyles?

[RyanLeaf16]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

2 4-star QBs in the same week, I smell a controversy brewing for next season!

Gatkouth went into beast mode against Penn State & I see my boy McIntosh still got some reps and recorded a few tackles.

Keep that run game going, it's gonna keep you in games. #GoCats

[cookies00]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

Impressive win over Penn State.

Congrats on landing, not one, but two 4-star QBs. Gideon Pena is quite the name lol.

[BDawg35]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

HUGE win over Penn State. They're always a tough defensive team with some sneaky offensive players in my USC dynasty.

And glad to see you've got the next Starr at QB behind Boe! What are their playstyles?

I actually didn't look at that. I don't really understand how that impacts the game, especially a user-controlled quarterback, so I don't take down that information or pay much attention to it. The fun part will be seeing if they stick around after Boe starts the next two years (barring early defection to the NFL or some big school handing out a bag of cash).

2 4-star QBs in the same week, I smell a controversy brewing for next season!

Gatkouth went into beast mode against Penn State & I see my boy McIntosh still got some reps and recorded a few tackles.

Keep that run game going, it's gonna keep you in games. #GoCats

Yeah, McIntosh still gets some action, but not nearly as much as he used to. I'm using him as an OLB instead of MLB to keep him on the field, but my MLB seems to be the tackling machine in this dynasty, a guaranteed 100-plus per season.

Impressive win over Penn State.

Congrats on landing, not one, but two 4-star QBs. Gideon Pena is quite the name lol.

It was fun stomping Penn State after the way we lost last year. And I don't like Penn State either, so there's that. I'm a Michigan fan and also remember the Jerry Sandusky scandal the school tried to cover up.

[BDawg35]

2026 SEASON - GAME 9




Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq leaps to make a 5-yard touchdown catch with 1:38 left in the game.


Oregon’s Frederick Cooks grabs a 24-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.


Oregon’s Rodrick Pleasant picks off a pass with 1:53 left in the game to end Northwestern’s comeback bid.


Northwestern’s Dennis Rahouski sacks Oregon quarterback Austin Novosad.


Northwestern WR-CB Timi Oke crowns himself in front of the Oregon fans after a touchdown catch.


Northwestern’s Nazir Kush scores a go-ahead touchdown with 6:52 left in the game.

DUCKS AWAKEN
No. 1 Oregon scores 3 second-half TD’s
to avoid another upset by Northwestern

EUGENE, Ore. — Perhaps B-Dawg should’ve channeled his inner Dan Campbell.

That’s the kind of second-guessing that is taking place after No. 24 Northwestern blew two leads during a 29-17 loss to top-ranked Oregon on Nov. 7, 2026.

The Wildcats were facing fourth-and-one from their own 34-yard line with 9:27 left in the third quarter when B-Dawg chose to punt. For generations of coaches, this would’ve been the right call, but it’s turned into a legitimate decision because of the success coaches like Campbell have had going for it on fourth down.

B-Dawg took the easy way out, figuring his Wildcats would continue to shut down an explosive Oregon offense. In six quarters against the Ducks during this dynasty, Northwestern had yet to allow a touchdown and was holding a 10-6 lead at the time.

“I felt very comfortable with our defense and not very comfortable with our ability to penetrate their defensive line for a yard the way we were struggling to run the ball,” B-Dawg said. “I figured we were good.”

They weren’t.

Oregon’s offense finally came to life, getting a go-ahead touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Austin Novosad to running back Frederick Cooks with 4:25 left in the third. A 24-yard field goal on fourth-and-inches after a goal-line stand by Northwestern put the Ducks ahead 16-10 going into the fourth quarter.

“That made me nervous, because whenever the CPU settles for a field goal when nearly every coach in the world would go for it, it makes me think the game is programmed for the CPU to win no matter what happens,” B-Dawg said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve scratched my head over a field goal the CPU settled for, only to see everything collapse for me the rest of the way. The game was rigged.”

Being down only six because of the field goal allowed Northwestern to regain the lead when freshman running back Nazir Kush scored on a 2-yard run with 6:52 left in the game on fourth-and-goal.

It was a rare successful run for Northwestern, which was held to 53 yards on 29 carries.

Oregon responded by regaining the lead on an 8-yard touch pass from Novosad to Justius Lowe with 4:48 left in the game. Novosad kept the drive alive with a scramble for a first down on third-and-six.

“The touch pass always seems to be unstoppable for the CPU, but we tend to get blown up more often than not when we try it,” B-Dawg said. “I guess I’m just a lousy coach.”

A 2-point run from the wildcat formation was blown up, leaving Oregon up 22-17 and putting Northwestern (5-4) in a position to win the game with a touchdown.

Both teams had three-and-outs after that. Northwestern got the ball back just before the two-minute warning (I can call it that!), but its comeback hopes ended when Rodrick Pleasant jumped a drag route with 1:53 left and picked off a pass.

Four plays later, Oregon put the game away on a 5-yard pass from Novosad to tight end Kenyon Sadiq with 1:38 left.

Northwestern quarterback Ryan Boe left the game in the first half with an injury and was replaced by Aidan Gray, who had a 7-yard touchdown pass to Timi Oke with 22 seconds left in the first half. Boe is expected to be back for next week’s game against Iowa.

With the victory, Oregon stayed unbeaten at 9-0 and is 35-5 during the three years of this dynasty. One of those losses was a 13-9 shocker to Northwestern last season.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Jordan Knox 8 pancakes, 0 sacks; Anthony Birsa 2-0; Timi Oke 1-0; Kyle Baity 1-0; Josh Fussell 1-0; Shawn Boyett 1-0; Simon Silva 1-0; Jaelen Camarda 1-0; Idrys Cotton 1-1.

[BDawg35]

2026 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF UPDATE

[redsox907]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

Oregon is always a tough game, especially in Eugene.

As far as the playstyles, it doesn't effect it as much with a user controlled QB more than their ratings. Typically scramblers have the best speed, improvised average, and field generals lowest, but its all relative. I've had a "Field General" QB with 86 speed before. And usually the field general types come in with better awareness than the others, which does still affect things while playing as a user. Mainly composure and I've noticed lower awr QBs make more inaccurate throws when rattled after throwing an int

[cookies00]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

I would imagine you felt pretty good going into halftime. Real bummer that they went on such a tear in that second half.

[BDawg35]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

Oregon is always a tough game, especially in Eugene.

As far as the playstyles, it doesn't effect it as much with a user controlled QB more than their ratings. Typically scramblers have the best speed, improvised average, and field generals lowest, but its all relative. I've had a "Field General" QB with 86 speed before. And usually the field general types come in with better awareness than the others, which does still affect things while playing as a user. Mainly composure and I've noticed lower awr QBs make more inaccurate throws when rattled after throwing an int

I have a pretty highly rated quarterback, so I don't see a lot of problems with passes getting where they need to be. I see a lot of problems with the user (me) making bad reads and throwing into the defense. I'm truly horrible at this game compared to other people. I don't do well online.

I would imagine you felt pretty good going into halftime. Real bummer that they went on such a tear in that second half.

It feels like it was about time they got their offense going against me. I went six straight quarters without allowing a touchdown to Oregon, which was fun but didn't feel right. Above all, I want a realistic experience within reason - I also don't want to hate life because I'm getting thrashed.

[BDawg35]

2026 SEASON - GAME 10




Iowa’s Avery Kellum hauls in the winning 33-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left.


WR-CB Josh Fussell gives Northwestern the lead with a 16-yard touchdown catch with 1:55 left.


Iowa’s KJ Parker grabs a 23-yard touchdown pass with 6:18 left.


Iowa tight end Gavin Hoffman had 10 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.


Northwestern’s Tito Williams picks off a pass.


Northwestern running back Nazir Kush is in the clear with a touchdown catch.


Iowa’s KJ Parker grabs the first of his two touchdown catches.


Northwestern quarterback Ryan Boe scores on a run from near the goal line.

KILLED BY ROBO-QB
Touchdown pass with :28 left
gives Iowa win over Wildcats

EVANSTON, Ill. — Zero turnovers and 27 points are normally a winning formula for Northwestern’s football team.

But what isn’t accounted for in those numbers is the power of a CPU robo-QB and Iowa’s uncanny ability to get wide open, something one wouldn’t expect from a team that’s been traditionally challenged offensively.

Despite a clean game by the offense, Northwestern lost 31-27 against Iowa on Nov. 14, 2026 on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Marco Lainez to Avery Kellum with 28 seconds left in the game.

At 5-5, the Wildcats need to beat Ohio State or Illinois in their final two games to become bowl eligible.

Coming into the game, Northwestern was 8-0 in the three-year history of this dynasty when scoring at least 20 points and not turning the ball over. The Wildcats were 9-1 when they didn’t have a turnover, the lone loss being a 17-16 decision at Penn State last season in which B-Dawg kicked a walk-off field goal when he forgot the point spread.

“When we take care of the ball, I feel we can’t be beat,” B-Dawg said. “It allows us to maintain possession and doesn’t give the CPU cheap touchdowns or field position. I saw the numbers their quarterback had in simmed games, but didn’t expect him to light us up like he did. When a guy gets into robo-QB mode, you’re pretty much powerless.”

The 86 OVR Lainez was 37-for-43 for 439 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. At one point, he was 30-for-33 for 351 yards. For the year, Lainez has thrown 27 touchdown passes and only five picks.

Gavin Hoffman (10 catches, 122 yards, one touchdown) and KJ Parker (six catches, 124 yards, two touchdowns) were the biggest beneficiaries of Iowa’s ridiculous passing success.

Kellum had only one catch for nine yards before hauling in the game-winner on third-and-inches when Northwestern. Cornerback Cole Shivers was with Kellum on the play, but the play was doomed once B-Dawg mistakenly grabbed control of him. Shivers stopped at the 6-yard line once he was under B-Dawg’s control, allowing the pass to be caught in the back of the end zone.

“This, my friends, is why I don’t user-control defensive backs or linebackers,” B-Dawg said.

It was the fourth touchdown pass of at least 22 yards thrown by Lainez in the game.

The lead changed hands three times in the final 6:18. Parker’s 23-yard touchdown catch gave Iowa a 24-20 lead with 6:18 remaining before Northwestern took a 27-24 lead on a 16-yard pass from Ryan Boe to Josh Fussell with 1:55 remaining.

Iowa (7-3) then marched 88 yards in 10 plays for the winning touchdown.

Northwestern had a glimmer of hope on its final drive, as Boe connected with Fussell for a 36-yard pass to the Iowa 47-yard line with 13 seconds left. Two incompletions later, the Hawkeyes were celebrating a dub.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Idrys Cotton 6 pancakes, 0 sacks; Jordan Knox 6-0; Anthony Birsa 3-0; Simon Silva 2-0; Shawn Boyett 1-0; Jaelen Camarda 1-0; Julius Hazel 1-0.

[redsox907]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

the robo qb is so frustrating at times. especially when they roll out and throw across their body for a dime, knowing dang well if you did that it would be a pick six.

[RyanLeaf16]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

I'd like to know who the Iowa HC & OC are in this particular season of yours. Passing 43 times and running just 11 times all game!?!?! There was definitely a change of guard in Iowa City.

[BDawg35]

Re: B-Dawg's Northwestern Wildcats: Navigating the new Big Ten in CFB25

the robo qb is so frustrating at times. especially when they roll out and throw across their body for a dime, knowing dang well if you did that it would be a pick six.

Yeah, and I'm about to post another game where the QB did exactly that. I'm putting on pressure, he rolls right and fires a long touchdown pass. I guess I have to live with it to have competitive games, but it ticks me off when it happens.

I'd like to know who the Iowa HC & OC are in this particular season of yours. Passing 43 times and running just 11 times all game!?!?! There was definitely a change of guard in Iowa City.

They must be different than whoever runs the show in real life. I played Iowa in the first season and it felt very much like an Iowa game. This did not.

[BDawg35]

2026 SEASON - GAME 11




Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz winds up to throw winning touchdown pass late in the third quarter as
linebacker Brendan McIntosh (30) applies pressure.


Ohio State receiver Brandon Inniss gets behind the Northwestern defense to haul in the winning touchdown catch
with four seconds left in the third quarter.


Northwestern safety Lamar Bakhtiari breaks up a pass intended for Brandon Inniss.


Northwestern linebacker Brendan McIntosh dives to break up a pass.


Enrique Swaim scores Northwestern’s only points with a field goal.


Northwestern’s Izaiah Bush sacks Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.

ONLY TAKES ONE
Ohio State’s only big play is enough
to win defensive battle vs. Wildcats

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The more that Northwestern controlled the game with nothing to show for it, the more you knew it was just a matter of time before Ohio State would wake up and make the Wildcats pay.

The Buckeyes were shut out for nearly three full quarters by Northwestern, which had firm control of every statistic but the scoreboard.

As it turned out, 24th-ranked Ohio State would need only one big strike to spoil Northwestern’s upset hopes with a 7-3 victory in maybe the lowest-scoring video game you’ll ever see on Nov. 21, 2026.

The 10 total points tied the fifth lowest-scoring game B-Dawg has played in more than 1,500 dynasty mode games since NCAA 2004.

Here’s the list:

B-Dawg’s lowest-scoring dynasty games
6 — Michigan 6, Notre Dame 0; Sept. 13, 2014 (NCAA 2012)
9 — Buffalo 6, Northern Illinois 3; Nov. 6, 2004 (NCAA 2004)
9 — Michigan 6, Illinois 3; Oct. 17, 2015 (NCAA 2005)
9 — Michigan 6, Texas Christian 3; Sept. 29, 2018 (NCAA 2012)
10 — Baylor 10, Nebraska 0; Dec. 3, 2011 (NCAA 2004)
10 — Ohio State 7, Northwestern 3; Nov. 21, 2026 (CFB 25)
Note: NCAA 2004 games were played with 6-minute quarters. Others were at least 9-minute quarters.

All 10 points were scored in the final minute of the third quarter.

Northwestern had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Enrique Swaim on fourth-and-three with 1:00 left in the third after driving 72 yards in 15 plays, consuming 6:36 of clock. Swaim had missed a 25-yard chip shot in the first half.

At this point in the game, it was all Wildcats on the stat sheet.

Northwestern led 15-2 in first downs, 209-49 in total offense, 56-9 in rushing yards, 153-40 in passing yards, and 56-23 in total plays. The Buckeyes (7-4) were 1-for-7 on third down, punting on all six of their possessions.

“You feel like you’re living on borrowed time the whole game, wondering when disaster will eventually strike,” B-Dawg said. “But it was getting late in the game and I figured we needed to keep them off the board maybe only two more times and walk off with a 3-0 win.”

That uneasy feeling B-Dawg had was for good reason. It would take only one big blow for the Buckeyes to get the only score they would need to back up the effort of their stout defense.

On second-and-nine, Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz rolled to his right to avoid pressure from linebacker Brendan McIntosh and hit a wide-open Brandon Inniss for a 78-yard touchdown with four seconds left in the third quarter. McInniss, an 85 OVR senior, caught the ball at the Northwestern 37 after getting behind cornerback Cole Shivers and before safety Lamar Bakhtiari could get over to provide help.

It was one of only seven completions for Kienholz and accounted for most of his 128 passing yards.

“That’s exactly the kind of thing I was worried about the whole game, but Brandon Inniss isn’t the guy who I was most worried about,” B-Dawg said.

When the teams played two years ago, it was then-freshman Jeremiah Smith who played up to his real-life self by catching five passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-14 rout. Inniss had only one catch in that game, but it went for a 35-yard touchdown.

Smith, now an 88 OVR junior, was invisible this time around. He had only two catches for 11 yards, as the Buckeyes underutilized him just as they did against Michigan in real life in 2024.


At 5-6, Northwestern needs to win its rivalry game against Illinois next week or miss out on a bowl trip. The Wildcats are 0-2 against the Fighting Illini in this dynasty.

“It will be as big as game as I’ve ever coached, because missing a bowl game in Year 3 of a dynasty after already going to two isn’t something I’m willing to accept under the guise of realism,” B-Dawg said. “We’re a bowl team, if nothing else.”

Northwestern failed on two fourth-and-fives on its next two drives, the last with 3:58 left in the game when a drag route to Josh Fussell was broken up.

The Wildcats wouldn’t see the ball again.

An Ohio State ground game that struggled the entire game was able to suddenly and mysteriously gash the Northwestern defense. The Buckeyes had four runs of at least 11 yards and a 10-yard catch by Inniss before kneeling out the victory. Nick Burfict ran four times for 32 yards on the drive, while Greg Johnson ran twice for 31 yards. The Buckeyes ran seven times for 63 yards on the drive after getting only 11 yards on 16 carries before that.

“That was the game’s way of saying, ‘Nice try, but we’re just gonna give Ohio State the dub at this point,’” B-Dawg said.

A disturbing pattern continues for Northwestern. The Wildcats have lost three games in a row and find themselves at 5-6, needing a victory in the regular-season finale against Illinois to become bowl eligible.

Northwestern lost its final four games of 2024 and its final three regular-season games in 2025, but already had enough victories to earn a bowl trip before those late-season slides began.

“We need to finish better than this,” B-Dawg said. “It’s almost like the CPU has us all scouted up by the end of the year, which is a cool concept if true.”





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Idrys Cotton 8 pancakes, 0 sacks; Jordan Knox 6-1; Simon Silva 4-0; Shawn Boyett 3-0; Kyle Baity 2-0; Camp Magee 2-0; Julius Hazel 1-0; Jaelen Camarda 1-0.

[BDawg35]

2026 SEASON - GAME 12




Northwestern quarterback Ryan Boe was nearly perfect, going 20-for-22 for 194 yards and two touchdowns.


Northwestern receiver Hayden Eligon grabs a 13-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds left in the first half.


Northwestern linebacker Brendan McIntosh picks off a pass.


Northwestern safety Tito Williams intercepts a pass.


Sixth-string running back Paul Garnes takes his first career catch for a 3-yard touchdown on a screen pass.


Northwestern defensive end Nuer Gatkuoth sacks Illinois quarterback Donovan Leary.


Northwestern receiver Jaylen Love grabs a 14-yard touchdown pass.


Northwestern linebacker Callen Campbell intercepts a pass.


Northwestern freshman Nazir Kush runs for a touchdown.

GOING BOWLING!
Northwestern beats Illini for first time,
snaps losing streak to earn bowl berth

EVANSTON, Ill. — B-Dawg has coached in countless national and conference championship games in a career dating back to NCAA 2004, not to mention big rivalry games like Michigan-Ohio State.

But the Northwestern coach was never more nervous for a game than he was heading into the 2026 regular-season finale against Illinois.

Sure, it was a rivalry game. Apparently these teams play for the Land of Lincoln Trophy.

But, as rivalry games go, it’s small potatoes compared to some of the classics in which he’s coached over the years.

No, this game was an indictment on the state of his program three years into his time in Evanston. If Northwestern lost to Illinois for the third straight years, the Wildcats would have missed out on a bowl after qualifying in his first two seasons.

The questions would have begun: Has B-Dawg lost it? Has his coaching magic failed to make the transition over to the PlayStation 5? Should he just keep playing NCAA ’14 where he knows the plays inside and out?

Fortunately for B-Dawg, he won’t have to face any of those questions.

With both teams needing a victory to become bowl eligible, Northwestern played inspired football and handed Illinois a 41-7 butt-whoopin’ on Nov. 28, 2026.

Northwestern avoided a third straight loss to Illinois and a third straight multi-game losing streak to end the regular season. The Wildcats lost their final three regular-season games each of the last two years, extending that streak to four games with a bowl loss in 2024.

“When I fired up the PS5 today, I had to take deep breaths, calm myself down and tell myself I’ve been here before,” B-Dawg said. “This game still feels foreign to me, as does the PS5 itself. It was hard to feel totally in control. Ryan Boe calmed me down pretty quickly.”

Boe, who had had issues with interceptions throughout his two years as a starter, played a near-perfect game. He was 20-for-22 for 194 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. Both incompletions were on drops. Even backup Forrest Edmond got into the act, going 2-for-2 for 22 yards and a touchdown.

“It was like shooting fish in a barrel today,” B-Dawg said. “It felt like everything we threw would go to its intended target.”

The two touchdown passes got Roe back to even on his touchdown-to-interception ratio with 12 of each.

On the other hand, Illinois quarterback Donovan Leary did his best (or worst, depending on your viewpoint) impersonation of bad Ryan Boe. Leary threw three interceptions, all of which led to Northwestern touchdowns.

Northwestern jumped out to a 17-0 lead before Illinois got its only touchdown with 1:54 left in the first half on a 2-yard run by Kaden Feagin.

Just when it looked like Illinois had some momentum going into halftime, Boe hit seldom-used receiver Hayden Eligon with a 13-yard touchdown pass on a drag route with 36 seconds left in the first half. At this point, Boe was 15-for-16 for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

“In a 41-7 game, you wouldn’t think any one play was the difference, but that touchdown was massive,” B-Dawg said. “They had some hope when they cut our lead to 10 and were getting the ball to start the second half, but we stomped on that hope by scoring late.”

Leading 31-7 after three quarters, B-Dawg was able to go deep into his depth chart to get players some action. Ten players had catches and six ran the ball.

Paul Garnes, the sixth-rated running back on the team, caught a 3-yard screen pass from Edmond for a touchdown with 2:24 left in the game on his first college catch.

Neither team punted, which is shocking when you consider Illinois had only seven points. But the Illini had three interceptions, missed a field goal and had the ball at the end of each half.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Jordan Knox 9 pancakes, 0 sacks; Idrys Cotton 5-0; Anthony Birsa 5-0; Jaelen Camarda 2-0; Camp Magee 2-0; Simon Silva 1-0; Carson Grove 1-0; Kyle Baity 1-0; Shawn Boyett 1-0; Carl Erdman 1-0.