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

[BDawg35]

2027 SEASON - GAME 8




Northwestern defensive tackle Troy Regovich prepares to sack Rutgers quarterback Mafu Nye.


Northwestern cornerback Soni Motuapuaka had two interceptions.


Northwestern cornerback Jayvon Hope intercepts a pass.


Northwestern running back Leon Dicker, eighth on the depth chart in OVR rating, gets a touchdown run in mop-up duty.


Northwestern quarterback Ryan Boe scores a touchdown.


Backup Northwestern running back Carl Erdman ran 15 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns.


Rutgers receiver DJ Rivers had nine catches for 127 yards and one touchdown.


Northwestern linebacker George Dennis sacks Rutgers quarterback Mafu Nye.

TIMELY SACK
Big sack on fourth down at Rutgers
allows Northwestern to cruise home

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — In a game decided by 28 points and which saw the eighth-rated running back on Northwestern’s roster get a mop-up duty touchdown, it might seem odd to pinpoint one play as pivotal.

But who knows how the 16th-ranked Wildcats’ 38-10 victory over Rutgers would’ve turned out if not for a huge sack by junior defensive tackle Troy Regovich in the third quarter.

The Scarlet Knights had just cut Northwestern’s lead from 21-0 to 21-10 on a 26-yard pass from Mafu Nye to DJ Rivers with 9:21 left in the third quarter.

After stuffing a third-and-two run by the Wildcats, Rutgers got the ball back with a chance to make it a one-possession game. The Scarlet Knights went for it on fourth-and-five from the Northwestern 37-yard line, but Regovich sacked Nye with 6:02 remaining in the third quarter.

Northwestern marched down the field, extending its lead to 28-10, and the game was essentially over.

“There are a handful of plays that determine of a game is going to be competitive down the stretch or not,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “Troy’s sack is the reason we were able to win this game comfortably. Who knows with nonsense EA’s comeback code would’ve generated had that play not happened? I’m still carrying scar tissue from that loss to Wisconsin two weeks ago.”

Northwestern (7-1) used its ground attack to wear down the Scarlet Knights (2-6), running 47 times for 220 yards. Jakori McFarland, starting in place of injured Nazir Kush, ran 19 times for 105 yards. Carl Erdman, normally third on the depth chart, had 15 carries for 90 yards and two scores.

Even Leon Dicker, who is eighth in OVR among running backs, had his moment to shine with a 7-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring on his only carry.

Quarterback Ryan Boe had two short touchdown runs on QB Blast out of the five-wide formation, but did little with his arm to win the game. He was 14-for-24 for 161 yards and two interceptions.

Fortunately, Nye was an even worse pick machine, serving up three. Soni Motuapuaka had two of those interceptions after Northwestern went to a nickel man coverage in the second half. For the season, Nye has thrown 16 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions.

“Sounds like my quarterbacks,” B-Dawg said. “He would fit in well here. Rutgers is stealing the bad stuff from my playbook.”





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Brandon Henderson 13 pancakes, 0 sacks; Trayvon Riggins 11-0; Shawn Boyett 8-0; Simon Silva 5-0; Nick Stoddard 4-0; Rafael York 3-0; Jaelen Camarda 3-0; Taylor Jackson 3-0; Hunter Schilens 2-0; Brendan Wicks 1-0; Alex Estes 1-0; Jaylen Love 1-0; DeWayne Flowers 1-0.

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2028 RECRUITING UPDATE



Northwestern lands 4-star O-lineman

For a team that prefers to grind it out on the ground, building a strong offensive line is a must.

Northwestern took a big step in that direction by getting a commitment from its first four-star offensive lineman during B-Dawg’s four years at the helm.

Offensive tackle J.D. Amatova of Muskegon, Mich. is the first significant commit in the Class of 2028 for the Wildcats. The other three so far are two-star players.

B-Dawg focused on building the O-line in this cycle. Amatova is a success story, but the Wildcats missed on their bid for four-star offensive tackle Martin Doucet of Detroit and four-star offensive guard Quincy Isaacs of Story City, Iowa.

Issacs committed to Iowa (of course), with Northwestern second on his list. Doucet has Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Michigan in his top three. Northwestern was fourth on his list before he pared his list to three schools before even taking a Week 11 visit to Evanston.

Other losses on the trail were five-star defensive end Jeff Mizzell of Minneapolis, who committed to Wisconsin, and four-star receiver Marquis Thomas of Antioch, Ill, who committed to Iowa State. Northwestern was third in the running for Mizzell and second for Thomas.

“The way kids quit schools at the first sign of competition these days, we may have a shot at these guys a year or two down the road,” B-Dawg said. “If they don’t start right away, they may end up wearing the purple and white. We built relationships with all of them that could still carry weight in the portal.”

[BDawg35]

2027 CFB AND HEISMAN UPDATES



1. Oregon, 8-1
2. Mississippi, 7-1
3. USC, 6-2
4. Iowa State, 7-2
5. Texas, 8-2
6. Wisconsin, 7-1
7. Nebraska, 7-1
8. Colorado, 7-1
9. Michigan, 6-2
10. Oklahoma, 6-2
11. NORTHWESTERN, 7-1
12. Ohio State, 6-2
13. South Carolina, 6-2
14. North Carolina, 6-2
15. Clemson, 5-3
16. Georgia, 6-2
17. Penn State, 5-3
18. Iowa, 5-3
19. Ball State, 7-1
20. Notre Dame, 7-2
21. North Texas, 6-2
22. LSU, 6-2
23. South Alabama, 8-0
24. The U, 6-3
25. Auburn, 6-2




AUSTIN NOVOSAD, Oregon, QB, rSr.
JAY MILES, Oregon, WR, rSoph.
ISAAC WILSON, Utah, QB, rJr.
MALACHI NELSON, Boy-Z State, QB, rSr.
LANDON WRIGHT, Washington State, WR, rJr.

[BDawg35]

2027 SEASON - GAME 9




Northwestern receiver Jaylen Love gets the fireworks started by hauling in a 41-yard touchdown pass in the first
quarter.


Northwestern receiver Haydon Eligon is off to the races with an 86-yard touchdown reception, the longest in this
dynasty’s history.


Northwestern receiver Carson Grove grabs the third long touchdown pass of the first half, a 57-yarder.


Northwestern safety Tito Williams intercepts a pass that he took 57 yards to the house to close the scoring.


Northwestern linebacker George Dennis dives to break up a pass.


Northwestern running back Jakori McFarland ran 23 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

AIR B-DAWG
Northwestern’s low-event passing game
comes to life in victory over Spartans

EVANSTON, Ill. — This was the game B-Dawg has been waiting four seasons to see from his Northwestern Wildcats.

Finally, they showed some semblance of a deep-passing attack, a feature that has been conspicuously absent from this offense during B-Dawg’s tenure at Northwestern.

It seemed to come out of nowhere, with few signs leading up to the Nov. 6, 2027 game against Michigan State that the Wildcats had the ability to make the type of explosive plays the CPU seems to pull off regularly.

A team that has lived off short drag routes for nearly four full seasons threw touchdown passes of 41, 86 and 57 yards in the first half of a 49-16 rout of the Spartans.

That’s as many touchdown passes of 40 yards or longer as B-Dawg managed in the first 47 games of this dynasty heading into the MSU game. B-Dawg had thrown touchdown passes of 75 yards to Josh Fussell in the 2026 Independence Bowl against Arizona, 70 yards to Timi Oke against Penn State in 2025 and 57 yards to Fussell against Minnesota in 2025. In all, the Wildcats had only 12 completions of at least 40 yards in those 47 games. They averaged 10.5 yards per completion in the first three seasons.

“It feels great to feel like I’m actually playing a video game again,” B-Dawg said. “We hit plays I thought were beyond our ability. We will take more deep chances from here on out.”

Ryan Boe finished 17-for-26 for 341 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, averaging 20.1 yards per completion. The Wildcats nearly had three 100-yard receivers, with Carson Grove making four catches for 111 yards, Haydon Eligon four catches for 108 yards and Jaylen Love five catches for 94 yards. All three had a long touchdown catch.

The fireworks began when MSU (2-7) appeared to be focused on Northwestern’s ad nauseum drag routes and left Love nine yards in the clear for a 41-yard touchdown pass with 3:40 left in the first quarter.

They continued on third-and-17 late in the first half when B-Dawg audibled for Eligon, the slot receiver, to run a streak instead of a post. He outran two players and hauled in an 86-yard scoring strike, the longest completion in the four years of this dynasty.

Emboldened that his team could torch the Spartans’ secondary, B-Dawg hit a wide-open Grove on the right side for a 57-yard touchdown on the first play of the next drive. Miraculously, Northwestern hit back-to-back passes for a total of 143 yards.

“They apparently scouted a dink-and-dunk team and we broke our tendencies big-time,” B-Dawg said. “It was super encouraging to see we can hit the deep ball. MSU isn’t the toughest team in the Big Ten, but they have an 82 defense, so certainly one that you wouldn’t expect to light up like this.”

Northwestern (8-1 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) still had success on the ground, with Jakori McFarland running 23 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Trayvon Riggins 7 pancakes, 0 sacks; Brandon Henderson 6-0; Shawn Boyett 5-0; Deon Barry 4-0; DeWayne Flowers 3-0; Simon Silva 2-0; Carl Erdman 1-0; Kerry Hanoian 1-0; Kyle Baity 1-0.

[RyanLeaf16]

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

Had to play some catch-up here, but WOW...nice to return in the middle of an 8-1 season! Looks like that ROBO AI inserted itself into that Wisconsin game, but the boys are playing alright I'd say.

Just a heads up, when you create custom conferences, make sure that you set the number of conference games to 8 or 9 for EVERY conference in the game. Even if it's a conference you didn't touch. From what I understand, once you edit one conference, they all revert to 4 conference games and it whacks the scheduling up. Looks like it didn't impact you in the B1G, but if you see any wonky schedules for other conferences, just make sure they have 8 or 9 conference games in the settings.

[clwnbby]

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

I’m not much for posting, but felt that I oughta show some appreciation. I’ve been reading your dynasty’s and franchises since the old MM days (cf24, the Cardinals fan…not to be confused with cf21, the Chargers fan). It’s crazy to think that I’ve been keeping up with these things since Boss Bailey and Cory Schlesinger were playing. I’ve always enjoyed the writing, and seeing screenshots from someone else’s PS2 franchise blew my mind. I’ve wanted to post my own stuff, but have been hesitant because life gets in the way and sometimes I simply just don’t play as much as I used to.


It’s good to see that you’re still doing this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[redsox907]

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

There we go! 8-1 and rolling now that the aerial assault is cooking.

[BDawg35]

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

Had to play some catch-up here, but WOW...nice to return in the middle of an 8-1 season! Looks like that ROBO AI inserted itself into that Wisconsin game, but the boys are playing alright I'd say.

Just a heads up, when you create custom conferences, make sure that you set the number of conference games to 8 or 9 for EVERY conference in the game. Even if it's a conference you didn't touch. From what I understand, once you edit one conference, they all revert to 4 conference games and it whacks the scheduling up. Looks like it didn't impact you in the B1G, but if you see any wonky schedules for other conferences, just make sure they have 8 or 9 conference games in the settings.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to take a look at how things are shaking out in the Pac-12 and elsewhere. My league schedule seems fine.

I’m not much for posting, but felt that I oughta show some appreciation. I’ve been reading your dynasty’s and franchises since the old MM days (cf24, the Cardinals fan…not to be confused with cf21, the Chargers fan). It’s crazy to think that I’ve been keeping up with these things since Boss Bailey and Cory Schlesinger were playing. I’ve always enjoyed the writing, and seeing screenshots from someone else’s PS2 franchise blew my mind. I’ve wanted to post my own stuff, but have been hesitant because life gets in the way and sometimes I simply just don’t play as much as I used to.


It’s good to see that you’re still doing this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Holy crap!!! You invoked the names of Boss Bailey and Cory Schlesinger!!! You have a better memory of my Lions 'chises than I have!!!

The thing I love about the PS5 the most (and it's a strange thing to love) is I can grab high-quality screens from my games now and even do videos. I was happy with the screens I could do back in the PS2 days, but they seem antiquated now.

Great to hear from you and thanks for supporting this little addiction of mine, as I'm fond of saying. (It's more than a little addiction, quite frankly.)

[BDawg35]

2027 SEASON - GAME 10




Northwestern receiver Jaylen Love grabs a 73-yard touchdown pass.


Jaylen Love is well-pleased with his effort on the touchdown catch.


Jaylen Love grabs a 43-yard touchdown pass late in the first half.


Northwestern receiver Carson Grove grabs a 22-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left in the first half.


Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola’s 1-yard run gave the Cornhuskers a 21-7 lead in the second quarter.


Northwestern linebacker George Dennis (90) and lineman Troy Regovich sack Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola.

FOR REALZ!
Northwestern’s new deep-passing attack
proves it’s no fluke in win over Huskers

EVANSTON, Ill. — The new-found aerial assault Northwestern displayed against Michigan State apparently wasn’t a one-off.

A team that threw only three touchdown passes of 40 yards or longer in the first 47 games of this dynasty now has five in the last two games alone following a 38-21 come-from-behind victory over 13th-ranked Nebraska on Nov. 13, 2027.

As was the case against Michigan State, most of the damage took place in the second quarter.

Jaylen Love caught touchdown passes of 73 and 43 yards from Ryan Boe in that quarter, bringing the eighth-ranked Wildcats back from a 21-7 deficit. Although it wasn’t as long, a 22-yarder to Carson Grove with 13 seconds left in the first half provided a major lift going into halftime, tying the score 21-21. The 43-yarder to Love and Grove’s touchdown were only 1:15 apart.

“I’ve been reluctant to even attempt deep shots, because they never worked for me,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “That’s why nearly every touchdown we’ve scored is from inside the 10-yard line. It’s so much more fun now that we have the guys who can take the top off a defense and provide some entertainment for our fans.”

Boe was 23-for-35 for 334 yards, three touchdowns and one pick. Love had seven catches for 168 yards and two scores, while Grove had seven catches for 92 yards and a score.

Early on, it was Nebraska and quarterback Dylan Raiola that was hitting the deep strikes. Raiola threw touchdown passes of 54 yards to Carter Nelson and 56 yards to Jaidyn Doss in the second quarter, while also scoring on a 1-yard run.

Between the teams, there were four touchdown passes of at least 43 yards and another from 22 yards out in the second quarter.

“It was either keep up or get left behind,” B-Dawg said. “That was a crazy quarter.”

Northwestern’s defense, led by Troy Regovich’s four tackles for losses and 1.5 sacks, finally settled the game down in the second half, shutting out the Cornhuskers (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten).

A 3-yard run by Boe with 2:05 left in the third quarter gave Northwestern (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) its first lead of the game. The touchdown came on QB Blast from a five-wide formation. The announcers could see what was coming, but Nebraska’s defense didn’t add anyone in the box to account for the run.

“Maybe creating some room for the quarterback to run,” an announcer said.

Northwestern went back to its roots on the drive, sticking primarily to the run while going 92 yards in 16 plays, consuming 6:06.

“We wore them down,” B-Dawg said. “The deep-passing game is fun, but grinding down the will of an opponent is pretty cool, too.”

The Wildcats caught a break when a fumble by Love that was returned to Northwestern’s 40 with 6:57 left in the game was overturned after a challenge by B-Dawg. The ground caused the fumble.

Northwestern went on to complete a 16-play, 86-yard drive that consumed 7:20 by getting a 3-yard run by Jakori McFarland with 2:34 left to go up 14 points.

Northwestern lost defensive tackle Zack Cobb to a broken collarbone early in the third quarter.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Brandon Henderson 9 pancakes, 0 sacks; Trayvon Riggins 9-0; Simon Silva 4-0; Taylor Jackson 4-0.

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2028 RECRUITING UPDATE



Northwestern lands two 4-stars

Northwestern’s future offense will be bolstered by the addition of two four-star recruits who committed after the Wildcats’ victory over Nebraska.

Quarterback Kristian Brown and offensive tackle Dionte Hicks bring the Wildcats’ haul of four-star prospects in the Class of 2028 to three. All three are on offense, with offensive tackle J.D. Amatova committing a few weeks earlier.

The Wildcats also landed two-star offensive guard Shane DeLuca, bringing their class to seven players.

[BDawg35]

2027 SEASON - GAME 11




Northwestern receiver Carson Grove scores on a 13-yard pass in the fourth quarter.


Northwestern strong safety Sean Martin is off to the races with a 79-yard pick-six.


Northwestern strong safety Sean Martin leaps high to break up a certain touchdown pass.


Northwestern defensive end Braxton Strong sacks Maryland quarterback Champ Long.


Maryland’s Mykel Morman intercepts a pass intended for Carson Grove.


Northwestern linebacker George Dennis picks off a pass.

GOOSE EGGS!
Northwestern posts first shutout
despite struggling to stop the run

EVANSTON, Ill. — This isn’t the formula one would expect to result in a shutout, but Northwestern will take it.

The fourth-ranked Wildcats posted their first shutout in B-Dawg’s four seasons at the helm with a 29-0 victory over Maryland on Nov. 20, 2027.

As a team, Northwestern had only two tackles for losses. By comparison, the Wildcats had 11 TFL’s and five sacks last week while allowing 21 points to Nebraska.

The two tackles for losses were a sack by defensive end Braxton Strong and huge stuff by defensive tackle Jeremiah Warren on third-and-one. That forced Maryland to settle for a field goal attempt, which was wide right.

What did help Northwestern post a shutout was the wretched play of Maryland quarterback Champ Long, an 81 OVR fifth-year senior. Long threw two interceptions and couldn’t even complete 50% of his passes, going 18-for-37 for 126 yards.

Like many CPU teams, the Terrapins (5-6) got away from what had been a successful running game. Lyle Vildor averaged 6.3 yards per carry, running 15 times for 94 yards.

Maryland’s ineptitude on offense allowed Northwestern to be patient, as its own offense struggled for much of the game. The Wildcats had only 55 yards on 28 carries had had only three field goals to show for its efforts in the first half, the final two coming in the last 1:06.

“We could not run the ball to save our lives and the deep ball wasn’t available to us,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. "If not for our defense and their lame QB play, we would’ve been in trouble.”

Northwestern’s aerial attack finally showed a pulse when Ryan Boe hooked up with Carson Grove for a 39-yard pass to the Maryland 10-yard line on the Wildcats’ first drive of the second half. Boe wound up scoring a touchdown on a 1-yard run three plays later.

Grove caught a 13-yard touchdown pass and safety Sean Martin had a 79-yard interception return in the fourth quarter.

“Our defense outscored their offense, which is always fun,” B-Dawg said.

With the victory, Northwestern has a chance to clinch a berth in the Big Ten Conference championship game in the regular-season finale next week at Illinois.

The Wildcats are 10-1 overall, 7-1 in the Big Ten.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Travyon Riggins 5 pancakes, 0 sacks; Brandon Henderson 3-0; Taylor Jackson 3-0; Simon Silva 2-0; Nick Stoddard 1-0; Kyle Baity 1-0; Shawn Boyett 1-0; Jaelen Camarda 1-0.

[BDawg35]

CLASS OF 2028 RECRUITING UPDATE





Northwestern lands Texas 4-star WR

EVANSTON, Ill. — The four-star talent keeps committing to Northwestern.

The latest player with that recruiting grade to hitch his wagon with the Wildcats is wide receiver J.C. Cantwell of Carrollton, Texas.

He’s the first four-star receiver to commit to Northwestern in B-Dawg’s four years at the helm.

Cantwell is the fourth four-star player landed by B-Dawg for the Class of 2028, joining quarterback Kristian Brown, offensive tackle Dionte Hicks and offensive tackle J.D. Amatova.

In his first three recruiting classes, B-Dawg landed only five four-star players: DT Zack Cobb (2025), HB Nazir Kush (2026), QB Vernon Starr (2027), QB Gideon Pena (2027) and ATH-HB Leon Dicker (2027).

Also adding depth to the offensive line are two-star commits Tim Streeter at tackle and Braylon Best at guard.

[BDawg35]

2027 SEASON - GAME 12




Illinois quarterback Cal Swanson did nothing special except rock this sweet Red Grange-era drip.


OK, Swanson did throw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Dimitri Newcombe, but that was it.


Northwestern receiver Carson Grove celebrates a 43-yard touchdown catch.


Northwestern cornerback Soni Motuapuaka leaps to pick off a pass.


Northwestern running back Jakori McFarland breaks off a 37-yard run.


Northwestern lineman Troy Regovich bears down on Illinois quarterback Cal Swanson.

P-p-p-p-playoffs?!?
Wildcats clinch Big Ten title berth,
possible CFP spot by beating Illini

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Can we say the word now?

You know … the “P’ word. The one Jim Mora made famous in his epic rant in 2001?

Playoffs? We’re talking about playoffs?

For Northwestern, a berth in the College Football Playoff is looking more and more like a reality following a 34-14 victory over Illinois in the regular-season finale on Nov. 27, 2027.

The Wildcats will face Oregon in the conference championship game, finishing Big Ten play with a league-best 8-1 record. Oregon is 7-2.

At 11-1, it’s unfathomable that Northwestern could miss the playoffs with a loss to Oregon.

“We don’t plan on losing to Oregon, so that doomsday scenario isn’t in our minds,” a confident Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “We’ve built a ton of confidence over the course of this season. We feel like if we are in a game, we’re going to win it. It’s the same feeling I had after about 10 years of playing NCAA ’14. It took a while to feel that way coaching in College Football ’25, but here we are. Let’s go!”

After both teams traded long touchdown passes to open the scoring — a 43-yarder to Northwestern’s Carson Grove, followed by a 61-yarder to Illinois’ Dimitri Newcomb — the Wildcats’ defense and ground game took over.

Before the game, B-Dawg moved fullback Jaelen Camarda to tight end to provide better blocking on the edge following a poor rushing performance against Maryland. It seemed to work, as Jakori McFarland ran 30 times for 158 yards and Carl Erdman ran nine times for 46 yards, combining for a 5.2 rushing average.

Quarterback Ryan Boe ran for three touchdowns on his four carries, all of which were on QB Blast from the five-wide formation within three yards of the goal line.

Following the two long touchdown passes, Northwestern established its ground game with three straight big runs out of the old Maryland-I — a 37-yarder by McFarland, a 24-yarder by Erdman and a 9-yarder by McFarland.

“Once we established the run, we had things under control,” B-Dawg said. “The only way we get in trouble is when we are forced to pass and serve up interceptions.”

Northwestern showed balance with 211 rushing yards and 239 passing yards. The Wildcats didn’t have a turnover.

The Wildcats held a CPU quarterback to fewer than 200 yards for the second straight week, as Cal Swanson went 20-for-32 for 178 yards, one touchdown and one pick. Maryland’s Champ Long was 18-for-37 for 126 yards, no touchdowns and no picks last week.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Trayvon Riggins 9 pancakes, 0 sacks; Shawn Boyett 8-0; Simon Silva 8-0; Hunter Schilens 2-0; Jaelen Camarda 2-0; Brandon Henderson 2-0; Deon Barry 1-0; Tobias Lamm 1-0; Robert Agude 1-0; Taylor Jackson 1-0.

[BDawg35]

2027 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW




Oregon quarterback Austin Novosad has thrown for 3,209 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Northwestern, Oregon set to play
for Big Ten Conference crown

INDIANAPOLIS — Northwestern hopes to see the version of Oregon quarterback Austin Novosad it saw the first time around rather than the most recent rendition.

The Wildcats shut down Novosad during a 2025 game in Evanston, winning 13-9. Novosad was 18-for-30 for 194 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. He also had minus-56 rushing yards on nine attempts.

When the teams met last season, it appeared the Wildcats still had Novosad’s number. Oregon had only two field goals in the first half, giving them only 15 points on five field goals in six quarters against Northwestern.

But Novosad figured it out in the second half of that game, throwing three touchdown passes in a 29-17 victory.

He will face Northwestern for the third time in the 2027 Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Novosad is 230-for-353 for 3,209 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The 91 OVR fifth-year senior is also the team’s second-leading rusher with 351 yards and four touchdowns on 103 carries.

His favorite targets are 84 OVR redshirt sophomore Jay Miles (51 catches, 876 yards, 10 TD’s) and 92 OVR redshirt junior Ryan Pellum (49 catches, 695 yards, eight touchdowns). Mitchell Ladd, an 85 OVR redshirt sophomore, leads a pass-happy team in rushing with 594 yards and 10 touchdowns on 154 carries.

The Wildcats try to show more balance than the Ducks.

Ryan Boe is 265-for-377 for 2,888 yards, 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His top receivers share the load, with Jaylen Love grabbing 68 passes for 832 yards and four touchdowns and Carson Grove catching 59 passes for 804 yards and seven touchdowns.

Jakori McFarland, starting in place of injured Nazir Kush nearly the entire season, has run 217 times for 982 yards and seven scores.

Northwestern is pretty much assured a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time, coming into the game ranked No. 2 nationally with an 11-1 record. Oregon may be able to qualify with a loss, ranked No. 4 with a 10-2 mark.

Northwestern had a league-best 8-1 Big Ten record, followed by Oregon at 7-2. Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn State and 6-3 were in the hunt with 6-3 records.

The Wildcats have won six straight games since a heartbreaking 34-33 loss at Wisconsin in which quarterback Mabrey Mettauer shook off a sack and fired the winning 70-yard touchdown pass to Kam Adams-Parker with 1:02 left in the game.

“I wondered if we would ever be in this position after that game, but here we are,” Northwestern coach B-Dawg said. “We bounced back from the disappointment and made sure we weren’t in that position again.”

[redsox907]

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

GL against Oregon. I've played them a handful of times and it tends to be one extreme or the other. Either they making you want to break your controller, or your scoffing at how inept they are lol.