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

[BDawg35]

The Northwestern Wildcats owned the fourth quarter again, putting up 28 points to pull away in a 63-28 victory over Iowa.

Hayden DiMarco had 25 pancakes to break his own single-game record for a B-Dawg player. He had 24 pancakes two games earlier against Penn State.

(So, I have the rest of this season and the entire 2033 season I would like to post. It's pretty much crickets in here, so I'm just going to post the videos I've already completed and the stats just to get the games documented somewhere for posterity.)




NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING: Hayden DiMarco 25 pancakes, 0 sacks; Daniel King 6-0; J.D. Amatova 5-0; Thomas Pifer 4-0; Brady Ellington 4-0; Quentin Upshaw 4-0; Jeff McBride 3-0; Koren Garza 2-0; Walter Flanagan 2-0; Fredrick Slade 1-0; Dionte Hicks 1-0; Josh Rourke 1-0; Joseph Watt 1-0; Nate Barr 1-0; Andres Nickey 1-0.

[tarheelguy4736]

Excited to see what you do for CFB 26. Have you started up a dynasty on that one yet?

[BDawg35]

Excited to see what you do for CFB 26. Have you started up a dynasty on that one yet?

Signs of life!!!

I have started a CFB 26 dynasty and I'm about halfway through the first season. I still labor under the delusion I'll finish my posting for this dynasty in an abbreviated manner. We shall see how that goes. Between real work, trying to get in workouts and starting my new dynasty, time gets away from me.

[BDawg35]

Northwestern linebacker Ricardo Ruston had two sacks.

OLD-SCHOOL WIN
Northwestern grinds out victory at OSU
to clinch Big Ten championship berth

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Top-ranked Northwestern’s game at Ohio State on Nov. 20, 2032 was an old-school Big Ten slugfest that produced only two touchdowns and four field goals, with the Wildcats prevailing 20-6 to improve to 11-0.

The victory clinched a berth in the Big Ten conference champion for Northwestern.

Ohio State dropped to 4-7, but the Wildcats weren’t letting the Buckeyes’ record fool them.

Northwestern ran the ball down the Buckeyes’ throats in their own crib, racking up 223 yards on 50 carries.

The game featured a record-tying punt by Cortez Duarte of Northwestern in the fourth quarter. He boomed a 77-yard punt that went into the end zone, matching the longest punt in B-Dawg’s coaching career. You have to go all the way back to NCAA 2004 when Brendan Hilton of Michigan had a 77-yarder against Minnesota on Oct. 11, 2008 to find another punt of that length.

Hayden DiMarco had his second straight game of at least 20 pancakes and his third this season, hitting 20 on the nose one game after setting B-Dawg’s single-game record with 25.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING
Hayden DiMarco 20 pancakes, 0 sacks; Daniel King 8-0; Quentin Upshaw 8-0; J.D. Amatova 6-0; Thomas Pifer 3-0; Walter Flanagan 2-0; Bryce Maloney 2-0; Jamie Stack 1-0; Eric Gibbs 1-0; Kevin Lamb 1-0.

[BDawg35]

Northwestern receiver Eric Gibbs had eight catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone.

NOT BAD FOR ONE HALF
Northwestern QB, WR put up huge numbers
before getting pulled in second half vs. Illini

EVANSTON, Ill. — Imagine the numbers Floyd Keenan and Eric Gibbs would have put up if Northwestern coach B-Dawg decided to go into stat-padding mode.

They would’ve been staggering.

As it was, each player had what would be an outstanding complete-game performance in only one half during a 51-3 rout of Illinois that put the cap on a 12-0 regular season for the top-ranked Wildcats.

Gibbs had eight catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns, while Keenan was 21-for-28 for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers were compiled in only one half of action.

The starting offense never stepped on the field in the second half after a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Ricardo Ruston gave Northwestern a 42-0 lead just 38 seconds into the third quarter.

B-Dawg was put on blast by the announcers in the second half when he was throwing the ball with backup quarterbacks Kristian Brown and Alex Crecelius. One commentator said “the nation will take notice,” but B-Dawg was just trying to keep possession of the ball when the backups couldn’t gain traction on the ground. Northwestern had three field goals and no touchdowns on offense after halftime.

Illinois had only 201 yards of total offense, failing to score a touchdown.

Northwestern will face Nebraska in the Big Ten championship game.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING: J.D. Amatova 5 pancakes, 0 sacks; Thomas Pifer 5-0; Daniel King 3-0; Quentin Upshaw 2-0; Kevin Lamb 2-0; Hayden DiMarco 2-0; Lonnie Claybrooks 2-0; Nate Barr 2-0; Walter Flanagan 1-0; Jose Awosika 1-0; David Coat 1-0; Joseph Watt 1-0; Joey Wilcox 1-0; Braylon Best 1-0; Andres Nickey 1-0.


Final 2032 Big Ten standings




College Football Playoff bracket after regular season

[BDawg35]

Northwestern linebacker Ricardo Ruston had 23 tackles, an all-time record for a B-Dawg player.


Kevin Lamb hauls in a 74-yard touchdown catch to put Northwestern up 17-0.

BIG TEN KINGS AGAIN
Northwestern extends Big Ten mastery
with victory over Nebraska in title game

INDIANAPOLIS — Winning Big Ten Conference football championships was supposed to be difficult for B-Dawg when he took over at Northwestern in 2024.

And, at first, it was.

The Wildcats were only 14-13 in conference play his first three seasons, never finishing higher than a tie for seventh place in the conference.

But once B-Dawg got his recruits on campus and got the hang of College Football 25, he’s been nearly unbeatable in the Big Ten.

The top-ranked Wildcats won their fifth Big Ten championship in the past six seasons with a 28-17 victory over third-ranked Nebraska on Dec. 11, 2032.

Northwestern is 52-7 in Big Ten play over the past six seasons and probably would have won six titles in a row if not for two straight inexplicable upset losses to Indiana and Purdue late in the 2030 season.

Backup running back Desean Licata had a rare moment in the spotlight, scoring Northwestern’s first two touchdowns on a 2-yard run and a 24-yard catch in the first quarter. A 74-yard touchdown catch by Kevin Lamb made it 17-0 in the second quarter before Nebraska cut the lead to 17-10 by halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, a touchdown catch by Bryce Maloney in the fourth quarter pretty much put it away.

It was a record-setting day for Northwestern middle linebacker Ricardo Ruston, who set B-Dawg’s all-time single-game record with 23 total tackles. Ruston had 11 solos, 12 assists, seven for losses and half a sack.

The previous record was 21 by Northwestern middle linebacker Brendan McIntosh against Oregon on Oct. 18, 2025 in this dynasty. Before the release of College Football 25, B-Dawg’s record was only 17 tackles by Michigan’s Carvin Johnson against Air Force on Sept. 1, 2012 in NCAA 2012. Three Northwestern linebackers have had at least 17 tackles in this dynasty.

The teams could have a rematch in the national quarterfinals, with Nebraska projected to play Wisconsin, with the winner facing Northwestern.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING: Quentin Upshaw 7 pancakes, 0 sacks; Bryce Maloney 6-0; Thomas Pifer 4-0; Lonnie Claybrooks 4-0; Walter Flanagan 3-0; J.D. Amatova 3-0; Daniel King 3-1; Hayden DiMarco 1-0; Juan Gore 1-0.



THE FIELD IS SET!





FINAL 2032 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS

[BDawg35]

EA’s awards engine needs a complete overhaul!

Yes, Northwestern had a dominant season, but in no world does one team have seven of the top 10 players for Defensive Player of the Year.

Nobody can argue with Northwestern defensive end Eric Kuhn being the recipient, however. Kuhn earned a seat at the Heisman Trophy ceremony, along with linebacker teammate Ricardo Ruston, after making 58 tackles, 25 for losses, 15 sacks and an interception.




PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Klay Anthrop, Alabama, QB, rSr., 88 OVR
HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR: B-Dawg, Northwestern
BEST QUARTERBACK: Klay Anthrop, Alabama, rSr., 88 OVR
BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Eric Kuhn, Northwestern, DE, Jr., 91 OVR
BEST DEFENSIVE BACK: Levi Ingram, Northwestern, CB, rSr., 88 OVR
BEST RUNNING BACK: Stan Baron, Northwestern, Jr., 88 OVR
BEST RECEIVER: Robert Chambers, Notre Dame, Jr., 86 OVR
LOMBARDI: Eric Kuhn, Northwestern, DE, Jr., 91 OVR
UNITAS GOLDEN ARM: Klay Anthrop, Alabama, rSr., 88 OVR
BEST DEFENSIVE END: Eric Kuhn, Northwestern, Jr., 91 OVR
BEST INTERIOR LINEMAN: Broderick Bushman, Alabama, OG, rJr., 96 OVR
BEST TIGHT END: Tyler Law, USC, Sr., 94 OVR
BROYLES AWARD: Rob Hepburn, Northwestern, OC
BEST LINEBACKER: Ricardo Ruston, Northwestern, MLB, Jr., 90 OVR
BEST CENTER: Angel Dogg, Notre Dame, rSr., 89 OVR
LOU GROZA: Glenn McGann, Charlotte, rSr., 85 OVR
BEST PUNTER: Marquel Smoker, Alabama, rJr., 85 OVR
BEST RETURNER: Mateo Warrior, Wyoming, WR, Soph., 73 OVR





KLAY ANTHROP, Alabama, QB, rSr., 88 OVR
2032 stats: 242-for-336, 3,423 yards, 40 TD, 8 int.; 128 carries, 587 yards, 5 TD

DAVID CUTRERA, Clemson, QB, rSr., 88 OVR
2032 stats: 297-for-437, 3,937 yards, 39 TD, 2 int.; 85 carries, 346 yards, 3 TD

ROBERT CHAMBERS, Notre Dame, WR, Jr., 86 OVR
2032 stats: 61 catches, 1,037 yards, 18 TD; 15 carries, 221 yards, 5 TD

ERIC KUHN, Northwestern, DE, Jr., 91 OVR
2032 stats: 21 solos, 37 assists, 58 tackles, 25 TFL, 15 sacks, 1 interception

RICARDO RUSTON, Northwestern, MLB, Jr., 90 OVR
2032 stats: 55 solos, 59 assists, 114 tackles, 27 TFL, 6 sacks, 2 interceptions

[BDawg35]

2032 FIRST ROUND

Alabama-Birmingham 35, Georgia Tech 30
Wisconsin 26, Nebraska 3
Mississippi 28, East Carolina 24
Penn State 36, Oregon 33


2032 QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

Wisconsin vs. Northwestern (Orange Bowl)
Alabama-Birmingham vs. Arizona (Peach Bowl)
Penn State vs. Alabama (Fiesta Bowl)
Mississippi vs. Clemson (Cotton Bowl)

[BDawg35]

Northwestern cornerback Jeff Hentrich breaks up a fourth-and-12 pass with 5:59 left in the game.


Northwestern safety Nazir Small intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter.


Northwestern running back Stan Baron ran for three touchdowns.

BADGER MELTDOWN
Wisconsin’s 4 second-half turnovers
help Northwestern advance to semis

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It was one play in a high-scoring football game decided by 21 points that most people have already forgotten about.

But not B-Dawg.

The Northwestern coach pointed toward a pass breakup by senior cornerback Jeff Hentrich as the key play in the top-ranked Wildcats’ 42-21 victory over seventh-ranked Wisconsin in a College Football Playoff game at the Orange Bowl on Dec. 28, 2032.

Down 14 points, the Badgers were in desperation mode when they chose to go for it on fourth-and-11 from their own 2-yard line. Wisconsin quarterback had a receiver one-on-one with Hentrich, whose safety help rotated to the other side of the field. Hentrich didn’t need any help, leaping to break up a pass with 5:59 left in the game that would’ve produced a 98-yard touchdown had he missed.

Instead of it being a 35-28 game with plenty of time remaining, Northwestern punched in a 2-yard run by quarterback Floyd Keenan on the next play to go up 42-21.

“That play by Hentrich was literally a 14-point play,” B-Dawg said after getting a playoff victory for his (gulp!) 70th birthday. “You get really scared when you see a guy on an island like that, but he made the type of pass breakup that I would have deemed B.S. had it happened against me.”

Northwestern scored on its first four possessions of the game, taking a 28-7 lead. Wisconsin got within 28-14 at halftime to keep the issue in doubt for most of the second half.

The Badgers’ hopes evaporated when they committed four second-half turnovers, including three in the final 3 minutes and 36 seconds. Two were interceptions by strong safety Nazir Small.

Stan Baron got a hat trick, running for three short touchdowns. He ground out 116 yards on 34 carries. Keenan was 19-for-31 for 289 yards and a touchdown. Jamie Stack caught eight passes for 132 yards.

Northwestern (14-0) will face second-ranked Mississippi (14-1) in the national semifinals at the Rose Bowl in a rematch of a quarterfinal game the Rebels won 31-24 two years ago. The Wildcats won a regular-season game over Mississippi the following season, 39-33.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING: Hayden DiMarco 17 pancakes, 0 sacks; Thomas Pifer 7-0; Juan Gore 7-0; Brady Ellington 6-0; Quentin Upshaw 5-0; Alex Jameson 4-0; Bryce Maloney 4-0; Walter Flanagan 3-0; Nate Barr 1-0; Andres Nickey 1-0.

[BDawg35]

Northwestern’s Levi Ingram makes the first of his two interceptions.


Northwestern’s Levi Ingram makes his second interception.


Northwestern linebacker Ricardo Ruston intercepts a pass.


Northwestern running back Stan Baron ran 31 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

ON TO THE NATTY!
Northwestern neuters Ole Miss QB,
earns matchup with Arizona for title

PASADENA, Calif. — B-Dawg was terrified of Lamar Bazley after seeing what the Mississippi quarterback did during a 70-35 beatdown of Clemson in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Bazley put up video-game numbers, which is probably appropriate given this is a … well, you know.

Bazley went 24-for-39 for 456 yards and eight touchdowns against the Tigers. B-Dawg was right to worry about what Bazley was capable of if the robo-QB cheat code activated when Northwestern and Mississippi met in the national semifinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4, 2033.

But other than one play, Bazley was neutered as top-ranked Northwestern rolled into the national championship game with a 38-7 rout of the Rebels.

Bazley, a 91 OVR redshirt junior, was 14-for-28 for 191 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. His only dangerous moment came when he threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to George Odenigbo with 6:50 left in the second quarter to get the Rebels within 14-7. Odenigbo had four touchdown catches and 192 yards against Clemson and finished this season with 21 touchdown catches.

Mississippi wouldn’t score again, amassing only 170 yards when you remove that one splash play.

The Wildcats kept the chains moving, going 10-for-13 on third down and holding the ball for 31 minutes and 15 seconds of a 44-minute game.

“We weren’t flashy, but we made just enough plays to keep the ball, get in the end zone and limit Bazley’s opportunities to burn us,” B-Dawg said. “Once we got a 28-7 halftime lead, we were content to just grind down the clock in the second half.”

Levi Ingram led the defense by intercepting two passes and making a team-high eight tackles.

Northwestern (15-0) will face surprising Arizona (14-1) for the national championship in Atlanta. Arizona advanced with a 37-31 victory over Alabama.

These teams have a postseason history back when both programs were nowhere near at the level they are now. Northwestern beat Arizona 30-27 in overtime in the 2026 Independence Bowl.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING: Thomas Pifer 9-0; Alex Jameson 9-0; Hayden DiMarco 8-0; Juan Gore 6-0; Quentin Upshaw 5-0; Jamie Stack 3-0; Brady Ellington 3-0; Nate Barr 3-0; Walter Flanagan 2-0; Fredrick Slade 1-0; Kevin Lamb 1-0; Bryce Maloney 1-0.

[BDawg35]

Northwestern’s Nick Arnold intercepts a pass.


Northwestern’s Jeff Hentrich intercepts a pass.


Northwestern’s Stan Baron had more than 100 yards rushing and receiving.


Northwestern’s Jamie Stack caught two touchdown passes.

PERFECTION!
B-Dawg completes his first 16-0 season,
capitalizing on turnovers to capture natty

THE ATL — It’s a whole lot easier to win natties when your opponent is imploding with turnovers, not the other way around.

In Northwestern’s playoff losses the past two seasons, the Wildcats committed eight turnovers and forced only two. Mississippi had two pick-sixes, including the game-winner with 1:21 left, two years ago in the quarterfinals. Alabama-Birmingham had a go-ahead pick-six in the fourth quarter in the semifinals last year.

But this time it’s the Wildcats who are standing on top of the college football world because they ran into three playoff opponents bent on self-destruction.

Eighth-ranked Arizona committed six turnovers in the 2032 national championship game against No. 1 Northwestern, which completed a perfect season with a 49-21 victory.

In three playoff games, Northwestern’s opponents had 13 turnovers while the Wildcats had only one. Fumbles are fairly rare in College Football 25, but Arizona managed to lose three.

“After one year of playing this game, I finally figured out how to play clean and turnover-free in big games,” B-Dawg said. “It’s more fun watching the other team shoot itself in the foot.”

It’s the second natty in B-Dawg’s nine years at Northwestern. It was a perfect scenario for his 100th victory with the Wildcats to go with 29 losses. It was also the first time he’s won 16 games, as his 2027 national championship came in a 15-1 season that was blemished only by a one-point loss to Wisconsin.

Northwestern jumped out to a 21-0 lead and Arizona (14-2) couldn’t get closer than 14 points. Junior running back Stan Baron had 100-yard performances on the ground and as a receiver, running 20 times for 115 yards and a touchdown and catching four passes for 120 yards and a score.

Quarterback Floyd Keenan was 21-for-27 for 325 yards and four touchdowns.

Arizona somehow made it all the way to the natty with a 14-1 record despite being ranked 81 across the board.

Northwestern won the game despite the fact the refs were against them. The Wildcats had 11 penalties for 87 yards, while Arizona had only three for 25 yards.

“Nobody came here to watch the refs, but they had to be the star of the show,” B-Dawg said.

Northwestern also won in spite of a quiet day from some of its biggest stars. Defensive Player of the Year Eric Kuhn didn’t have a single tackle and speedy receiver Eric Gibbs didn’t have a catch.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING: Hayden DiMarco 10 pancakes, 0 sacks; Thomas Pifer 8-0; Alex Jameson 7-0; Quentin Upshaw 6-0; Brady Ellington 4-0; Juan Gore 4-0; Walter Flanagan 3-0; Bryce Maloney 3-0; Jamie Stack 2-0; Fredrick Slade 1-0; Eric Gibbs 1-0; Joey Wilcox 1-0.

[BDawg35]

On its way to winning the 2032 national championship, Northwestern had a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers.

[BDawg35]

Note: I am skipping all the offseason stuff and jumping right into game reports for the 2033 season, which is the last one I played before the release of College Football 26. The reports will be barebones and the non-game stuff will be nonexistent so I can get this stuff documented before posting my new dynasty.


2033 NORTHWESTERN SCHEDULE

AUG. 27 — GEORGIA SOUTHERN
SEPT. 3 — at TEXAS
SEPT. 17 — JACKSONVILLE STATE
OCT. 1 — WASHINGTON
OCT. 8 — OHIO STATE
OCT. 15 — at WISCONSIN
OCT. 22 — at UCLA
OCT. 29 — at RUTGERS
NOV. 5 — MICHIGAN STATE
NOV. 12 — NEBRASKA
NOV. 19 — MARYLAND
NOV. 26 — at ILLINOIS

[BDawg35]

Northwestern defensive end Eric Kuhn dropped into coverage to make a pick.


Kuhn also did what he usually does, getting a sack.


Northwestern cornerback Jabu Newcomb picks off a pass.


Northwestern cornerback Nick Arnold makes an interception.


Redshirt freshman receiver Geoff Trahan makes one of his two touchdown catches.

NEWCOMERS SHINE
Freshmen receivers score first TD’s
in opening win over Georgia Southern

EVANSTON, Ill. — A new football season means meeting some new potential star players.

Northwestern fans, say hello to Geoff Trahan and Ruben Pettigrew.

Trahan, a redshirt freshman, had five catches for 46 yards and two touchdowns during Northwestern’s 45-0 season-opening shutout of Georgia Southern on Aug. 27, 2033.

Pettigrew, a true freshman, had team-high totals of six catches and 74 yards, also scoring his first career touchdown.

Both players in the slot while Jamie Stack and Kevin Lamb man the outside receiver positions.

“Sadly, both players won’t realize their true potential because they’ll be perpetually on a saved file that won’t be played any longer,” B-Dawg said.

Northwestern pitched the shutout by forcing three turnovers and holding Georgia Southern to 187 yards of offense. Defensive end Eric Kuhn, whose quest for B-Dawg’s all-time sacks record is the only reason this season was being played so close to the release of College Football 26, had a sack and an interception.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING: Daniel King 17-0; Hayden DiMarco 13-0; Quentin Upshaw 8-1; Juan Gore 4-0; Joseph Watt 3-0; Thomas Pifer 3-0; Frederick Slade 1-0; Bryce Maloney 1-0; Ruben Pettigrew 1-0; Walter Flanagan 1-0; Kevin Lamb 1-0.

[BDawg35]

Northwestern running back Stan Baron had three touchdown runs.


Taj Skaggs of Texas breaks off a 50-yard touchdown run.

HOOKED ’EM!
Northwestern stomps Longhorns
deep in-a-heart-a Texas, 52-29

AUSTIN, Texas — This was supposed to be Northwestern’s big nonconference test of the 2033 season, but the Wildcats might as well have scheduled a home game with Akron instead of a road trip to Texas.

The showdown with a perennial power was laughably easy for second-ranked Northwestern, which built a 42-10 halftime lead on its way to a 52-29 victory over the unranked Longhorns on Sept. 3, 2033.

Running back Stan Baron, who has typically had to grind out his yardage, ripped off big chunks on his way to 197 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. One of his touchdowns came on a 49-yard run.

Floyd Keenan was 20-for-29 for 272 yards and three touchdowns.

The score was 52-15 before Texas tacked on two late touchdowns against the Wildcats’ backups.

Taj Skaggs ripped off a 50-yard run to get Texas within 14-7 midway through the first quarter, but had minus-2 yards on his other five carries.





NORTHWESTERN BLOCKING: Hayden DiMarco 10 pancakes, 0 sacks; Juan Gore 7-0; Thomas Pifer 6-0; Joseph Watt 4-0; Bryce Maloney 3-0; Daniel King 3-0; Koren Garza 2-0; L. Claybrooks 1-0; S. Clauss 1-0; J. Rourke 1-0; Frederick Slade 1-0; D. Coat 1-0; Walter Flanagan 1-0; Jamie Stack 1-0; Jeff McBride 1-0.