2024 NCAAF Cheat Sheet: Northwestern Wildcats Stats & Odds

As renovations on Ryan Field continue, the Northwestern Wildcats will play most of their home games at a temporary on-campus structure near Lake Michigan. Ryan Field, the program’s home for 98 years, is expected to reopen in 2026.

The waterfront views may be picturesque, but will they translate to winning?

Expectations are relatively low for Northwestern despite last season’s turnaround, with the Wildcats ticketed for only 4.5 regular-season wins.

Let’s take a closer look at more projected 2024 Northwestern Wildcats stats.

At A Glance

Back to the Drawing Board for ‘Cats

Northwestern avoided the distraction of a turbulent offseason by becoming one of college football’s most pleasant surprises in 2023.

The Wildcats won eight games, including 14-7 victory over Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. That marked a seven-win improvement from the previous season, earning David Braun the permanent head-coaching role.

Can they build off that success?

Unfortunately, it’s more likely they take a step back in 2024. The Wildcats weren’t big players in the transfer market, and projected No. 1 quarterback Brendan Sullivan transferred to Big Ten rival Iowa.

Braun’s proven adept at adjusting on the fly, emerging from the chaos of Pat Fitzgerald’s dismissal to guide the Wildcats back to respectability. But it could be tough to find footing in the new-look Big Ten, which bolstered its already strong base by adding Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA.

The Wildcats, who open Aug. 31 against Miami-Ohio, will be hard-pressed to come anywhere close to their record from last season. More than likely, another rebuild is in order.

Let’s take a closer look at the projected 2024 Northwestern Wildcats stats.

Championship Odds: Not a Chance

Braun did a tremendous job last season, but a miracle worker he is not. There’s just no realistic scenario in which Northwestern competes for a Big Ten championship, let alone a national championship.

The roster isn’t necessarily any better, and Braun must hope that transfer Mike Wright, who’s made stops at both Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, is the answer at quarterback.

Even if the defense performs similarly to last season (23.8 PPG allowed, 52nd in FBS), the Wildcats will, at best, be a six- or possibly seven-win team. But a national championship? Forget it.

Conference Odds: Among the Longest of Longshots

Northwestern can overachieve and still not come anywhere close to winning the Big Ten in 2024. That’s just the reality.

Year-in, year-out, the Big Ten is one of the country’s strongest conferences, and it added a legitimate national championship contender in Oregon. The Ducks have the second-best odds to win the Big Ten (+200), behind only Ohio State (+155).

Northwestern, meanwhile, is way down the odds board at +20000. Only Purdue (+30000) is a bigger longshot.

That speaks volumes about the Wildcats’ chances of contending.

Regular Season Wins: Late-Season Slate Daunting

The schedule-makers did Northwestern a favor, keeping it from playing Oregon and USC. It also doesn’t have to see Penn State.

That said, there’s plenty of other roadblocks along the way. The Wildcats still have to play Wisconsin, Iowa, Ohio State, and Michigan, the last two back-to-back weeks in November.

If the Wildcats handle business in non-conference play against Miami-Ohio, Duke and FCS school Eastern Illinois, they’ll have a crack at surpassing their projected win total, which has dropped from 5.5 to 4.5. In that case, they might even be able to contend for another bowl. That in itself would be a tremendous accomplishment for Braun and Co.

The more likely scenario is that Northwestern scuffles early and finds itself sweating to scratch out five wins heading into its regular-season finale against in-state rival Illinois on Nov. 30.

To Make Playoffs: Playoffs? Keep Dreaming

Playoffs? Come on, let’s get serious. For this to happen, Northwestern would have to either win the Big Ten or outperform someone like Notre Dame and grab an at-large bid. Both scenarios are pipe dreams.

Again, back-to-back bowl games would be cause for celebration. Northwestern hasn’t done that since 2017 and 2018.

Bettors should keep that in mind when assessing the projected 2024 Northwestern Wildcats stats.

For college football picks and parlays, betting analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

Can’t get enough? Here’s more!

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