Preseason AP Poll Predicts Uphill Battle for Northwestern in 2025
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The vibes surrounding the Northwestern football program are high. Even if oddsmakers and prognosticators aren't projecting a strong season from the Wildcats this fall, Northwestern's players and coaches fully believe that they are primed for a bounce-back year.
It was a big offseason for the 'Cats. University admissions enabled Northwestern to utilize the winter transfer portal window for the first time, resulting in a record 14-man transfer class that includes starting quarterback Preston Stone. Cincinnati Bengals scout Christian Sarkisian joined the athletic department as its first-ever general manager and has been guiding the administration through revenue sharing and the House vs. NCAA settlement.
The team also transformed its leadership structure as head coach David Braun internally examined every aspect of Northwestern's program and vowed to compete for a Big Ten championship. But despite sweeping changes and a renewed sense of confidence around the program as a whole, there is still a massive roadblock between Northwestern and a successful season.
As a member of the expanded mega-Big Ten, the Wildcats have one of the most difficult schedules in the country in 2025. The preseason AP Poll, released on Monday, revealed that Northwestern is set to play four top-14 teams this fall, as well as two more opponents that received votes but did not crack the Top 25.
The 'Cats open the season at Tulane, which received the 33rd-most votes and went 9-5 a season ago. Northwestern then faces a pair of elite opponents in No. 7 Oregon in Evanston and No. 2 Penn State at Beaver Stadium — one of the most raucous environments in college football. Nebraska provides a challenging midseason test for the 'Cats, who end the season against No. 14 Michigan and at No. 12 Illinois.
Outside of the six nationally recognized opponents, Northwestern also plays 2024 bowl winners Minnesota and USC. Fresh off adding Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava, UCLA figures to be a tough contest for the 'Cats as well.
There are very few easy wins on the Wildcats' schedule, resulting in NU's over/under being set at just 3.5 wins by various sportsbooks. Northwestern has matchups against Purdue, Louisiana Monroe and FCS opponent Western Illinois, but the remainder of the 'Cats' 2025 season projects to be a gauntlet.
As positive as the energy in Northwestern's program is, good vibes don't win football games outright. The Wildcats have a tall task ahead of them to return to competitiveness within the Big Ten, and the daunting schedule ahead will likely be a referendum on whether Northwestern's offseason changes are enough to move the needle in the new era of college football.
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Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.
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