Northwestern Wildcats Considered Major Long Shots to Reach Bowl Season

The Wildcats will have plenty of work to do to reach six wins in 2025.

Sep 21, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach David Braun reacts to a goal line play against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Northwestern Wildcats have very low expectations surrounding the team heading into the 2025 season.

On June 2, ESPN released its latest FPI power index rankings sharing different analytics for each team this season.

Northwestern made a jump from 2024. The Wildcats finished 89th out of 134 teams last year and are currently 74th, which is the 14th-largest increase in the nation.

Despite a rise in the FPI, the Wildcats projected record is 4.1-7.9 with a 17.3% chance to reach six wins and qualify for bowl season.

Northwestern last participated in a bowl in 2023 when it defeated Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. This was David Braun's first season as head coach. The Wildcats came back down to Earth in 2024 winning just four games.

The Wildcats qualified for a bowl 10 times under Pat Fitzgerald. This includes a stretch of five out of six years from 2015-20. Northwestern won just four games in Fitzgerald's final two years before Braun took over.

Northwestern will begin the season with Tulane and Western Illinois before the gauntlet in the Big Ten begins. The Wildcats will be tasked with Oregon, Penn State, Michigan, and Illinois this season. The Wildcats have potential swing games against Purdue and UCLA.

The third and final non-conference game for Northwestern comes against Louisiana-Monroe after a trip to Happy Valley.

This is an important season for Braun and Northwestern. The team will look to improve on the field after a disappointing 2024 season. The Wildcats will be looking to find the magic from 2023.