Northwestern Wildcats Have Three Extremely Important Games on the 2025 Schedule

These are the three most important games on Northwestern's schedule in 2025.

Sep 21, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach David Braun watches pregame warmups against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Northwestern Wildcats enter the 2025 season with many questions marks.

After a 4-8 season, the Wildcats hope to make major improvements after an offseason of work. The honeymoon is over for head coach David Braun after last season and he is out to prove that he can lead this team moving forward.

Northwestern is a long shot to make a bowl this year but if all goes right, there is a chance to get to six wins. This means winning all swing games on the schedule.

The Wildcats will have to take on the likes of Penn State, Oregon, and Michigan this season, while also going to Illinois, but there are matchups that could swing momentum during the season.

These three games stick out when thinking about the most important games on the schedule.

Saturday, Oct. 18: vs. Purdue

The key to the season will be to win the games that you are supposed to. For Northwestern, that is a short list but it begins with Purdue. Northwestern will return home to host Purdue after a trip to Happy Valley. The Boilermakers might be looking at this game as a chance to earn a road victory in Big Ten play but it is important for Northwestern to defend home field.

Saturday, Sept. 27: vs. UCLA

What is UCLA going to be this season? The Bruins are coming off a poor season in 2024. DeShaun Foster returns as head coach while UCLA landed Nico Iamaleava following his ugly exit from Tennessee. UCLA might be improved this season but it comes down to the play of the former five-star quarterback.

The Bruins will come to town after Northwestern battles Oregon. If the Wildcats begin the season with back-to-back non-conference wins, they will have a chance to improve to 3-1 by taking down UCLA. This is arguably the biggest midseason swing game on the schedule.

Saturday, Aug. 30: at Tulane

There is no more important game than the season opener. Energy is high as fans look forward to the grind of the season. Can Northwestern pick up a win to start the 2025 season? It certainly did not put itself in a favorable position.

The Wildcats will enter Tulane as a touchdown underdog to start the season. Northwestern will return home to a refurbished stadium in Week 2 against Western Illinois. This can be a 2-0 start if Northwestern finds a way to beat Tulane.

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