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Rapid Reaction: Northwestern remains the front-runner in B1G West after knocking off Wisconsin
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Northwestern is the clubhouse leader entering the final month of the season.
Despite a rough three-game stretch and a 1-3 start to the year, the Wildcats’ win over Wisconsin on Saturday keeps Pat Fitzgerald’s bunch right in the hunt for the B1G West. Who would’ve believed that after ugly losses to Duke and Akron?
The Wildcats’ defense was key in Saturday’s win over the Badgers, as was a little bit of help from Jonathan Taylor. Wisconsin fumbled three times in the loss, essentially handing Northwestern the B1G West lead.
Clayton Thorson came up with some big time plays, too. Down the stretch, the quarterback has been clutch. On Saturday. he scored two rushing touchdowns and accounted for another scoring strike through the air. It was another career-defining moment for one of the program’s most decorated quarterbacks.
And after the win over Wisconsin, things look very manageable for the Wildcats. They own the head-to-head with Purdue and the Badgers, two contenders in the division. The lone challenge remaining is Iowa.
Aside from the Hawkeyes, the Wildcats have Minnesota and Illinois on the schedule. It’s an incredibly manageable month, especially for a team that controls its own destiny.
Fitzgerald has often talked about Northwestern being a program that needs to take that next step. He wants to be able to clinch division titles and make the trip to Indianapolis to compete in the B1G title. Northwestern took a huge step in that direction on Saturday.
The West was supposed to belong to Wisconsin. It was a gift-wrapped guarantee. But Northwestern is the leader in the clubhouse right now and a legitimate chance to compete for its first B1G title in two decades.
It’s hard to believe Northwestern dropped games to Duke and Akron early in the year. Those are irrelevant now. The Wildcats are three wins away from clinching a trip to Indianapolis.
Let’s get ready for a whacky November.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB