If you had to select one B1G team to fit the description of a riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma, Northwestern is probably the choice. The Wildcats lose a lot of talent from last year’s 7-2 squad that won a B1G West title, but it still seems like a team capable of making some noise in the conference.

There’s no question that Northwestern has some concerns entering the 2021 campaign. The Wildcats lost defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, starting quarterback Peyton Ramsey, star linebackers Paddy Fisher and Blake Gallagher and lockdown corner Greg Newsome II.

Oh, and running backs Drake Anderson and Isaiah Bowser hit the transfer portal and Cam Porter is out for the season with injury. There are a lot of holes to fill.

As long as Northwestern has Pat Fitzgerald on the sideline, though, you can’t really count this squad out. So what can we expect from the Wildcats in this mysterious year? It’s hard to tell.

Still, I’ve come up with five bold predictions for Northwestern in 2021:

1. Hunter Johnson is the starter all season

The little bit we saw from the 5-star quarterback in 2019 was not good. Johnson completed just 50-of-108 pass attempts for 1 touchdown with 4 interceptions in 6 games. The poor passing attack that year resulted in the Wildcats finishing with an uncharacteristic 3-9 record.

Johnson stuck it out in Evanston and now has the chance to lead Northwestern’s offense again. This time, I think it works. Having two years to work with offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and a season to regroup behind Peyton Ramsey might’ve been the best medicine for Johnson.

I don’t expect Johnson to be the best quarterback in the B1G or put up over 300 yards per game. But can he provide the consistency and stability Northwestern needs this year? I expect him to be able to take that kind of step.

2. Brandon Joseph leads the B1G in interceptions again

Look, it’s really difficult to lead a conference in interceptions in back-to-back seasons. Offenses scheme differently and try to avoid the guy known for creating turnovers. There’s no doubt teams will be doing that with Joseph on the field.

Joseph is also incredibly athletic and has great speed. Combine that with his knack for locating the football and he’s got a great chance to repeat as the top interception-getter in the B1G. Last season, the safety hauled in 6 INTs in 9 games, including one of the most incredible picks against Ohio State in the B1G Championship Game. If he’s capable of making plays like that, he’s going to rack up a high number again this fall.

3. Linebacker play is still top notch

Never doubt Northwestern’s linebackers. If there’s one thing we’ve all learned during Fitzgerald’s run as the head coach in Evanston, it’s that the play from that position is going to be really solid.

Even though the Wildcats lost two stellar players in Fisher and Gallagher, they’re returning Chris Bergin, who piled up 78 stops, 4 tackles for loss, 4 pass break-ups and an interception last year. Peter McIntyre, Khalid Jones and Bryce Gallagher also have potential to be really good players in Northwestern’s defense and make a major impact quickly.

This is a relatively inexperienced group of linebackers considering what Northwestern had last season. But is there really any doubt Fitzgerald will have this unit operating at a high level a few weeks into the season?

4. Northwestern beats Michigan for the first time in over a decade

To quote the band Staind, “It’s been awhile.”

Northwestern has lost six straight games to Michigan, four of which were decided in one-possession games. The last time the Wildcats defeated the Wolverines was in 2008, a 21-14 victory in Ann Arbor.

Both Northwestern and Michigan are going through major changes and there’s no question this would be a tough road victory for the Wildcats to grab. The Wildcats always seem to steal a game they shouldn’t, though, and this will end a 12-year drought without a win against UM.

5. The Wildcats get to a bowl game

Despite all the turnover and changes from the 2020 season to this year, Northwestern’s returning talent and favorable schedule sets the team up to get back to a bowl game for the sixth time in seven years. I think the Wildcats are more than capable of hitting that all-important 6-win number.

Northwestern plays just two opponents — Iowa and Wisconsin — that were ranked in the preseason AP Poll. That’s the fewest in the B1G. It also has a light nonconference schedule that features Indiana State, Duke and Ohio. The Wildcats get Michigan State, Michigan and Rutgers in crossover games.

I’m not sure that Northwestern has everything in place to win a third B1G West title in four seasons, but this is a team with more than enough skill and discipline to get to six or seven wins. That might set up for an even bigger year in 2022, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.