Tradition Crystal Ball: Predicting every Northwestern football game in 2024

Editor’s note: Saturday Tradition’s annual Crystal Ball series continues with Oregon. We’ll go in alphabetical order through the 18-team B1G.

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Welcome back to Tradition’s Crystal Ball series as we dissect and predict every game across the 2024 Big Ten schedule! The latest installment brings us to Northwestern, the darling story of the 2023 season.

A year ago, recently hired defensive coordinator turned interim head coach David Braun led the Wildcats to 8 wins and a bowl victory over Utah. Considering Northwestern won exactly 1 game in Pat Fitzgerald’s final season, it was a much-needed boost for the program.

However, there were some cracks in the foundation of last season’s performance as Northwestern gave up more points than they scored. A negative point differential traditionally screams that regression is possible, and an even deeper Big Ten schedule makes things even tougher.

Can Braun recapture some of the magic of the 2023 season, or will Northwestern crash back to Earth? Let’s get to the Crystal Ball and find out!

Game-by-game predictions

Week 1: vs. Miami (OH) (W)

Believe it or not, Miami actually has a winning around against Northwestern: 7-3 all-time. Included is Miami’s upset in 2022 as a part of the dreadful 1-11 campaign for Pat Fitzgerald. The 2 programs stack up similarly in ESPN’s SP+ entering the season. (Northwestern is 75th while Miami-OH is 80th.) But I’ll go with David Braun starting Year 2 on the right foot at home.

Week 2: vs. Duke (L)

Mike Elko made quick work of Duke’s turnaround, leading the Blue Devils to a 16-9 record across 2 seasons. He is now back in the SEC to lead Texas A&M, but Manny Diaz returns to the ACC after a brief coaching rehabilitation stint on James Franklin’s staff. The programs have played 7 times since 2015, and the Blue Devils are 5-2 overall and riding a 5-game winning streak. Riley Leonard is no longer in Durham, but this feels like a tough ask for Northwestern with a shaky QB situation.

Week 3: vs. Eastern Illinois (W)

Eastern Illinois was ambitious this season, scheduling a pair of B1G programs (Illinois is the other) after the FCS Panthers went 8-3 a season ago. At the risk of incurring past trauma, FCS programs have not been a pushover for Northwestern in recent history. Howard pushed the Wildcats to the wire in 2023, and Southern Illinois even beat the Wildcats at home in 2022. I think Northwestern avoids that type of outcome, but don’t be surprised if it’s far from easy.

Week 4: at Washington (L)

Northwestern and Washington haven’t met since the 1980s, but that will change under the new landscape in the B1G. The Huskies lost some of the best talent in the country to the 2024 NFL Draft and are entering a large-scale rebuild with new coach Jedd Fisch. However, Washington has regrouped just about as well as possible, and this one comes out west. Throughout the Crystal Ball series, you’ll notice the impact of widespread travel on our predictions. That will play a big role here.

Week 5: BYE

Week 6: vs. Indiana (W)

Even as B1G veterans, there is not a lot of recent history to visit in regard to Indiana vs. Northwestern. The last meeting came in 2019 (an IU victory), but both programs are in distinctly different locations for 2024. I think the Hoosiers will pick off a couple of unsuspecting victims in B1G play this fall with Curt Cignetti’s confidence trickling down to his players. This game is a toss-up on my list, so I’m going with Northwestern at home, but don’t be surprised if the outcome tilts the other way late in the 4th quarter.

Week 7: at Maryland (L)

Entering the Maryland game last season, Northwestern was 3-4 and bordering on fading into the stretch run before stunning the Terrapins. That win jump-started 4 wins in the final 5 regular-season games of the year for Northwestern, but I don’t think we’ll see anything similar this time around. Brendan Sullivan was the star o that win with over 300 yards of offense and 2 touchdowns without a turnover. Questions around the QB situation have me leaning in favor of Maryland, especially at home.

Week 8: vs. Wisconsin (L)

Recent history in the Northwestern vs. Wisconsin series is a sight to behold. Since 2013, Northwestern is 5-6 against the Badgers, and the longest “streak” by either side in that time span is 2 games. The Wildcats delivered a stunning win in Madison a season ago, and I’m siding with the expected regression for Northwestern in this matchup. Luke Fickell’s group seems just a bit more cohesive and talented this time around to get a bit of payback.

Week 9: at Iowa (L)

The kings of winning low-scoring affairs, Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa program has rattled off 3 straight against Northwestern, including 2 while scoring less than 20 points. Iowa needed just 169 total yards of offense — and a game-winning field goal — to win the 2023 version of this matchup, and I have the Hawkeyes a few measures above where the program was last season. Unless the injury bug decimates Iowa and levels the playing field, this might get ugly in Iowa City.

Week 10: at Purdue (L)

Last year’s game likely still stings the Boilermakers. With Hudson Card sidelined, Purdue still managed to rack up over 300 rushing yards and 443 total yards of offense. Northwestern was able to swing things with 4 takeaways, but the Wildcats were otherwise unimpressive. I don’t think Northwestern can bank on that type of game this time around. This sticks out as a key regression game coming for Braun’s Wildcats.

Week 11: BYE

Week 12: vs. Ohio State (L)

Northwestern gets a bye in November, which will serve a regrouping program well. However, there’s only so much a bye can do for you, and getting ready for Ohio State is a task that would take the Wildcats … much longer than a week. This game comes in Wrigley Field, and there’s a chance conditions and a conservative approach keeps this game closer than expected for a while. But an upset isn’t coming in this one. Ohio State extends its series winning streak to 11 in a row and 35 out of the past 36.

Week 13: at Michigan (L)

So much for good vibes in November. Even if the Wildcats deliver a spirited battle against the Buckeyes, they must turn right around and head to Ann Arbor to face the reigning national champs in the Big House. Michigan is widely expected to regress at least some this season, but the Wolverines are plenty deep enough in the trenches to handle the Wildcats. The QB situation at Michigan will long be solidified by Week 13, and it’s possible the Wolverines dial up a “Sherrone Moore special” with limited passing attempts and a dominant ground game late in the season.

Week 14: vs. Illinois (L)

The 2023 version of Northwestern vs. Illinois was one of the most entertaining games of the season for those who bothered to tune in. They combined for 6 scoring drives in the 4th quarter alone, and the Wildcats escaped with key defensive plays and takeaways. I think the fortunes of Illinois will swing a bit this season, especially if starting QB Luke Altmyer takes a step forward and stays healthy. It’s not what Northwestern fans are looking or hoping for as a disappointing season comes to a close.

RELATED: Rivalry games always present some intriguing betting lines to take advantage of! Use FanDuel for the best and latest odds throughout the 2024 B1G season.

2024 Projection: 3-9 (1-8)

Ah, the dreaded “sophomore slump,” on this time it comes beckoning for head coach David Braun and not an individual player. Northwestern truly was a storybook team a season ago. This year, it will be closer to a nightmare than anything else.

That’s not a rosy outlook, but don’t jump ship on Braun’s tenure quite yet. The full impact of the situation he was pulled into a season ago will be realized this fall. However, it’s possible he can weather the storm and turn things around down the road.

But, for now, fans fortunate enough to make the trek to the shores of Lake Michigan should enjoy the sights and sounds of a unique experience. It’s bound to trump the actual play on the field.