College Football

2024 Northwestern football predictions: Ranked No. 75 by RJ Young

Updated Aug. 12, 2024 10:32 a.m. ET

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

[Check out RJ Young's ultimate 134 college football rankings here]

Conference ranking: 13th in Big Ten (+20000 to win conference)
Teams ahead of them: UCLA (74), Old Dominion (73), Minnesota (72), Marshall (71), South Florida (70)
Teams behind them: Houston (76), Miami of Ohio (77), Mississippi State (78), Oregon State (79), Toledo (80)

[Northwestern 2024 schedule]

RJ's take: David Braun had never been a head coach until the title was foisted upon him last July. He met the challenge by winning the most games by a Northwestern first-year head football coach since 1903, and his five Big Ten wins were the most by any first-year Wildcat head coach in program history. Northwestern's 8-5 record was a mighty surprise to all those who watched the 2022 Wildcats go 1-11.

Cold water on a good story is recognizing that Northwestern plays the third-toughest schedule in the country behind Florida and USC, based on opponents' overall résumé. The Wildcats' 2024 opponents combined to go 104-53 in 2023, with nine ranked and eight earning wins against ranked teams.

Braun had better bring more brawn.

Northwestern's Win Total Odds: Over 4.5 (-135) Under 4.5 (+115)

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