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Big Ten

Northwestern

2025 Season Performance

#57
Rank
6-6
Record
51.8
Points
0.843
SOS

Current Form

L1 streak
HOT
Last 3 1-2
Last 5 1-4

Key Games

Best W @ #74 Penn State 22-21
Worst L @ #27 Nebraska 21-28

Record Splits

Home 4-1
Away 1-4
Neutral 1-1
Conference 4-5
Non-Conf 2-1
Close (7 pts or less) 3-3
FCS Opponents 1

Rank Progression

#36
#58
#80
#102
#125
Pre
#104
W3
#113
W6
#61
W9
#44
W12
#67
W15
#57

Season Breakdown

Hover Wk 15 pts for details
Week
Game
Score
Wk 15
1
08/30
L
NR @ #43 Tulane
3-23
-6.0
Point Breakdown
Base Points
-8.0 -8.0
Location Modifiers
+2.0 -6.0
Loss Opp Modifier
+0.8 -5.2
Loss Record Modifier
+1.0 -4.1
Margin Scaling
-1.9 -6.0
Total -6.0 pts
2
09/05
W
#115 vs #45 Western Illinois
42-7
+0.0
Point Breakdown
FCS Opponent - 0 pts
3
09/13
L
#77 vs #16 Oregon
14-34
-6.9
Point Breakdown
Base Points
-8.0 -8.0
Location Modifiers
-2.4 -10.4
Loss Opp Modifier
+5.2 -5.2
Loss Record Modifier
+1.9 -3.3
Margin Scaling
-2.5 -5.8
Recency Weighting
-1.1 -6.9
Total -6.9 pts
5
09/27
W
#109 vs #128 UCLA
17-14
+12.1
Point Breakdown
Base Points
+10.0 10.0
Location Modifiers
-1.0 9.0
Win Opp Modifier
+0.1 9.1
Margin Scaling
+1.1 10.3
Recency Weighting
+1.8 12.1
Total 12.1 pts
6
10/04
W
#96 vs #68 UL Monroe
42-7
+8.9
Point Breakdown
Base Points
+10.0 10.0
Location Modifiers
-1.0 9.0
Win Opp Modifier
-3.9 5.1
Margin Scaling
+3.9 8.9
Total 8.9 pts
7
10/11
W
#61 @ #74 Penn State
22-21
+25.2
Point Breakdown
Base Points
+10.0 10.0
Location Modifiers
+3.5 13.5
Win Opp Modifier
+7.2 20.7
Margin Scaling
+0.6 21.4
Recency Weighting
+3.9 25.2
Total 25.2 pts
8
10/18
W
#42 vs #105 Purdue
19-0
+10.8
Point Breakdown
Base Points
+10.0 10.0
Location Modifiers
-1.0 9.0
Win Opp Modifier
-1.8 7.2
Margin Scaling
+3.6 10.8
Total 10.8 pts
9
10/25
L
#41 @ #27 Nebraska
21-28
-5.0
Point Breakdown
Base Points
-8.0 -8.0
Location Modifiers
+2.0 -6.0
Loss Opp Modifier
+2.2 -3.8
Loss Record Modifier
+0.5 -3.3
Margin Scaling
-1.0 -4.3
Recency Weighting
-0.8 -5.0
Total -5.0 pts
11
11/08
L
#50 @ #10 USC
17-38
-5.5
Point Breakdown
Base Points
-8.0 -8.0
Location Modifiers
+2.0 -6.0
Loss Opp Modifier
+3.0 -3.0
Loss Record Modifier
+0.8 -2.2
Margin Scaling
-2.5 -4.7
Recency Weighting
-0.8 -5.5
Total -5.5 pts
12
11/15
L
#60 N #12 Michigan
22-24
-3.8
Point Breakdown
Base Points
-8.0 -8.0
Location Modifiers
+1.2 -6.8
Loss Opp Modifier
+3.4 -3.4
Loss Record Modifier
+0.9 -2.5
Margin Scaling
-0.7 -3.2
Recency Weighting
-0.6 -3.8
Total -3.8 pts
13
11/22
W
#67 N #41 Minnesota
38-35
+24.0
Point Breakdown
Base Points
+10.0 10.0
Location Modifiers
+1.5 11.5
Win Opp Modifier
+7.6 19.1
Margin Scaling
+1.3 20.4
Recency Weighting
+3.7 24.0
Total 24.0 pts
14
11/30
L
#47 @ #23 Illinois
13-20
-4.1
Point Breakdown
Base Points
-8.0 -8.0
Location Modifiers
+2.0 -6.0
Loss Opp Modifier
+3.0 -3.0
Loss Record Modifier
+0.6 -2.4
Margin Scaling
-1.0 -3.5
Recency Weighting
-0.6 -4.1
Total -4.1 pts
Total
6-6 Record
49.7

All-Time Summary (2016-2026)

11
Seasons
57-65
Record
47%
Win Rate
#54
Avg Rank
#4
Best Rank
0.849
Avg SOS

Final Rank by Season

#1
#34
#67
#100
#134
2016
#34
2017
#11
2018
#8
2019
#96
2020
#7
2021
#104
2022
#124
2023
#22
2024
#91
2025
#57
2026
#35

Season-by-Season Breakdown

Year Conference Record Final Rank Best Rank Points SOS Champion
2026 Big Ten 4-1 (80%) #35 #24 46.3 0.683 -
2025 Big Ten 6-6 (50%) #57 #41 51.8 0.843 -
2024 Big Ten 4-8 (33%) #91 #18 0.8 0.852 -
2023 Big Ten 7-5 (58%) #22 #21 108.5 0.846 -
2022 Big Ten 1-11 (8%) #124 #6 -65.6 0.895 -
2021 Big Ten 3-9 (25%) #104 #74 -39.2 0.853 -
2020 Big Ten 6-2 (75%) #7 #4 144.4 0.943 -
2019 Big Ten 3-9 (25%) #96 #70 -20.4 0.861 -
2018 Big Ten 8-5 (62%) #8 #6 220.7 0.916 -
2017 Big Ten 9-3 (75%) #11 #11 186.3 0.830 -
2016 Big Ten 6-6 (50%) #34 #22 89.6 0.813 -