2016 Northwestern Wildcats Football Predictions and Season Win Total Picks

by Robert Ferringo - 8/4/2016

Clayton Thorson, Northwestern Wildcats quarterback

2015 Record: 10-3

2016 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 7.0

2016 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Push'

Every few years or so Pat Fitzgerald's squad explodes for 10 wins seemingly out of nowhere. Last season was the year. The Wildcats were able to tiptoe through a soft schedule and turn it into a solid campaign, which ended with an unceremonious thrashing at the hands of Tennessee in the Outback Bowl.

It's going to be tough to produce an encore. Fitzgerald teams have won at least nine games three times in 10 years. His records following those two previous seasons were 8-5 and 5-7. If Fitz can coax some quick learning out of a young group then he might be able to produce something in between. But some sort of regression is coming.

Offensively, Northwestern will look for some maturity out of last year's freshman starter, Clayton Thorson. Thorson lost four of his top six receivers. But the Wildcats don't throw the ball much, instead relying on a consistent running game to move the chains. Northwestern has four returning offensive line starters and returns bell cow back Justin Jackson. But if they are going to be a threat in the conference they will need to improve on an attack that was No. 114 with just 19.5 points per game.

Northwestern did most of its damage on defense last year. They fielded a group that finished in the Top 25 in scoring, rush defense, pass defense and total defense. Half of their starters are back, including five in the front seven. Four-year senior starter Matt Harris will have to hold the secondary together, though, as they are young in the back.

Northwestern opens with four straight home games. They will need to make hay in that early-season slate, including tough home games against Duke and Nebraska, because five of their next seven games come on the road. The Wildcats get Indiana and Illinois at home as well and will have competitive road games at Purdue and Minnesota.

However, to get over this season win total they will need victories in all of those games. I like Fitzgerald a lot. I think if he were smart he would've parlayed last season into a better gig. But I don't think Northwestern is going to be as strong on either side of the ball, and I can't see them steering clear of an upset again this fall. I'll call for them to hit 7-5 and figure this one is a 'push'.

2016 Northwestern Wildcats Schedule

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (ET)	Location	Result
Sat, Sep 3rd, 2016	Western Michigan	12:00 PM	Ryan Field
Sat, Sep 10th, 2016	Illinois State	03:30 PM	Ryan Field
Sat, Sep 17th, 2016	Duke	08:00 PM	Ryan Field
Sat, Sep 24th, 2016	Nebraska	07:30 PM	Ryan Field
Sat, Oct 1st, 2016	at Iowa	12:00 PM	Kinnick Stadium
Sat, Oct 15th, 2016	at Michigan State	03:30 PM	Spartan Stadium
Sat, Oct 22nd, 2016	Indiana	12:00 PM	Ryan Field
Sat, Oct 29th, 2016	at Ohio State	05:30 PM	Ohio Stadium
Sat, Nov 5th, 2016	Wisconsin	01:00 PM	Ryan Field
Sat, Nov 12th, 2016	at Purdue	12:00 PM	Ross-Ade Stadium
Sat, Nov 19th, 2016	at Minnesota	01:00 PM	TCF Bank Stadium
Sat, Nov 26th, 2016	Illinois	01:00 PM	Ryan Field

All Times EST

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Pick:	CHICAGO BEARS +3
Start:	November 24, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
Expert:	Doc's Sports

Analysis:

Free Play from Doc’s Sports. Take #256 Chicago Bears +3 over Minnesota Vikings (1p.m., Sunday, November 24 FOX) We used the Bears as a free play winner last Sunday and easily covered the spread and should have been an underdog outright winner. Now we will ride them for a second straight week against another NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are 8-2 on the season, yet are only around a field goal favorite. I still do not trust Sam Donald to win consistently over the course of a 17 game regular season. Minnesota is not as good as their 8-2 record would indicate and playing outdoors in Chicago on Sunday will cause issues for them on both sides of the ball. Chicago has been hit or miss this season, but they will be up to play another divisional rival and we expect them to take this down to the wire as well. Do not miss out on Doc’s Sports Weekend Card featuring top plays in college and NFL football. Read More Read Less

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