Here is the season preview I submitted to Lindy's for this season's College Football Preview magazine. There's actually two parts -- a more expansive Big Ten version and an abbreviated national version. I sort of combined both of them here because much of the national version is just an abbreviation of the Big Ten version. (It's divided into multiple posts because there's a 10K-character limit on posts on the message board.)
Lindy's has a pretty rigid template to follow and strict word counts, but please let me know your thoughts. And, even though you'd have to pay for the magazine on a newstand, you get this free of charge with your WildcatReport subscription.
FEATURE (400)
Northwestern desperately wants to take the next step as a program and win a Big Ten title for the first time since 2000. But last year, in the Big Ten championship game against eventual CFP runner-up Ohio State, the Wildcats found out just how far they have to go to reach that goal.
Northwestern’s defense played about as well as it could in Indianapolis. They held the Buckeyes’ offense to less than half its average of 46.6 points per game. Ohio State had just six points at the half and didn’t get into the end zone until the end of the third quarter. Heisman finalist and first-round NFL draft pick Justin Fields was harassed into the worst outing of his career, getting sacked three times while throwing for just 114 yards and two interceptions.
But Northwestern’s offense scored just 10 points – none after halftime – and the Wildcats fell 22-10.
The message was clear. Northwestern had an elite defense that was playing at a championship level. But if head coach Pat Fitzgerald wants to put some more hardware in the trophy case at the Walter Athletics Center, his offense needs more firepower.
That offensive transformation has already begun. It started last year with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian. It was accelerated this offseason as the Wildcats added an array of new weapons through the transfer portal and recruiting.
First, they brought in a rocket-armed quarterback who can stretch the field in South Carolina transfer Ryan Hilinski. Grad transfer Stephon Robinson Jr. is a proven slot man who had 75 catches in two years at Kansas. Jordan Mosely and CJ Johnson, a pair of 2021 wide receivers from the Deep South who signed in February, add the kind of downfield playmaking ability that’s been largely missing. Workhorse running back Cam Porter is a 220-pound downhill runner, so they added grad transfer Andrew Clair, a back with some wiggle and pass-catching ability, from Bowling Green.
In the very near future, Northwestern’s offense could be unrecognizable. And that’s a good thing.
The Wildcats have finished in the Top 20 in three of the last four years, including a No. 10 final ranking in 2020, the program’s highest finish since the 1995 Rose Bowl team. But they’ve hit the ceiling with their defense-first strategy. It’s time for the offense to pull a little more weight.
Lindy's has a pretty rigid template to follow and strict word counts, but please let me know your thoughts. And, even though you'd have to pay for the magazine on a newstand, you get this free of charge with your WildcatReport subscription.
FEATURE (400)
Northwestern desperately wants to take the next step as a program and win a Big Ten title for the first time since 2000. But last year, in the Big Ten championship game against eventual CFP runner-up Ohio State, the Wildcats found out just how far they have to go to reach that goal.
Northwestern’s defense played about as well as it could in Indianapolis. They held the Buckeyes’ offense to less than half its average of 46.6 points per game. Ohio State had just six points at the half and didn’t get into the end zone until the end of the third quarter. Heisman finalist and first-round NFL draft pick Justin Fields was harassed into the worst outing of his career, getting sacked three times while throwing for just 114 yards and two interceptions.
But Northwestern’s offense scored just 10 points – none after halftime – and the Wildcats fell 22-10.
The message was clear. Northwestern had an elite defense that was playing at a championship level. But if head coach Pat Fitzgerald wants to put some more hardware in the trophy case at the Walter Athletics Center, his offense needs more firepower.
That offensive transformation has already begun. It started last year with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian. It was accelerated this offseason as the Wildcats added an array of new weapons through the transfer portal and recruiting.
First, they brought in a rocket-armed quarterback who can stretch the field in South Carolina transfer Ryan Hilinski. Grad transfer Stephon Robinson Jr. is a proven slot man who had 75 catches in two years at Kansas. Jordan Mosely and CJ Johnson, a pair of 2021 wide receivers from the Deep South who signed in February, add the kind of downfield playmaking ability that’s been largely missing. Workhorse running back Cam Porter is a 220-pound downhill runner, so they added grad transfer Andrew Clair, a back with some wiggle and pass-catching ability, from Bowling Green.
In the very near future, Northwestern’s offense could be unrecognizable. And that’s a good thing.
The Wildcats have finished in the Top 20 in three of the last four years, including a No. 10 final ranking in 2020, the program’s highest finish since the 1995 Rose Bowl team. But they’ve hit the ceiling with their defense-first strategy. It’s time for the offense to pull a little more weight.
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