Some perspective on why 8-5 with a Vegas Bowl win is an amazing season

[zeek55]

This is the first Big Ten team to go from 0 or 1 wins to 8+ wins including a bowl win. Our preseason over/under was 2-3 wins and many in the media expected us to be either winless or to win a single game; we were picked last in the division and conference almost everywhere.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois beat us by a combined 101 points last year; we beat all 3 this year. Nothing shows what a dramatic turnaround this was like those 3 game results on a year-over-year basis.

We were 4-20 over the past 2 seasons. Doubled that win total this year and finished 2nd in the division. Also worth noting that this bowl win is our 5th straight bowl win and 6th bowl win in our past 7 appearances since 2012.


Compare that to our conference mates:
Nebraska is on its 7th straight losing season without a bowl appearance.

Indiana's last bowl win was 1991; 3 straight losing seasons and on a 6 bowl game losing streak. They have just one 8 win season since 1993.

Illinois' last bowl win was 2011. Illinois has one 8 win season since 2007.

Purdue has had two 8-9 win seasons since 2007.

Rutgers' last bowl win and 8 win season was 2014.

Maryland has had one 8 win season since 2010.

It's hard to win football games. A half of the programs even in our conference have struggled in recent history. It's extremely difficult to exceed expectations in the way this group has accomplished. Only the 1995 season was a bigger shock than what this team accomplished, and the way the team improved across the season was remarkable. Huge credit to the players and Braun and the staff for what they pulled off with this turnaround.

 

[phatcat]

Also, 8 wins, negative point differential for the season. That's some sicko B1GW football

 

[SadCat]

It could be recency bias, but to me this season is second to the 1995 Rose Bowl when it comes to “amazing.”

I was expecting a 2-10 season filled with lots of blowout losses and had very dim hopes for the future of the program. It remains to be seen how well he can recruit talent, but I have zero doubt that Northwestern is in good hands with Braun in charge. He is a leader of men and his growth through the season as a head coach is nothing short of “amazing” as well.

Congrats to the entire team!

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

It could be recency bias, but to me this season is second to the 1995 Rose Bowl when it comes to “amazing.”

I was expecting a 2-10 season filled with lots of blowout losses and had very dim hopes for the future of the program. It remains to be seen how well he can recruit talent, but I have zero doubt that Northwestern is in good hands with Braun in charge. He is a leader of men and his growth through the season as a head coach is nothing short of “amazing” as well.

Congrats to the entire team!

Time to change your handle.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

We have had the two most improbable turn around seasons back to back in the last 20 years. This might be more shocking than Hoops last year! Well, that might be hyperbole.

 

[freewillie07]

This is the first Big Ten team to go from 0 or 1 wins to 8+ wins including a bowl win. Our preseason over/under was 2-3 wins and many in the media expected us to be either winless or to win a single game; we were picked last in the division and conference almost everywhere.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois beat us by a combined 101 points last year; we beat all 3 this year. Nothing shows what a dramatic turnaround this was like those 3 game results on a year-over-year basis.

We were 4-20 over the past 2 seasons. Doubled that win total this year and finished 2nd in the division. Also worth noting that this bowl win is our 5th straight bowl win and 6th bowl win in our past 7 appearances since 2012.


Compare that to our conference mates:
Nebraska is on its 7th straight losing season without a bowl appearance.

Indiana's last bowl win was 1991; 3 straight losing seasons and on a 6 bowl game losing streak. They have just one 8 win season since 1993.

Illinois' last bowl win was 2011. Illinois has one 8 win season since 2007.

Purdue has had two 8-9 win seasons since 2007.

Rutgers' last bowl win and 8 win season was 2014.

Maryland has had one 8 win season since 2010.

It's hard to win football games. A half of the programs even in our conference have struggled in recent history. It's extremely difficult to exceed expectations in the way this group has accomplished. Only the 1995 season was a bigger shock than what this team accomplished, and the way the team improved across the season was remarkable. Huge credit to the players and Braun and the staff for what they pulled off with this turnaround.

Great stats. There will always be those posters who say “aim higher” but you spell out exactly why we should consider an 8-win season a success, now and into the future. Stay ahead of the Illinois/Minnesota/Purdues of the conference, win a bowl and give the blood bloods a scare — and an upset every few years — and I’m a happy camper.

 

[DaCat]

This is the first Big Ten team to go from 0 or 1 wins to 8+ wins including a bowl win. Our preseason over/under was 2-3 wins and many in the media expected us to be either winless or to win a single game; we were picked last in the division and conference almost everywhere.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois beat us by a combined 101 points last year; we beat all 3 this year. Nothing shows what a dramatic turnaround this was like those 3 game results on a year-over-year basis.

We were 4-20 over the past 2 seasons. Doubled that win total this year and finished 2nd in the division. Also worth noting that this bowl win is our 5th straight bowl win and 6th bowl win in our past 7 appearances since 2012.


Compare that to our conference mates:
Nebraska is on its 7th straight losing season without a bowl appearance.

Indiana's last bowl win was 1991; 3 straight losing seasons and on a 6 bowl game losing streak. They have just one 8 win season since 1993.

Illinois' last bowl win was 2011. Illinois has one 8 win season since 2007.

Purdue has had two 8-9 win seasons since 2007.

Rutgers' last bowl win and 8 win season was 2014.

Maryland has had one 8 win season since 2010.

It's hard to win football games. A half of the programs even in our conference have struggled in recent history. It's extremely difficult to exceed expectations in the way this group has accomplished. Only the 1995 season was a bigger shock than what this team accomplished, and the way the team improved across the season was remarkable. Huge credit to the players and Braun and the staff for what they pulled off with this turnaround.

Great points, really puts into perspective how tough it is to win. Braun just killed it his first year, thrust suddenly into the head coaching spot with no prior experience and the program in shambles.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Great points, really puts into perspective how tough it is to win. Braun just killed it his first year, thrust suddenly into the head coaching spot with no prior experience and the program in shambles.

Kudos to the assistants and the seniors for also keeping things together. They could have easily thrown in the towel but they put their personal feelings aside and helped galvanize the squad. Mangieri gets a special shout out for his role. Worked out well that Fitz brought him back for year #7.

 

[zeek55]

Great stats. There will always be those posters who say “aim higher” but you spell out exactly why we should consider an 8-win season a success, now and into the future. Stay ahead of the Illinois/Minnesota/Purdues of the conference, win a bowl and give the blood bloods a scare — and an upset every few years — and I’m a happy camper.

Yeah, it's the consistency of going to bowl games and winning them, and regularly staying in the top half of the conference that serves as the foundation for the years where we challenge the bluebloods and get those upsets, and maybe even grab a playoff bid if everything goes right.

Over the past 30 years, we've been fortunate to have a succession of head coaches that have continued to successfully build here.

Half the programs in our conference have been less successful than us over the past 3 decades. It's really about trying to stay ahead of the bottom half and continuing to have winning seasons that matters for the long-term health of the program.

Next 2 years will obviously be difficult given the stadium situation and new teams/schedules, so it was great that this team sent off old RF in the right way 5 out of 6 wins at RF as well as with a bowl win this year.

Great points, really puts into perspective how tough it is to win. Braun just killed it his first year, thrust suddenly into the head coaching spot with no prior experience and the program in shambles.

I was hoping for 4 wins before the season started but realistically expecting at most 2 or 3. I don't think I could have imagined the season playing out the way it did.

Braun, the assistants, and the players rallying together really pulled off an incredible team effort. Even the last stretches of that Utah game perfectly encapsulated the season, whether you think about the plays that Bryant or Kirtz or Henning or Gallagher or Hollis or Saka made down the stretch.

 

[Catdude]

To add to all of that, they did it with Bryant missing four games. I think it’s very reasonable to argue the Nebraska and Iowa games would have been wins with him. So incredibly the season could have been even better. Totally unexpected and amazing in every way.

 

[zeek55]

To add to all of that, they did it with Bryant missing four games. I think it’s very reasonable to argue the Nebraska and Iowa games would have been wins with him. So incredibly the season could have been even better. Totally unexpected and amazing in every way.

Yeah, I don't generally like to play the what if game with injuries, but Bryant was such a huge part of this team as we saw yesterday.

He really managed to have a difference making year this year; his leadership behind the scenes was likely as impressive as his performance in leading the squad on the field.

 

[Hungry Jack]

This is the first Big Ten team to go from 0 or 1 wins to 8+ wins including a bowl win. Our preseason over/under was 2-3 wins and many in the media expected us to be either winless or to win a single game; we were picked last in the division and conference almost everywhere.

Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois beat us by a combined 101 points last year; we beat all 3 this year. Nothing shows what a dramatic turnaround this was like those 3 game results on a year-over-year basis.

We were 4-20 over the past 2 seasons. Doubled that win total this year and finished 2nd in the division. Also worth noting that this bowl win is our 5th straight bowl win and 6th bowl win in our past 7 appearances since 2012.


Compare that to our conference mates:
Nebraska is on its 7th straight losing season without a bowl appearance.

Indiana's last bowl win was 1991; 3 straight losing seasons and on a 6 bowl game losing streak. They have just one 8 win season since 1993.

Illinois' last bowl win was 2011. Illinois has one 8 win season since 2007.

Purdue has had two 8-9 win seasons since 2007.

Rutgers' last bowl win and 8 win season was 2014.

Maryland has had one 8 win season since 2010.

It's hard to win football games. A half of the programs even in our conference have struggled in recent history. It's extremely difficult to exceed expectations in the way this group has accomplished. Only the 1995 season was a bigger shock than what this team accomplished, and the way the team improved across the season was remarkable. Huge credit to the players and Braun and the staff for what they pulled off with this turnaround.

Well-researched post!

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

We led the way for other BigTen teams to follow by knocking off Utah for the initial BigTen team bowl victory. Some of the news coming out from Utah blamed the loss on having so many of their starters on the sidelines due to injury or deciding to sit the game out for the NFL draft. Bryant’s return was crucial for the NU win. Our defense was exceptional putting pressure on the Utah qb and creating turnovers. The NU season success can be credited to the staff and players sticking together (in spite of an inept administration). We still have some tough years ahead. The addition of the 4 PAC12 teams will elevate the level of competition. My nephew is an Oregon grad and fan so I’m looking forward to NU’s games on the West Coast. Go Cats!

 

[NCPurplecat]

The Season is second only to the Rose Bowl Season, First Dance and maybe the Gator Bowl win breaking the bowl losing streak in that it proved NU Football is viable in the era of mega money. Saying goodbye to Ryan Field with students celebrating on the field after the Purdue win for bowl eligibility followed by taking back the Hat and then winning in Las Vegas is 3 nice ones in a row. The Minnesota win was also a fun one. I live in Raleigh and got to see LAX and Field Hockey win 3 of 4 in the FInal Fours for their sports. Not bad end to a year that hit such a low in the Summer. And the whole team stayed together vs the mass portal losses that other schools faced. It was team unity and culture that made this a good year.

 

[FanatiCat]

We have had the two most improbable turn around seasons back to back in the last 20 years. This might be more shocking than Hoops last year! Well, that might be hyperbole.

Win differential was equal to Rose Bowl year (1994 3-7-1 to 1995 10-2, 2022 1-11 to 2023 8-5).

 

[Styre]

I was expecting a 2-10 season filled with lots of blowout losses and had very dim hopes for the future of the program. It remains to be seen how well he can recruit talent, but I have zero doubt that Northwestern is in good hands with Braun in charge. He is a leader of men and his growth through the season as a head coach is nothing short of “amazing” as well.

Agree completely. At the start of the year, and then especially after the Rutgers loss, I expected a 2-10 (0-9) season or worse. Boy was I wrong. David Braun has been an absolute revelation - turns out hiring people from championship-caliber programs, even FCS ones, is a great idea - and I genuinely feel optimistic going forward as long as he can show results on the recruiting trail. Should have been national coach of the year.

 

[hdhntr1]

It could be recency bias, but to me this season is second to the 1995 Rose Bowl when it comes to “amazing.”

I was expecting a 2-10 season filled with lots of blowout losses and had very dim hopes for the future of the program. It remains to be seen how well he can recruit talent, but I have zero doubt that Northwestern is in good hands with Braun in charge. He is a leader of men and his growth through the season as a head coach is nothing short of “amazing” as well.

Congrats to the entire team!

2020 had to be up there as well coming off of 2019. Similar in surprise. Prior to the scandal, I was anticipating at least 6 wins for this season and with the improvement in D more was possible but with the scandal, it was very unexpected

 

[Zootcat]

Yeah, it's the consistency of going to bowl games and winning them, and regularly staying in the top half of the conference that serves as the foundation for the years where we challenge the bluebloods and get those upsets, and maybe even grab a playoff bid if everything goes right.

Over the past 30 years, we've been fortunate to have a succession of head coaches that have continued to successfully build here.

Half the programs in our conference have been less successful than us over the past 3 decades. It's really about trying to stay ahead of the bottom half and continuing to have winning seasons that matters for the long-term health of the program.

Next 2 years will obviously be difficult given the stadium situation and new teams/schedules, so it was great that this team sent off old RF in the right way 5 out of 6 wins at RF as well as with a bowl win this year.


I was hoping for 4 wins before the season started but realistically expecting at most 2 or 3. I don't think I could have imagined the season playing out the way it did.

Braun, the assistants, and the players rallying together really pulled off an incredible team effort. Even the last stretches of that Utah game perfectly encapsulated the season, whether you think about the plays that Bryant or Kirtz or Henning or Gallagher or Hollis or Saka made down the stretch.

Man, does this post help put this season in more concrete perspective. Thanks for putting it together.

 

[Cat In The Cradle]

Win differential was equal to Rose Bowl year (1994 3-7-1 to 1995 10-2, 2022 1-11 to 2023 8-5).

This is true statistically. And one could argue the plus value of a bowl win tips the scale in favor of this season. But the context for explaining the Rose Bowl season typically goes back decades, making that year the most impressive not just for NU's program, but in all NCAA D1 football. Not to mention the schedule was a tad bit more rigorous. Not taking away from the accomplishments this year.

 

[zeek55]

This is true statistically. And one could argue the plus value of a bowl win tips the scale in favor of this season. But the context for explaining the Rose Bowl season typically goes back decades, making that year the most impressive not just for NU's program, but in all NCAA D1 football. Not to mention the schedule was a tad bit more rigorous. Not taking away from the accomplishments this year.

For sure, this team was overcoming a 3 in 4 years rut, but from 2015 to 2020 this was a program near the top of the Big Ten and relevant nationally (2 Big Ten West titles, 4 top 25 ranked finishes, 36 wins in Thorson's 4 years with 4 bowl wins out of 5 bowl bids across the 6 years).

It doesn't diminish this 2023 campaign at all to point out that this was a very fast rebound from a very recent dropoff.

The 1995 campaign was just so "out of this world" given it was after a multi-decade Dark Age that it's impossible to match.

And structurally, our programs (FB/BB) are extremely well resourced now compared to the mid-90s when everything was on a shoestring budget.

All that being said, we've really enjoyed 2 miraculous seasons in football and men's basketball back-to-back relative to pre-season expectations for both programs.

 

[jne381]

This was a fantastic year without a doubt. The thing that nails that home for me is that if they pushed in that ball into the end zone against Iowa (all other things staying the same), they would have been in the Big Ten Championship.

 

[zeek55]

This was a fantastic year without a doubt. The thing that nails that home for me is that if they pushed in that ball into the end zone against Iowa (all other things staying the same), they would have been in the Big Ten Championship.

Yeah I didn't mention that, but realizing just how close this team was to a division title really cements it.

Amazing how much this team grew from that first game against Rutgers. There was a lot of "well that looks like a 1 or 2 win team" or "do we think they can even beat UTEP" after that game, and obviously rattling off 8 wins in the next 12 games says a lot as well as the fact that we had chances against Nebraska and Iowa as well.

 

[FanatiCat]

This is true statistically. And one could argue the plus value of a bowl win tips the scale in favor of this season. But the context for explaining the Rose Bowl season typically goes back decades, making that year the most impressive not just for NU's program, but in all NCAA D1 football. Not to mention the schedule was a tad bit more rigorous. Not taking away from the accomplishments this year.

Absolutely. I lived the 1995 season as a student on campus and the magnitude and magic of that season will never be repeated, perhaps ever in college football. I feel really fortunate to have experienced that.

 

[Jaguar 88]

It is special for one reason and that is the fact that the team started the season on shaky ground and ended it with a newfound respectability. Face it, the season was a tale of two halves. Enjoy it while it lasts as the next two seasons might be a bit of a letdown until recruiting gets back up to snuff.

 

[phatcat]

It is special for one reason and that is the fact that the team started the season on shaky ground and ended it with a newfound respectability. Face it, the season was a tale of two halves. Enjoy it while it lasts as the next two seasons might be a bit of a letdown until recruiting gets back up to snuff.

To me, next year depends on two things: the number of players with eligibility who return, and, of course, the QB position. I have very high confidence in Braun and his eventual staff to get the most out of players and execute game plans.

Adding - the stadium thing is a wild card.

 

[GOUNUII]

Absolutely. I lived the 1995 season as a student on campus and the magnitude and magic of that season will never be repeated, perhaps ever in college football. I feel really fortunate to have experienced that.

Imagine the magnitude and magic of that 1995 season for the handful of us who were diehard fans for the prior 20+ seasons. We became experts on what really bad/hopeless football looked like. Our admiration for the personal qualities of the NU men giving it their all helped sustain many of us. Then in 1995 we got to watch well coached purple players asserting their will against all comers. Even those in blue & gold, blue & white and maize & blue. Nothing in my life compares to the magnitude, magic and sweetness of THAT transformation. To this day, the images and emotions of that season are as clear and strong as if they happened yesterday.

BTW ... Barnett achieved total buy in with the "Expect Victory" motto that year, My boys and I were in the locker room in Ann Arbor after NU beat UM that year. You could tell with no doubt the players expected to win that game even after the stunning MIami, OH loss.

GOUNUII

 

[phatcat]

Imagine the magnitude and magic of that 1995 season for the handful of us who were diehard fans for the prior 20+ seasons. We became experts on what really bad/hopeless football looked like. Our admiration for the personal qualities of the NU men giving it their all helped sustain many of us. Then in 1995 we got to watch well coached purple players asserting their will against all comers. Even those in blue & gold, blue & white and maize & blue. Nothing in my life compares to the magnitude, magic and sweetness of THAT transformation. To this day, the images and emotions of that season are as clear and strong as if they happened yesterday.

BTW ... Barnett achieved total buy in with the "Expect Victory" motto that year, My boys and I were in the locker room in Ann Arbor after NU beat UM that year. You could tell with no doubt the players expected to win that game even after the stunning MIami, OH loss.

GOUNUII

That game remains the most fun I've ever had outdoors