Big Ten Power Rankings Week 12: Not Much Change as Wisconsin Rises, Nebraska Falls

Nov 15, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Trevor Siemian (13) runs with the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Northwestern defeated Notre Dame in overtime 43-40. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Wildcats, though, have a shot at a bowl game to end the season now with two very winnable games. Purdue on the road and Illinois at home could both be victories to get this team to 6-6, so don’t sleep on these guys just yet.

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11

Northwestern Wildcats 4-6 (1-5)

Last week: Defeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 43-40 in Overtime
Last rank: 12

We just mentioned having a hard time getting a read on the Illinois Fighting Illini this year. Multiply that issue by a million, and you have the Northwestern Wildcats.

What else is there to say about a team that loses to Northern Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan but beats Wisconsin, Penn State, and Notre Dame? Pat Fitzgerald’s team makes absolutely no sense.

Trevor Siemian has been wildly inconsistent himself over the past few weeks, but the running game with Justin Jackson has been enough to keep these guys in some games. Siemian, though, played out of his mind on Saturday. And other times, despite playing awful for much of the year, the defense has shown up for upsets. There’s no honest analysis we can give these guys that would make any sense.

The Wildcats, though, have a shot at a bowl game to end the season now with two very winnable games. Purdue on the road and Illinois at home could both be victories to get this team to 6-6, so don’t sleep on these guys just yet.