College Football Playoff Rankings 2018: Top 25 projections for Week 13
By Zach Bigalke
Northwestern consolidated their hold on the Big Ten West on Saturday in Minneapolis, taking down the Golden Gophers 24-14 on the road. The win pushed the Wildcats to 7-4 on the season and guaranteed a winning season in Evanston for the fourth straight season no matter what happens in the regular-season finale against Illinois or the Big Ten title game against either Michigan or Ohio State.
In the win over Minnesota, Wildcats quarterback Clayton Thorson went 15-of-21 for 230 yards. He didn’t throw for a touchdown, but he did punch one in on the ground. Isaiah Bowser accounted for the bulk of the scoring, punching in two touchdowns and racking up 85 rushing yards on 29 carries to lead the Northwestern backfield on the ground.
If they manage to win out to claim the Big Ten crown and earn victory in the Rose Bowl for the first time in 70 years, Northwestern can put together a 10-win season. A New Year’s Six berth isn’t entirely out of reach even were they to lose to the Buckeyes or the Wolverines in Indianapolis.