Ohio State Football: 3 takeaways from last-ditch playoff effort vs. Northwestern

2. Northwestern’s record is deceiving

The Northwestern Wildcats have four losses on their season, one coming from undefeated Notre Dame and the other coming from a two-loss Michigan team. However, their record does not accurately depict the kind of team they are. Northwestern won all but one conference game in the Big Ten, which is challenging to do for any team.

Additionally, the Northwestern Wildcats are incredibly disciplined. They have the fewest penalties in the FBS this year. Their lack of self-induced pain is exactly why they made it to the conference championship game.

Another area that can explain Northwestern’s success is their ability to take care of the football. The Wildcats lead the country in fewest fumbles on the season with only two. By halftime, Northwestern had already given up two turnovers and trailed by 17 points. Had they not lost the ball twice, the game would have been much closer at this point in the game.

Year in and year out, Pat Fitzgerald puts his team in a position to succeed. He is undoubtedly one of the most underrated coaches in all of college football.