Projected 2020 College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings for Week 13

Northwestern improved to 5-0 with a shutdown performance in Week 12, defeating Wisconsin 17-7 in a defensive battle to determine which team would take charge in the Big Ten West. The win effectively gave the Wildcats a two-game lead in the division race with only three games to go in the regular season. Look for the College Football Playoff selection committee to put Pat Fitzgerald’s squad on the cusp of the top 10 in their first Top 25 rankings of the 2020 season.

Peyton Ramsey was a solid if unspectacular 23-of-44 for 203 yards and two touchdowns. The running game was largely nonexistent for the Wildcats, as the team combined for only 24 yards on 23 carries. Northwestern’s defense came through in a big way, intercepting Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz three times and taking the sails out of a Badgers offense that outgained the Wildcats by more than 100 yards and controlled the ball for 37 minutes of game clock.

Road games against Michigan State and Minnesota loom next on the schedule, with the Wildcats closing out the regular season at home against Illinois. All they need to do to lock down a spot in the Big Ten championship game is win two of those three contests. Winning all three and facing off in an undefeated matchup against Ohio State would put Northwestern in range of not just a New Year’s Six berth but a spot in the College Football Playoff itself.