No. 19 Northwestern took a big step forward in the race for the Big Ten Championship Game by knocking out No. 10 Wisconsin 17-7 at home on Saturday. As the score suggests, this was a classic Big Ten game. The Wildcats didn’t light him up on offense averaging 3.9 yards per play, but they didn’t need it. Their defense is what wins games and how much defensive effort they put in.
Wisconsin had 17 readers over a 60-minute period. Only one ended with points, and it was a six-game, 80-yard practice on a Northwestern roll to the goal line. Otherwise, no drive exceeded 42 meters. Northwestern’s defense forced four threes and three outs and had five takeaways – three of those turnovers were steals from quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz was excellent in his first two games but looked very young on the road against the experienced group of the Wildcats. Wisconsin’s four first-half turnovers were the biggest for the program since 2004, while the five total turnovers were the biggest for the program led by coach Paul Chryst in five years.
It also marked the fourth time this year that Northwestern’s defense ruled out the opposing attack in the second half. This defense is legitimate, and at 5-0, Pat Fitzgerald’s team are in control to travel to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship where they will likely face Ohio State. With just three games to go against Michigan State, Minnesota and Illinois, Northwestern could be crowned Big Ten West champion for the second time in three years at this rate.
What have we learned about the Badgers and Wildcats?
Northwestern is (gulp) a candidate for the PSC
Say it with me and say it with emotion… “Northwestern is looking for a spot for the college football playoffs.”
Now start over.
Again with the feeling.
It seems crazy that such a statement could be true. But it’s 2020. The low is up and the front is back, so it makes sense that the Wildcats are contenders for the PSC.
Take a look at the rest of their schedule. They play at Michigan State and Minnesota before ending the regular season at home against Illinois. Do any of these games stand out as probable losses? Nope. Not with the way Northwestern plays defense.
Can Northwestern really participate in the CFP? Probably not. After all, offense is what matters most in college football, and it’s unlikely to keep pace with Ohio State or Indiana in a Big Ten Championship game. But they’ll likely enter Lucas Oil Stadium 60 minutes from fame.
Brandon Joseph is a star
If you don’t know his name, get to know him. Joseph is the driving force behind a Wildcats defense that has established itself as one of the best in the country.
The College Station, Texas freshman had two picks on the night and has five for the season. He’s just the third Big Ten player in the past 15 years with five or more steals in his team’s first five games of the season. Not a bad start to your career to say the least.
It goes further, however. Now that the Wildcats have the Big Ten Championship Game indoor track and are squarely in the race for the national title, they will have to rely more and more on their budding superstar as they enter the stretch race. He got his first glimpse of the big stage on Saturday and arrived in style. It’s a good sign for the future of the 2020 Wildcats and beyond.
Time to slow down the Mertz hype
The Badgers’ red-shirted freshman quarterback was the talk of the Big Ten early in the season, but he crashed down to Earth against Northwestern in a big way. Mertz was clearly confused by what the Wildcats were throwing at him, which forced him into inexcusable mistakes – including his second interception of the game. That choice came at the end of the second quarter with his team at the wheel when Joseph passed a pass to set up a seven-game practice from Northwestern.
The pressure did not end there. Down seven to the 23-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Mertz was sacked by a Cameron Ruiz blitz on the fourth and sixth to end the Badgers’ best scoring chance of the second half. He had a receiver on a hot road available, but he had happy feet and took a bag that he just can’t take in this situation.
Mertz deserved the credit he got in the first two games of the season. But he had to go through difficult times. It’s almost like we forgot that he wasn’t a seasoned veteran by his game at the start of the season. This should serve as a learning opportunity for him as he progresses in his career.
Everything is working
Peyton Ramsey transferred to Northwestern after Michael Penix Jr. defeated him for the starting job in Indiana. I would say all parties are happy with the results.
Ramsey was a solid 23 of 44 for 203 yards, two touchdowns and, most importantly, no interceptions. He wasn’t a difference maker, but he didn’t need to be in this one. He managed this match to perfection, a sign of the maturity of a veteran quarterback fully aware of his limitations and of his team’s philosophy.
And Penix? Oh, that works for him too. All he did before Saturday was lead the Hoosiers into the top 10. No, that didn’t work against Ohio State. But Penix at least kept him close.
The transfer portal worked for Ramsey and Penix the exact way it’s supposed to.
CBS Sports was with you throughout updating this story with the latest in the game. This story will be updated shortly with lessons to be learned from Northwestern’s massive victory in the Big Ten West on Saturday.
