2006 Northwestern Wildcats Football

Now take a look at our 2008 Northwestern Football Predictions!

The 2006 Northwestern Wildcats football team is hoping to build off of last year's team that shocked the Big 10 with their high powered offense. They won’t be doing much shocking in 2006, however, as the loss of record breaking QB Brett Basanez will prove to be costly. He is the school all-time leading passer and the holder of 30 school records. It doesn’t matter if the new starter will be C.J. Bacher, Mike Kafka, or Mike Brewer as they will be asked to manage the offense more than dominate as Basanez did. Luckily, the new QB will have a nice threat joining him in the backfield in tailback Tyrell Sutton who was perhaps the best frosh in the nation last season. He rushed for 1,474 yards and 16 touchdowns and also caught 44 passes for 396 yards last season. Expect a sophomore slump as defenses will be able to key on the run in Basanez’s absence. The offensive line loses First Team All-American Zach Strief, but they return a host of vets and pick up former First Team All-American Trevor Rees who was academically ineligible last season. A veteran line and spread offense will still present a formidable running attack, but if the new quarterback, likely Bacher, can’t keep defenses honest, the Wildcats will have trouble moving the chains.

Another major factor which helped Northwestern revitalize itself last season was its ability to come up with turnovers. The Wildcats intercepted opponents 20 times a season ago. This stat will also inevitably drop off this season. The 30 takeaways they were able to come up with last season only slightly masks the fact that the Wildcats had the nation’s worst defense in 2005 and it may get even worse this season with the loss of star linebacker Tim McGarigle and tackle Barry Cofield.

Northwestern also has one of the toughest schedules in the Big 10 as they have to play Michigan, Iowa, and Ohio State in consecutive weeks. Last season, the Wildcats recorded 5 Big 10 wins including huge victories over the Iowa Hawkeyes and Wisconsin badgers. This season several Big 10 teams will be looking to pay the Wildcats back and as far as I can tell their only guaranteed win in the Big 10 will be Illinois in the season finale.