1. The Wildcats secondary was beaten by a passing offense- a real good passing offense. After Saturday’s performance, Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins has as good an argument for the Heisman Trophy as anyone in the country. He was 34-of-41 for 499 yards and five touchdowns. Nearly every pass he threw was about as precisely placed as it could be. Case-in-point was his touchdown pass to Chris Olave late in the third quarter over first-year CB Greg Newsome. Newsome defended him almost perfectly, but still Haskins dropped a dime into a tight space, in-stride.

He only threw seven incompletions in 41 attempts - some QBs can’t do that against air. Of those seven disconnects, one was to a RB, two were dropped passes and one was an INT because of a miscommunication. He only missed three times in the second half, and only one of those came in the fourth quarter, when it was a one-score game at one point.

The Buckeye receivers ran the Wildcat DBs off with multi-move routes, driving them upfield, then stopping and turning to receive a well-timed throw from their superlative quarterback. For the most part, Northwestern’s coverage was good, but the Buckeye connections were great. Sometimes, it’s okay to say you’ve been beaten by the best. Statistically, Ohio State was the Big Ten’s most prolific and efficient passing offense, even ranking second and fifth nationally in those categories.

2. This defense is going to be well-stocked next year. Mike Hankwitz’s unit played well this season, and with all things considered - given their opponent and the bend-don’t-break, keep-everything-in-front scheme they employed - this group played well Saturday and gave Wildcat fans reason to be optimistic for next season’s outlook.

Northwestern only graduates three starters in their 8-man rotation on the defensive line, bring back both All-Big Ten LBs and six of their top nine DBs that saw significant action this season.

DEs Joe Gaziano, Samdup Miller and Earnest Brown all left significant impressions Saturday, and throughout the year. LBs Blake Gallagher and Paddy Fisher were the top tacklers in the game and finished in the top 15 in the Big Ten in total tackles. Safeties J.R. Pace and Travis Whillock complemented each other as a pass- and run-defending combo, and their young CBs, Greg Newsome and Cameron Ruiz, were baptized by fire, and - keeping things in perspective - performed better than expected.

3. Once again, guys stepped up when their teammates needed them to. On offense, John Moten IV provided the most explosive play of the night when he sprinted down the sideline for a 77-yard touchdown on NU's first score of the game. Clayton Thorson found 12 different receivers, five of whom turned in season-highs for catches. Kyric McGowan, Bennett Skowronek and Charlie Fessler, who had to help pick up for the loss of senior Flynn Nagel, teamed with Thorson to move the ball and help the Wildcats find the endzone twice.

Defensively, Brown and Samdup Miller led the charge when the Buckeyes began concentrating more heavily on Gaziano, teaming for 4.5 TFLs. Whillock helped deliver seven tackles and a key fumble recovery caused by senior Jordan Thompson in the third quarter, when the Buckeyes were driving into the Wildcat red zone.

It speaks to the brotherhood that head coach Pat Fitzgerald spoke of all week. They may not have won the game, but they won the respect of fans of both sides in the Big Ten Championship Game.

1. Why did coaches go away from the run game in the first half? In the first half, Northwestern ran 24 total plays, and only six of them were runs.

I’ll assume it was a schematic function to try and go away from tendency and throw the ball against a secondary that’s had its struggles during the year and may have been expecting run. But if that were the case, this strategy wasn’t working early. Only one of the nine first-down passes the Wildcats called went for more than seven yards.

After Moten’s 77-yard rocket - aided by great blocking from C Jared Thomas and RT Rashawn Slater, as well as WR Ramaud Chiakhiao-Bowman - one would think the Wildcats might go back to it and try to stress that front. However, only one of the next 10 plays from scrimmage was a called run play to a running back. In fact, only one of 11 first-down plays in the first half were runs by a RB (there was WR sweep to Riley Lees in the second quarter).

The other defense might be that Northwestern was forced to play from behind. That's not a legitimate reason, either, as the Wildcats were behind by only a touchdown for 18 of those 24 first-half plays.

2. Will this be Mick McCall’s last year as offensive coordinator? Hear me out, and let me preface by saying I respect the hell out of Coach McCall. He’s been Fitzgerald’s offensive coordinator for 11 seasons, and if we know anything about Fitzgerald, it’s that he’s a loyal guy, and I won’t fault him for that.

But McCall is now in his 60s. That isn't exactly old, but it’s certainly reaching the shelf-life of an assistant coach in FBS college football. He’s been coaching for 40 years.

Thorson will be graduating and the Wildcats will be starting a new QB for the first time in four years. The time to think about sustained success for the future is now, and with a relatively young cast, this may be a good time to make a mutual parting on good terms. So this is more about a proactive business decision for NU.

Fitzgerald is certainly loyal, but his loyalty has got to be to his program, first and foremost. It may not be a firing as much as a mutually beneficial movement for both Northwestern and McCall.

Northwestern is on its way up. The Wildcats have gone 26-9 in the Big Ten regular season over the last four years, which is good for third-best in the conference. Numbers talk, and two second-place finishes and a division title are certainly suggesting a growing trend for Fitzgerald and his program - and we mean that in every sense of that title. This truly is his program. He’s the school’s only two-time All-America player and their winningest coach, and he has been an integral part of 13 bowl games for Northwestern as head coach, assistant or player.

Northwestern's status, statistical rankings and NFL production hasn’t been as high as other schools in conference, but many times that data can be superficial, subjective or attributed to varying factors. The common denominator in successful programs seems to be winning. And with 26 Big Ten wins in four years - that’s a 7-2 conference record on average - the Wildcats are near the top of the pack.

As Fitzgerald points out, “we can’t rest on our laurels; we’ve got to take that next step.” And simple physics will prove it’s easier to take the next step when you’re moving forward.

The D-Line. This group had their best game of the year with a performance that fashioned four sacks and 7.5 TFLs against an offensive line that many experts credit as NFL-caliber. Led by DEs Samdup Miller and Brown (whom Ohio State offered), the Wildcats buzzed the backfield and brought down Haskins more times than any other team this season, which included four teams in the NCAA top 40 in team sacks. And the best thing - of the five Wildcats who registered a sack, four of them return next season.

QB Clayton Thorson. In the final Big Ten game of his career, the winningest quarterback in Northwestern history turned in a gutty performance and helped keep his team in it for three quarters. The fifth-year senior from Wheaton (Ill.) North finished 27-of-44 (61 percent) for 267 yards and a touchdown. It was his leadership, though, and third-quarter performance that earned him this week’s offensive honors.

The third quarter may have been Thorson’s best quarter of football this season. He went 12-for-16, but only one of those four incomplete passes was legit. One was the forced INT as DE Chase Young hit his arm during his delivery, causing a pass to bounce off a teammate’s helmet and get intercepted at high-point by a conveniently positioned Buckeye DB. Two other incomplete throws were the result of Thorson being hurried, and he intentionally threw the ball at the feet of a nearby RB in a pattern.

The 12 passes he connected on went for 119 yards and a touchdown, and at one point brought the Wildcats to within three points, erasing that 17-point deficit they faced in the locker room at halftime.

DE Samdup Miller. This could have gone to a few different defensive linemen, but the younger of the Miller brothers, just a sophomore, had the most consistent play up front. One of the Big Ten’s most underrated players at his position, Miller posted five tackles (four solo), two TFL and an individual sack on a Heisman-level quarterback against an NFL-caliber offensive line. Miller helped control the edge and turn any wide-side run by the Buckeyes into a failed effort.

DT Fed Wyatt. Early in the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes had a 10-point lead and were threatening to add more on a drive to the Northwestern 10-yard line. After the Wildcat defense forced a fourth-and-5, OSU PK Blake Haubeil attempted a 27-yard chip-shot that he had made several times, easily, during the season. The kick was hit a bit low, and Wyatt, positioned just outside the long snapper, leaped and made contact with the ball with his right hand, deflecting it enough to miss short and wide. The play turned away a scoring opportunity and gave the Wildcats a chance to draw within one score - which they did on the ensuing possession.

WR Charlie Fessler. Fessler came into the Big Ten Championship Game with seven catches on the season, many of them coming in relatively comfortable situations. But Fessler ratched up his game on the biggest stage. Two of his three catches went for first downs - including the 17-yard catch at the Ohio State 3-yard line that was initially ruled a fumble but reversed. The redshirt junior was also targeted on third-and-goal, but defensive pressure prevented the hook-up. Such great strides made for Fessler, who has the opportunity to be a more involved target next season.

Clayton Thorson’s touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter. Down 17 points coming out of the locker room (late, as it turned out), the Wildcats needed a spark. They needed something to propel them forward with enough momentum to turn heart-filled hope into tangible traction on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf. So, taking the cue, Thorson and his offense surged.

Following his encouragement in the huddle, his offense got into rhythm and set the tone. First it was nine-yard burst by leading rusher Isaiah Bowser. Then, the fifth-year senior trigger man connected on three consecutive passes for 48 yards. On the fifth play of the drive, Thorson rolled to his right and saw the Buckeye coverage provide an opportunity for he and his recovering ACL to plant, point and propel to the promised land for points. His 18-yard touchdown run brought the Wildcats within 10n points and gave them the shot in the arm they needed to give the Buckeyes a game that many outside the program thought was not possible.

Tim Chapman is a teacher and former Michigan high school football coach who is currently working on a book titled "ChampioN Underdog" about the 1995 Northwestern Rose Bowl team. Follow him via Twitter: @Champion_Lit. Email him at nufbhistorian@gmail.com.