EVANSTON - Northwestern won the Land of Lincoln Trophy last year in a roller coaster 45-43 win that knocked Illinois out of bowl contention.
This year, the landscape for The Hat game is very different. The Illini are ranked in the Top 25 and it's the Wildcats who have had their path to a bowl game all but sealed off as they enter the game at 4-7.
"Rivalries, especially in-state, are one of the unique and special parts about college football..." Northwestern head coach David Braun said. "We cross paths with Illinois in recruiting frequently, and I think Coach Bielema does a great job.
"That was a big win for us last year for a lot of reasons... We have had bragging rights in the state for a year. That's something you take pride in."
The 2023 win capped off a trio of wins to close out that regular season, a feat that the Wildcats haven't been able to replicate at any point this season. After an overtime win at Purdue, they have lost their last two games, to No. 2 Ohio State and Michigan, by the combined score of 81-13.
Braun relishes the chance for his team to get the bad taste from those two losses out of their mouths.
"I'm excited for our team to bounce back after a tough Saturday," Braun said. "The product we put on that field is not us. We have to be better... In our last guaranteed opportunity together, we have to send this team, this group, out the right way."
Braun weighs transfer portal as season comes to a close: The offseason is suddenly looming as the Wildcats would need a very long string of stars to align to make a bowl game. Ten of the 12 teams nationally that are currently 5-6 would have to lose, while Northwestern would also have to upset No. 22 Illinois, an 8.5-point favorite and the winners of two straight.
With the end of the season near, it will soon be time for Braun to evaluate the staff and roster.
It's unlikely that he will make any coaching moves after he made sweeping changes to his his offensive staff after the 2023 season, and the defense has shown flashes under program legend and recently promoted defensive coordinator Tim McGarigle.
In terms of personnel, Braun will have to make a decision about whether or not to add a quarterback through the transfer portal. Jack Lausch has a 3-6 record as a starter and ranks last in the Big Ten in completion percentage and quarterback rating since replacing benched transfer Mike Wright after the first two games.
Braun continued to support Lausch, as he has all season.
"I'm confident we made the right decision and I'm proud of the way that Jack has competed throughout all of this," Braun said. "Do we need better results? Absolutely."
Braun tabled the transfer discussion at quarterback for the time being but notably did not take it off the board entirely.
"Those are things we'll assess this offseason," he said. "That's not something we're worried about when we're still playing this regular season."
Braun said that the summer of 2023 set the program back in terms of recruiting and depth. The hazing scandal and firing of all-time winningest coach Pat Fitzgerald caused several commits and freshman to leave the program. The ripple effect from those developments, and the uncertainty around the program, led to Braun building the Class of 2024 very late in the cycle.
Braun said he is now pleased with the roster depth he sees next season, with the addition of 19 commitments and several walkons ready to sign next week, as well as how it projects into 2026.
"If our non-negotiable is trusting development... We can't sacrifice that for an immediate answer in the transfer portal," Braun said. "Because that keeps you on that cycle or you have dramatic holes in your roster...
"If you look at our Class of 2025, it is a class that is represented in all position groups. There's good depth in it and we're excited about it. We have the same plan for 2026. We're developing the roster from the ground up and building a team."
Braun also made it clear that the team will use the portal selectively but aggressively when they see an opportunity to address immediate needs.
"There are also opportunities to get creative and strategic about immediate needs on our roster," he said. "Where on our roster do we have a two-deep [depth chart] that can win eight to 10 games as a Big Ten team? And if we don't feel like we have that, we need to address it and that's something we'll be really active in this offseason."
Lausch still learning at quarterback: Braun elaborated on his assessment of Lausch as a passer and quarterback.
"Jack has continued to compete and shown times when he's playing at a really high level but still has a lot of room to grow," he said. "You go through a process and trust that process."
When Lausch has been serviceable, the Wildcats have been solid. They're 3-2 in games when he's thrown for 200 or more yards, with those two losses coming to No. 2 Ohio State and No. 10 Indiana.
When Lausch throws for less than 200 yards, however, the Wildcats are 0-4, and three times he threw for less than 100 yards, a very low bar for any college quarterback. Lausch also now owns a TD:INT ratio of 5:6 after two picks and no scores against the Wolverines on Saturday.
"I'll continue to be excited to be next to Jack as he continues to compete and put this team in situations to win games," Braun said. "It can be really easy to point out issues at quarterback when the offense is not operating at the level you want it to. That's what makes that position so great, and when you touch the ball on every play there's a lot that comes with it.
"But offensive success, it's the beauty of football, it takes all 11 [players] to function at a high level to get results...especially at quarterback, it really requires everyone at a high level. When Jack has had his best performances, there have been guys who have stepped up and made big plays."
Braun highlighted receivers Bryce Kirtz and AJ Henning for their ability to come down with jump balls and make tough catches. He also credited Lausch for using his "athleticism and savvy" to make the pass protection he's getting look better than it might actually be by eluding the pass rush.
The staff has not only benched Wright, they've handed a few spot snaps and late-game, mop-up duty to sixth-year senior Ryan Hilinski. It's a puzzling decision with Hilinski having just one game of eligibility remaining, but Braun said that the staff values the different look he gives their offense as a pocket passer.
So they've continued to use Hilinski as the backup rather than give Wright another chance or give one of the younger quarterbacks, like redshirt freshman Aidan Gray or true freshman Ryan Boe, some reps.
Braun stands by Lujan through growing pains: Northwestern's offense is close to the bottom of nearly every offensive metric in college football this season under new offensive coordinator Zach Lujan.
The Wildcats currently rank 132nd out of 133 teams in the nation in total offense (270.1 ypg) and 129th in scoring (16.9 ppg). On Saturday against Michigan they accumulated just 127 yards of total offense and averaged 2.6 yards per play.
But Braun is steadfast that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Lujan, who is making the transition from two-time FCS national champion South Dakota State to the Big Ten.
"I think Zach has battled and competed to be really solutions-based," Braun said. "I was in his shoes in some regard last year but, at the end of the day, we have to continue to evaluate where we are at from a personnel standpoint versus our competition, and how do we best position our guys to find success on the field?
"It's easy to talk about, it's hard to deliver on. What I'm proud of is how our staff has stuck together and gone to work and find solutions... The offseason will provide a chance to take a deep breath, a step back, evaluate everything and make sure we position ourselves for a ton of on-field and off-the-field success moving forward."
