An early look at Northwestern football’s most anticipated games of 2024

It’s been almost five months since Northwestern beat Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. Since then, a lot has changed for this program.

There’s a new stadium, a new quarterback, a new offensive coordinator and new expectations. But another substantial difference is the uptake in difficulty of Northwestern’s schedule from 2023. The Big Ten is now effectively the Big 18, with the conference ushering in a new era by adding Pacific powerhouses in Washington, Oregon, UCLA and USC. The ‘Cats will only face Washington in 2024, but other opponents will also challenge NU’s run toward another bowl game.

But with a more difficult schedule comes more opportunities to watch incredible football. As one school year closes, let’s look ahead to the next, considering pageantry, venue and competition to determine the top five games NU fans should look forward to.

5. at Washington (Sept. 21)

Venue: Husky Stadium

We’ll start with Northwestern’s first conference matchup of the season, which also happens to be Washington’s first-ever Big Ten conference game. It will also be NU’s first game on the West Coast since 2019, when it lost 17 faced Stanford to open that season in a 17-7 loss. In fact, it will also be the team’s first matchup against Washington since 1984, a game the ‘Cats lost 26-0 in Seattle.

One would expect a matchup against the national championship runner-up to be ranked higher on this list, but Washington has undergone significant personnel changes since losing to Michigan. Head coach Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama after Nick Saban retired, while its core offensive stars, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide reciever Rome Odunze, both became top 10 NFL draft picks along with a flurry of other Huskies who were drafted in April.

Even with all of the departures, Washington fans still have lots to be excited about. New head coach Jedd Fisch had a successful tenure at Arizona and will bring with him many of his former players to the Pacific Northwest. Transfer QB Will Rogers is also set to come over from Mississippi State and take the starting role, but he is still a downgrade from Penix. All of these offensive losses should benefit NU’s defense, which was strong last season and hasn’t lost too many of its crucial pieces.

This will be a difficult game for Northwestern, as most of the games on this list are. However, there’s an opportunity for the ‘Cats to break through and give the Huskies a rude awakening in their Big Ten coronation.

4. at Iowa (Oct. 26)

Venue: Kinnick Stadium

Revenge is undoubtedly on Northwestern’s mind in this matchup, especially after its brutal loss in the final minute to the Hawkeyes at Wrigley Field last season. While this game will be played in Iowa City with a crowd even more favorable to Iowa than it was last time, this should be a competitive game that may once again become a defensive affair.

Iowa has a new offensive coordinator in former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester, a hire that the program believes will give a spark to one of the nation’s most dormant offenses last year. That move comes as Cade McNamara is set to return to the starting quarterback role after suffering a season-ending injury in 2023 that left him out of the Hawkeyes’ game against the ‘Cats. McNamara may now get his chance to beat Northwestern in a more convincing fashion than Deacon Hill did while at the helm last November.

Another notable piece of this matchup is Brendan Sullivan transferring from the Wildcats to Iowa.

While this is not a must-win game five months in advance, this may become one as the season progresses. These teams aren’t evenly matched – Iowa is clearly superior on paper – but the Hawkeyes are a team that NU can break apart if its offense can get moving. This is one of the few road games NU plays for which it has a decent chance of pulling out a victory, and doing so in Iowa City would certainly bolster its bowl odds.

3. at Michigan (Nov. 23)

Venue: Michigan Stadium

I will preface this entry by admitting that I have already booked a trip for this game, so adrenaline is undoubtedly running high for a visit to Ann Arbor in late November. This game and the entry that follows it aren’t on the list for their competitiveness. If the Wildcats beat the defending national champions who haven’t lost at the Big House since 2020, it might be the biggest upset victory in recent memory for NU football.

Jim Harbaugh is gone to the NFL and Sherrone Moore is now in charge, but that doesn’t change the fact that Michigan should remain dominant on the gridiron. The team lost a bunch of stars to the NFL, but there’s still tons of talent on this squad that will get ample opportunities to shine next season.

Opponents like Michigan and OSU are among the best teams in the country and rarely lose games to teams of any caliber, including those far above the ‘Cats. Mike Wright and the Northwestern offense will have to find a magical streak to beat this team, in addition to a lights-out defensive performance and a multitude of other favorable outcomes.

More than anything, it is difficult to find many college venues – maybe even sports venues anywhere – that can match the atmosphere of the Big House. It is a mesmerizing place to watch football. Whether it be singing Mr. Brightside, listening to “Hail to the Victors” at the end of the game if Michigan predictably emerges victorious or any other timeless tradition, this is an unmatched experience – except for maybe the next entry on this list.

2. vs. Ohio State (Nov. 16)

Venue: Wrigley Field

Northwestern will play twice at the friendly confines this fall, and its first matchup against OSU will be incredible to witness. This is due to the atmosphere of Wrigley and the chance to watch a national championship frontrunner.

OSU has fallen behind Michigan in the Big Ten over the past few seasons, but many believe this is the year the Buckeyes reclaim their crown. They retained many key players from last season who opted not to enter the NFL draft, including Denzel Burke, Emeka Egbuka and TreVeyon Henderson. Along with bringing in QB Will Howard from Kansas State to replace the departing Kyle McCord, the Buckeyes appear dangerous and have one of the deepest and most complete rosters in all of college football.

As frustrating as it will likely be to watch Northwestern play this game, a fan can’t ask for much more than a showdown against an incredibly talented team at such a storied venue. While the intimacy of Martin Stadium should provide a new level of energy, I am still personally most excited to watch this game over all others. If Iowa could inspire such excitement, just imagine what Ohio State could do.

1. vs. Wisconsin (Oct. 19)

Venue: Martin Stadium

Northwestern will play two conference games at its temporary home on the Lakefront this season, with the other two being played at Wrigley Field. The first home conference matchup against Indiana was tempting for a spot lower on the list, but I opted to only include the Badgers on top to round out this list.

This game has the perfect combination of competition and grandeur. These two teams are geographical rivals and played very similar levels of football last season, with NU topping the Badgers in a game that propelled the ‘Cats toward bowl eligibility near the end of conference play. Now, with the Badgers making the trip into hostile territory, the rivalry between these two teams will be renewed once more.

Transfer QB Tyler Van Dyke is set to start for the Badgers after coming over from Miami and should be an upgrade from Tanner Mordecai for Luke Fickell’s offense. Van Dyke struggled to play up to lofty expectations at Miami, but he is still a valuable addition for a team badly in need of an offensive spark. Northwestern matched up well against Wisconsin, but the Badgers are likely the better team. The home-field advantage should even the playing field for NU, however, and make this game competitive.

NU fans are fortunate that this game was moved from Lambeau Field to Martin Stadium. With it right on the Northwestern campus, students should be sure to show up in mid-October for the most exciting game of the season.