Northwestern defies analytics.
Four teams in the Big Ten West entered Week 9 with only one conference loss. Three of those teams — No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 24 Iowa and No. 30 Purdue — rank in Bill Connelly’s S&P+ Top-30.
The Wildcats? All the way down to No. 64. Losses to Akron will do that to you.
Naturally, they broke the computers, blowing out the Badgers 31-17 at home to sit alone atop the divisional standings with three conference games left.
Last week, Pat Fitzgerald needed a fourth quarter comeback to edge Rutgers 18-15.