After two 5-7 seasons, Northwestern bounced back fairly strongly in 2015 behind a freshman quarterback and a pretty solid defense. While the Wildcats only return 12 starters, there are enough key contributors from last season coming back to envision the Wildcats being just as steady in 2016.
Underestimating Northwestern is one of those traps you don't want to find yourself in, because lately the Wildcats are one of those programs that seem to exceed expectations more often than not. Pat Fitzgerald's record at NW is 70-56, which makes him the winningest coach in the history of Northwestern football.