In September, Northwestern was one of the biggest surprises in college football; in October, one of the biggest disappointments. What's the real Northwestern: the team that beat Stanford and drilled Minnesota, or the team that's been blown out by Michigan and Iowa the last two weeks?
Truth is, both are probably the real deal, and the key is Northwestern running back Justin Jackson. In the first five games, Jackson rushed for 636 yards, but the last two weeks, only 55 yards rushing. First five weeks: five Northwestern victories; last two weeks: Northwestern blowout losses.
When defenses are able to shut down Jackson, the Wildcats then must turn to freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson, who's more of a game manager than play maker at this point in his career.