The vibrant colors of fall have begun to decorate Northwestern’s Evanston campus. Pumpkins adorn neighborhood porches. It’s Week 9 of the college football season. And Pat Fitzgerald’s team is in first place in the Big Ten West.
If that sounds surprising, well, it’s because it is. It’s the first time Northwestern has held a share of the division lead this late in a season since 2000, a year in which Fitzgerald was the Linebacker and Special Teams coach at the University of Idaho.
Saturday’s game against Wisconsin will impact the trajectory of this season. The implications of the game have been spelled out.