2026 Season · Week 6
NU · Wildcats
Northwestern
B1G · 4-1
National Rank
#45
Power
+6.7
Offense
0.49
Defense
-0.15
SOS
-6.9
SOS Rank
#85
Team Profile
Why #45?
Northwestern ranks #45 through Week 6 with a Power rating of +6.7, meaning the model expects Northwestern to outscore an average FBS opponent by about 6.7 points on a neutral field.
Northwestern has faced the #85 strength of schedule in FBS through Week 6. The average opponent faced, after accounting for game location, rated -6.9 points relative to an average FBS team.
The strongest statistical performance through Week 6 came against Ball State, with a Game Performance score of +0.58.
The weakest performance came against Indiana, where the Game Performance score was -0.14.
Offense0.49
Offense0.49
Stronger Side
Offense
The offensive rating (0.49) is currently higher than the defensive rating (-0.15).
Schedule
Game Results
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Score | Game Perf | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 5 | South Dakota State | Home | W | 34-18 | +0.55 | +0.90 | +0.19 |
| Sat, Sep 19 | Colorado | Home | W | 41-7 | +0.56 | +0.60 | +0.52 |
| Fri, Sep 25 | Indiana | Away | L | 23-29 | -0.14 | +0.26 | -0.54 |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Penn State | Home | W | 34-13 | +0.48 | +0.69 | +0.27 |
| Sat, Oct 10 | Ball State | Home | W | 45-14 | +0.58 | +0.87 | +0.28 |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Michigan State | Away | 9:00 AM | — | — | — | — |
| Fri, Oct 23 | Rutgers | Home | 9:00 PM | — | — | — | — |
| Fri, Oct 30 | Oregon | Away | 9:00 PM | — | — | — | — |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Iowa | Home | 10:00 PM | — | — | — | — |
| Fri, Nov 13 | Ohio State | Away | 10:00 PM | — | — | — | — |
| Fri, Nov 20 | Minnesota | Away | 10:00 PM | — | — | — | — |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Illinois | Home | 10:00 PM | — | — | — | — |