Northwestern’s dream of a share of the Big Ten title all but died in Saturday night’s 33-17 loss to Michigan, dropping the Wildcats into a tie for fifth place with Iowa.
The Wildcats (5-3, 3-2) next face the Hawkeyes, then travel to No. 12 Ohio State in two weeks before finishing the season at Illinois. . . .
The Wildcats need one win to be bowl-eligible, and the Big Ten could have more bowl-eligible teams (up to nine) than it has bowl slots (seven).
That means a team could land in a non-Big Ten bowl, as Michigan State did in 2001 when it played in the Silicon Valley Bowl. . . .
Northwestern rushed for only 89 yards as freshman Tyrell Sutton was held to season lows of 50 yards and 10 carries.
“It’s hard to run the ball when it’s first-and-20,” coach Randy Walker said, alluding to the Wildcats’ spate of holding penalties.
———-
Next: Saturday vs. Iowa, 11 a.m., ESPN
