1. Northwestern is the Big Ten West favorite

A shutout is always impressive, but especially so when it comes against a conference opponent and one of the Wildcats’ closest competitors for a division title. Add in losses by Nebraska and Wisconsin, and NU is suddenly tied with Iowa for the West division lead. The Cats are firmly in control by virtue of getting to play the Hawkeyes at home on Oct. 17, in what could be a big game with major implications for the rest of the season.

And, scheduling aside, NU looked like the most dominant team Saturday. The Hawkeyes and Badgers slugged each other into submission during their matchup, with neither team looking terribly impressive in the sloppy 10-6 victory for Iowa. Nebraska continued to struggle under first-year coach Mike Riley, blowing a 13-point fourth quarter lead over Illinois. Minnesota seems unlikely to rebound after looking mediocre all season. The Cats are good, and it’s appropriate to update expectations.

2. Good luck throwing against the Wildcats

NU’s “Sky Team” lived up to the hype against the Golden Gophers. Sophomore safety Godwin Igwebuike led the defense with nine tackles. Cornerbacks senior Nick VanHoose and junior Matthew Harris each had three pass breakups. Harris added one interception but let another bobble out of his hands. Even junior linebacker Jaylen Prater got in on the action, snagging what might have been a pick if the play had been reviewed.

The secondary has figured out how to secure the airspace no matter what kind of quarterback it faces, be it a drop-back thrower like Stanford’s Kevin Hogan or a powerful runner like Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner. It’s going to take a very good quarterback to beat NU’s defense, and the Cats have nothing but mediocre to occasionally-above-average Big Ten signal callers left on their schedule.

3. Clayton Thorson is starting to put it together

Redshirt freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson didn’t exactly star Saturday, completing 14 of 19 passes for just 128 yards, but solid and unspectacular is exactly what NU needs. Thorson ran well, scoring twice on the ground, didn’t turn the ball over and made key throws for first-down conversions when he had to. It may not sound like much, but it powered the Cats to 20 offensive points.

And amid the boring, Thorson again showed a flash of brilliance. His touchdown pass to sophomore running back Solomon Vault — ruled not a catch after replay — was a thing of beauty, arching over the defensive and hitting Vault in the perfect spot as he dove into the end zone. The Cats haven’t yet needed Thorson to throw their way out of a late deficit, but given what we saw against Minnesota, the quarterback’s results may not be so bad going forward.

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Twitter: @BobbyPillote