Wrigley Field is one of the most famous sporting venues in the United States. The Friendly Confines — the current home of the Chicago Cubs and formerly the Chicago Bears until 1970 – has provided plenty of lifelong memories for Chicago area fans.
But, Northwestern football has not had similar success stories at Wrigley Field.
Ever since football returned to Lakeview in 2010 when the Wildcats hosted Illinois, NU is 0-3 alongside Addison Street. In 2023, the ’Cats lost 10-7 to Iowa. A win would’ve been enough for Braun’s group to have secured the last-ever Big Ten West title.
Now, NU finds its season at a crux and returns to Wrigley for the first of two games in 2024. The opponent cannot be tougher as the ’Cats welcome in No. 2 Ohio State.
“Very excited about the opportunity for the atmosphere,” coach David Braun said Monday. “Celebrating Homecoming this week at an awesome venue like Wrigley, top five opponents coming into our place, excited for all that.”
Braun recognized the elephant in the room — the Buckeyes are one of the best football teams in the country, and few expect this affair to be close. Currently, Ohio State has a 95.4% odds of winning, according to ESPN.
But, with NU’s season on the line over the next three weeks, the expectations inside the program are high.
“We know we’re not just an underdog,” Braun said. “There’s no one out there that expects Northwestern to go in and beat Ohio State, even, for that matter, compete. But this group believes that with a great two weeks of preparation, and that’s showing up at our best, we can make this a four quarter battle.”
To be clear, NU does not need to win on Saturday to keep its bowl game hopes alive. With its high Academic Progress Rate, NU probably has to win only one game to get to postseason football. The road ahead is tough nonetheless.
The first reason: The Buckeyes will play in front of a Wrigley crowd that will have a lot more red than purple. Then, next week’s trip to Ann Arbor pits the ’Cats against the defending national champions in Michigan. Although the Wolverines are not the same team as a year ago, it’s still a tough test in the nation’s biggest stadium.
NU will wrap up its season at Wrigley against Illinois, which was ranked for much of the season.
One element is evident: The ’Cats are playing in two of America’s most famous venues and will embrace the opportunity.
“This opportunity to play our first of two games at Wrigley Field is something that I know our team and our program won’t take for granted,” Braun said. “An opportunity to play a big time football game and then at an iconic venue like Wrigley Field is something that is really special and something that we’re looking forward to.”
When the schedule came out in November 2023, everyone knew this would be the critical stretch for NU. Now at 4-5, there is little margin for error.
Regardless of venue, the ’Cats need to deliver with a victory in order to keep its bowl hopes alive. NU has yet to win at Wrigley Field, but Braun’s squad has two opportunities this season.
Ohio State will be the toughest test for this ’Cats team yet. There are All-Americans across the roster, ranging from running back Quinshon Judkins to safety Caleb Downs.
The Buckeyes are led by a veteran quarterback in Will Howard and have arguably the best receiving core in the nation, with showstopping true freshman Jeremiah Smith front and center.
After this week, NU will go into one of the most hostile environments in college football — the Big House — and try to pry out a win.
Then, fast forward to NU’s second game at Wrigley on Nov. 30. The ’Cats will face an Illinois team that has a good veteran quarterback in Luke Altmyer for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. Illinois won’t be easier than Michigan — the Fighting Illini beat the Wolverines 21-7 earlier in the season.
The bottom line: It’s going to be especially tough.
If Braun’s comments were any indication, NU is not shying away from the challenge, and similar to what he’s said since joining the program in early 2023, the ’Cats will embrace it. But, NU needs to deliver a victory.
“Into the fourth quarter of the season, and we got a lot to play for,” Braun said. “We have one another to play for, but we also have an opportunity in front of us to extend this season, to get ourselves to a bowl game, and that’s something that I know all of us are excited about.”
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