Northwestern Football
Northwestern is an NCAA Division I FBS football program in the Big Ten, based in Evanston, IL. The 2026 record stands at 6-2. The Cooper Predictor rates Northwestern at +11.5, No. 27 of 138 FBS teams and No. 8 of 18 in the Big Ten. The model projects an 8-4 finish, with CFP Odds of 8.5%. The model's pre-game picks are 7-1 in Northwestern games this season. Most recent result: lost to Oregon 26-34 on Oct 31. Next up: vs Iowa on Nov 7 — the model projects Iowa 24-21, giving Northwestern a 50% chance to win.
Open Northwestern in Cooper Predictor U →Updated Nov 2, 2026 · power ratings compare teams within NCAA Division I FBS.
2026 schedule, predictions & results
| Date | Opponent | Projection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5 | vs South Dakota State | W 21-20 67% ✓ | W 34-18 |
| Sep 19 | vs Colorado | W 24-20 66% ✓ | W 41-7 |
| Sep 25 | @ Indiana | L 13-35 10% ✓ | L 23-29 |
| Oct 2 | vs Penn State | L 24-27 44% ✗ | W 34-13 |
| Oct 10 | vs Ball State | W 45-7 98% ✓ | W 45-14 |
| Oct 17 | @ Michigan State | W 28-20 69% ✓ | W 24-21 |
| Oct 24 | vs Rutgers | W 38-24 85% ✓ | W 42-14 |
| Oct 31 | @ Oregon | L 20-31 29% ✓ | L 26-34 |
| Nov 7 | vs Iowa | L 21-24 50% | — |
| Nov 13 | @ Ohio State | L 20-34 17% | — |
| Nov 20 | @ Minnesota | W 27-24 65% | — |
| Nov 27 | vs Illinois | W 31-24 69% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and Northwestern's win probability. For games already played it is the pick frozen before kickoff, with ✓ or ✗ beside it — every pick stays public.
Big Ten by power rating
| # | Team | 2026 | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ohio State | 6-2 | +23.5 |
| 2 |  Indiana | 8-1 | +21.1 |
| 3 |  Oregon | 5-3 | +17.3 |
| 4 |  Iowa | 6-2 | +14.5 |
| 5 |  USC | 7-2 | +12.6 |
| 6 |  Nebraska | 5-3 | +12.1 |
| 7 |  UCLA | 8-0 | +12 |
| 8 | Northwestern | 6-2 | +11.5 |
| 9 |  Penn State | 4-4 | +11.2 |
| 10 |  Washington | 5-3 | +8.1 |
| 11 |  Wisconsin | 5-3 | +8.1 |
| 12 |  Michigan | 5-3 | +7.5 |
| 13 |  Illinois | 5-3 | +6.8 |
| 14 |  Minnesota | 5-3 | +3 |
| 15 |  Purdue | 3-5 | +1.1 |
| 16 |  Michigan State | 2-6 | +1.1 |
| 17 |  Maryland | 2-6 | -2.4 |
| 18 |  Rutgers | 2-6 | -3.8 |
High schools on the Northwestern roster
From publicly published rosters, for the high school states the Cooper Predictor covers. Some rosters do not list a high school, so a player may be missing.
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