2011 College Football Preview: Northwestern Wildcats Analysis and Projections

The Northwestern Wildcats started the 2010 season with a 7-3 record and earned a spot in the national polls, after a 21-17 stunning upset of No. 13 Iowa. The same Wildcats squad closed the season out by losing their final three games and were outscored 163-88. 

The difference between the two stretches was the absence of quarterback Dan Persa, who tore his Achilles after throwing the game winning touchdown pass against Iowa. The Wildcats' do-it-all quarterback completed close to 74 percent of his passes, threw for 2581 yards and ate up 519 yards on the ground before being sidelined. 

Persa's Achilles is nearly healthy enough for Northwestern's leader to return to action and will hopefully be a non-factor in what could be a banner year for the Wildcats in 2011. 

A total of 16 starters return from last year's campaign and the Wildcats are projected to have a whopping 16 seniors in their starting lineup this season. 

The depth and experience of the Wildcats, combined with a soft schedule, gives Northwestern a chance to send the current seniors out as the winningest class in school history and claim their first Big Ten title since 2000. 

Offense:

The offense returns a host of play-makers and possibly the deepest receiving corps in the Big Ten, which is headlined by Jeremy Ebert. The senior wideout led the Big Ten in receiving with 62 catches and 953 yards last season. 

Senior tight end Drake Dunsmore and junior wideout Demetrius Fields will also be a couple of Persa's most reliable targets in the passing game. 

Running back is the only youthful position on the offensive side of the ball, with sophomore Mike Trumpy set to carry the load out of the backfield and senior Jacob Schmidt expected to be a more than capable third down tailback. 

Protecting Persa and opening up holes for the Wildcat running backs will be a veteran offensive line boasting a combined 137 career starts, led by seniors Al Netter and Ben Burkett. 

The offensive unit can be one of the most explosive in the Big Ten, but only if Persa can remain healthy for the entire season and be the same dynamic player he was before tearing his Achilles. 

Defense:

Senior defensive end Vince Brown will lead the Wildcats front seven, which could not stop anyone from running the ball or apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks last year. Fellow senior defensive end Kevin Watt was supposed to have a breakout season in 2010, but failed to record a single sack. 

The Wildcats defensive front, by default, should improve in 2011, but will have to replace their two best linebackers behind them. 

Outside linebacker Bryan McNaul is the lone returning starter from a year ago. Junior David Nwabuisi will make an impact right away and be one of Northwestern's leading tacklers this season. 

The secondary is by far the Wildcats' best unit on defense, with senior safeties Brian Peters and David Arnold both returning, along with senior cornerback Jordan Mabin. Peters led Northwestern in tackles last season, while Arnold will be a big hitter and can cause turnovers in the open field. 

The success of Northwestern's defense in 2011 hinges on the play of the defensive line and whether or not the unit can slow down some of the Big Ten's better rushing offenses—and improve significantly in the sack department. 

Prediction:

Northwestern has the veteran leadership and a favorable enough schedule to surprise a lot of people and potentially win the Legends Division this season. 

The offense will score a ton of points if Persa is able to remain healthy and will keep them in any game, regardless of how well their defense plays. Ebert is one of the most under-appreciated receivers in the country and should be able to break the 1,000 yard mark in 2011. 

The Wildcats defensive line is still undersized and will struggle against the larger and stronger offensive lines in the Big Ten, which is why they will come up short against Nebraska and Michigan State near the end of the season. 

If Northwestern can defend their home turf against Michigan and Penn State, they have a chance to start the season 7-1 or 8-0 and be in the thick of the Legends Division race until the second half of their conference slate. 

The Wildcats will need to take at least one game against either Nebraska or Michigan State and survive road trips to Iowa and Illinois early in the season, in order to have a chance to play in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game. 

Once again, though, all of this is dependent on the overall health of Persa and whether or not he can be just as good—if not better—than a year ago.

 

Projected Record: 9-3 (5-3 Big Ten, Tie-Second Place Legends Division)

9/3 - @ Boston College - Win

9/10 - Eastern Illinois - Win

9/17 - @ Army - Win

10/1 - @ Illinois - Loss

10/8 - Michigan - Win

10/15 - @ Iowa - Win

10/22 - Penn State - Win

10/29 - @ Indiana - Win

11/5 - @ Nebraska - Loss

11/12 - Rice - Win

11/19 - Minnesota - Win

11/26 - Michigan State -Loss

Zach Dirlam is a Big Ten Columnist for the new website Sports at Work. Check out his blog, Dirlam’s Dirty Dugout Sports Blog, which features this story along with other articles and video reports on the major sports. You can also follow his blog on Twitter, which will provide you with the latest updates about what will be posted on the blog!