West Lot Pirates

Going into this game, we said we knew who both Iowa and Northwestern were. We also know exactly how these two teams play one another. This year's game was no departure from the norm. The Cats continue their streak of wins in Iowa City as we break it down. Then we look ahead to the red-headed stepchildren of the Big Ten, Nebraska.

Well now! Northwestern kicked off the 2020 campaign with a resounding win over a hapless Maryland squad. So many positives to take away from this one starting with Peyton Ramsey, Mike Bajakian's Offense, the OL, you name it! And that's just on the offensive side of the ball. Join us for a jumbo-sized recap and look ahead to this upcoming week's Halloween tilt in Iowa City against the Hawkeyes.

It's taken a long time and a lot of very hard work by so many people, but finally, we have Northwestern Football coming up this weekend. Tonight, we preview the game against Maryland and discuss the possibilities of this upcoming season.

With just over a week to go before the 2020 Northwestern season gets underway, it's high time we take a deep dive into our beloved Wildcats. With Fitz keeping the depth chart and opt-out lists in a safe with more security than Fort Knox, all we can do is analyze this squad from afar. Who will take the reins at QB this year? Who will step up to be our key pass rush specialist? Will we have a deep threat offensively? So many questions that we try to answer.

We wrap up our preseason previews with a look at that little school down south. Northwestern has kept the LoLHat 7 of the past 8 seasons, even as bad as last year's team was. Will Illinois' insane luck in the turnover game continue into this season? Will it even matter?

Of all our 2019 previews, Minnesota was easily the one we were most off on. Their offense looks like it will be decent again, but with the loss of their top defensive players, will that derail their chances to make noise in the West this year?

Wisconsin comes into the 2020 season as possibly the best team in the Big Ten West, at least on paper. With no COVID opt outs, what we expected to see sure looks like it will be what we do see. But without the home field advantage that Camp Randall brings them, can they put together another Western Division title run?

As we get closer and closer to kicking off the Northwestern 2020 season, we take a look at the schedule put out by the Big Ten and break it down on a high level.

Wow. What a month. With all of the twists and turns and tumult we finally have official word that the Big Ten will indeed be playing football this fall. We discuss the Big Ten's return to play plan and what it might mean for Northwestern.

Well, we hoped that this day wouldn't come, but we feared that it was inevitable. The Big Ten and Pac 12 have cancelled all fall sports with the intention of holding a spring football season. Tonight, we unpack our feelings on everything here and turn an uncertain eye towards the spring of 2021.

We take a quick break from our summer previews to talk about the new Big Ten schedule that was just announced. Northwestern adds a date with Michigan at the end of the season and the schedule is peppered with flexibility in case of cancelled games and COVID outbreaks. We go through the new schedule and briefly touch on what some of the other Power 5 conferences are doing this season.

Purdue's offense was downright scary last year, and that was with their wunderkind Rondale Moore injured for most of the season. Combine him with David Bell and Purdue will definitely score points this season. Will their D be able to make a stop?

When you consider the Iowa Hawkeyes this year, there is a huge elephant in the room where it comes to their off-field issues they have been dealing with this spring/summer. Of course we are going to discuss that, but what do we think of Iowa's chances ON the field?

If you ask the national media, Nebraska is primed to win the national championship year after year. But we all know better. To say Nebraska has struggled since joining the Big Ten would be putting it mildly. Scott Frost enters his 3rd season back in Lincoln, but does he have a team that can make any noise in the West?

The Terps have struggled since joining the Big Ten, which is putting it mildly. Coming off a brutal 3-9 campaign last year, Mike Locksley is trying to put it all together. But will their defense get in the way of what might be an emerging offense?

Penn State comes into 2020 coming off an excellent 2019 season. They return what might be the best defensive player in the country in Micah Parsons and they poached Minnesota's OC. But will that be enough to take them over the top in the East?

Sparty comes into the season with a brand new Head Coach in Mel Tucker. They are going through a complete culture change, but will a new regime be able to make the changes necessary in these bizarre times?

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Michigan has yet to topple their rivals down south in the Jim Harbaugh era. Will this be the year they get off the schneid? Also, with the news that the Big Ten will be going to a conference-only schedule for the season, could the Wolverines show up on Northwestern's schedule?

We usually kick off our Summer Previews with a look at the Big Ten teams not on Northwestern's schedule, but with the announcement that the Big Ten is going to a 10 game, conference only schedule this year, this preview could become much more relevant if the schedule breaks a certain way. Coming off another Big Ten Championship and a close loss to Clemson in the Playoffs, will Ohio St. just reload for another title run this year?

We kick off our Summer Previews with a look at the Big Ten teams not on Northwestern's schedule this year. If you think this is the season that Rutgers could finally put something together in the Big Ten East, maybe you should think again.