Northwestern football has a big game ahead of it, as it prepares to take on No. 4 Oregon in front of a sold-out crowd with Big Noon Kickoff coming to Evanston for the first time ever. However, Inside NU writers don’t believe the game in itself will be any close.
Charlie Jacobs: Oregon 56, Northwestern 7
I never thought I’d be putting a number like this in my score prediction. However, Oregon just put up 69 points on a power conference opponent. Compound that with the fact that Tulane only beat South
Alabama by two and it’s not a good position to be in for Northwestern. The Ducks may be better this year than they were when they won the Big Ten and went undefeated up until the playoffs (it is still early in the season but…).
Miguel Muñoz: Oregon 45, Northwestern 6
No matter what the score of this game ends up being, it is undeniably cool that Big Noon Kickoff will be coming to Evanston, and amidst its temporary lakeside site, no less. That being said, this one could get ugly, and quick. Quarterback Dante Moore, after waiting behind Dillon Gabriel all last season, has slotted in perfectly to Dan Lanning’s offense and already looks like a bona fide Heisman candidate. On the flip side, the Wildcats have quite a few things left to figure out before they can hope to seriously compete with the Ducks. David Braun and Co. will keep it close early by slowing the tempo to a snail’s pace, but U of O’s talent will be far too much throughout 60 minutes of football.
Ascher Levin: Oregon 42, Northwestern 13
Northwestern faces a daunting challenge this week against No. 4 Oregon. While the win over Western Illinois was much needed, the loss of Cam Porter for the season is a major setback, and the Ducks are on a completely different level. Oregon is coming off a 69-3 demolition of Oklahoma State, a result that shows just how explosive this team can be. For NU to keep things competitive, Preston Stone will need to raise his play, protect the football and give the offense some stability. Dante Moore has been sharp at quarterback for Oregon, and slowing him down will be nearly impossible. The only scenario where Northwestern could have made this interesting would have been extreme weather conditions like the windy Ohio State game a few years ago. Covering the spread is possible if everything breaks NU’s way, but pulling off an outright win borders on impossible.
Calvin Kaplan: Oregon 49, Northwestern 7
Dan Lanning’s squads rarely show mercy against their opponents, and Saturday’s matchup will almost certainly not provide an exception to that rule. The Ducks’ offensive attack simply has too many weapons for Northwestern to stop, and the ‘Cats haven’t gotten enough out of Stone to warrant an expectation that they can keep up. In all likelihood, this game will be effectively over by halftime.
Yanyan Li: Oregon 52, Northwestern 7
I’m with Calvin — Northwestern hasn’t proven with its offense across two games that it can pose any semblance of a challenge to Oregon, and Oregon looks too dominant to start the season on both ends of the ball. I think the hype surrounding Big Noon Kickoff, combined with the fact that it’s the first game with most students back on campus, will keep things interesting for the first few drives. However, afterwards, it feels like a wrap.
Gabe Shumway: Oregon 41, Northwestern 3
I seem to be in the majority on predicting a winner, but certainly the minority on whether Northwestern gets a touchdown. I think a dominant Ducks performance is inevitable, but a rainy Saturday morning may slow down the offenses. It will take a massive leap forward from Preston Stone both physically and mentally to see the ‘Cats contend against Oregon’s defense, and I just don’t see that happening at this point in the season. Will Oregon have quite the same offensive performance as they did against Oklahoma State a week ago? No. But will it be a commanding victory? Absolutely.
