We are down to the final two weeks of the season and it is time to see if this 2025 team is ready to finish the season strong. Three scenarios exist for these final two games and how they finish will absolutely define this season.
- Lose both to finish 6-6, play in Detroit for a bowl game and grumblings persist throughout the offseason.
- Go 1-1, most likely beating Wisconsin to end the season, we go to Arizona for a bowl game that we equally don’t care about and apathy reigns.
- Or this team finishes 2-0, finds a way to win their first road game of the year, we finish 6-3 in the Big Ten and find our way to Nashville for the Music City Bowl.
The final scenario means a dramatically different feeling about the 2025 season, perhaps carrying some momentum into 2026. But are we ready to go 2-0 in the coming weeks? This is the million-dollar question.
Through 10 games, we are past the point of wondering when the offense
will turn a corner or if the defense is going to get better at tackling. We know our strengths, we know our weaknesses and now we just have to put it on the field and claw our way to a win.
Earlier this season both of these games seemed like a near, sure-thing.
Northwestern had not looked impressive to start the year, but then they managed to be the nail in the coffin for James Franklin, beating Penn State in Happy Valley. And they shut out Purdue the following week to move their record to 5-2. Following their Purdue win, they lost back-to-back road games before scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter only to lose to Michigan on a last-second field goal.
During a similar stretch, Wisconsin lost at Alabama (no big deal), lost at home to Maryland (yikes) and then continued to lose their next four. With a 2-6 record, there were questions if they would manage to win another game this season and the only reason Luke Fickell still had a job was beccause of his massive buyout. But since then the Badgers have a win over Washington and hung with Indiana for a full half.
These teams are not rolling over and I expect both are going to be a dog fight.
Of course, the idea is to win just one game at a time. Focus on Northwestern and then we will worry about The Axe.
But this perspective wants these two games. Because in today’s Big Ten, a program like Minnesota finishing 6-3 is a very good season. While the Minnesota program ranks 29th nationally in terms of football revenue, they rank 12th in the Big Ten. As has often been discussed, the varying levels of resources matters and a 6-3 Big Ten season is nothing to be ashamed of. Particularly when you consider how young this team is at key positions and how much production they had to replace.
Winning these games matter. Can they compete at Northwestern and earn win? Can they continue to beat Wisconsin, kicking them while they are down this year? I sure hope so.
