Where is the bar set for David Braun in year three?

David Braun might have had the most bipolar first two years of any active head coach in college football.

His first year at the helm is one that Evanston natives continue to reminisce about to this day. Braun inherited an extremely talented squad led by Ben Bryant, with weapons in Cam Johnson, Bryce Kirtz, and Michigan transfer A.J. Henning. The ‘Cats would go 8-5, ending the regular season on a three-game win streak, which included a viable game of the year candidate: a thrilling 45-43 win over Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

NU would claim the Las Vegas Bowl in December, defeating Utah 14-7.

However, 2024 was a far cry from what 2023 was. A failed starting quarterback in Mike Wright, a shaky secondary, and an overmatched offensive line spelled disaster for the Wildcats, as they ended the season 4-8.

The offseason made things tougher on Northwestern, with names like Theran Johnson and Devin Turner hitting the transfer portal.

Then, Preston Stone showed up.

So did Chase Farrell. And Yanni Karlaftis. And Jack Sadowsky.

And suddenly, Northwestern seems to be back in business.

Despite NU having one of the worst transfer portal class rankings in the Big Ten per 247Sports, there’s no denying the upgrades they’ve made in their two biggest areas of need: quarterback and safety. Stone will open the season as the starting quarterback for NU, and it seems that Braun will ride the Stone train all the way through the year. Although he lost SMU’s QB role to Kevin Jennings midseason, his confidence is reported to be at an all-time high with great cohesion between himself and his new head coach.

On the other side of the ball, Dillon Tatum and Fred Davis II seem to have pivotal roles heading into NU’s season opener against Tulane on Saturday, with both coming off great seasons in 2024.

However, as bright as things seem to be for the ‘Cats, there is one big elephant in the room to address: strength of schedule. According to ESPN’s Power Index, Northwestern has the 20th toughest schedule in the nation — one in which they have to face both Big Ten title contenders in No. 7 Oregon and No. 2 Penn State.

So here’s the all-important question: Is a bowl game in the cards for Braun and company?

It’s quite possible.

Here’s the thing. Northwestern can sneak way more upsets on their current schedule than many people think. Starting with Tulane on Saturday — a matchup many think is a tough opener for NU. However, the quarterback situation for the Green Wave is uncertain with, no starter named for Week 1, while their secondary defense took a major hit with a number of departures to the transfer portal.

As a squad, NU also stacks up well with Purdue, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Add those four games with what are probable wins over ULM and Western Illinois, and NU becomes bowl eligible.

The road to six wins isn’t easy for the ‘Cats by any means, but Northwestern’s 2025 roster is promising with a cohort of proven upperclassmen from around the country. With a more experienced roster, and a dash of luck here and there, Northwestern can find themselves playing prime-time football during bowl season.