You've heard us talk about the rest, now join us as we talk about the best! That's right, this is the moment you've all been waiting for: our in-depth preview of the 2025 Northwestern Wildcats. We'll dive deep into the defense, the offense, the special teams and much, much more.

We wrap up our Summer Preview slate just as we do every year, with the battle for the Top Hat and Illinois. The Illini are coming off their best season in a while as they continue to embody the Bret Bielema system. But last year they seemed to come out on the right side of almost every close game they played. Will that luck continue into the 2025 campaign?

Northwestern wraps up the 2025 home (Wrigley) schedule as we welcome in the Gophers. In what may be the last game in Wrigley for the foreseeable future, PJ Fleck and the Flecktones come in looking to build on recent success. Will they have enough to make some noise at the top of the conference?

Two years removed from their National Championship, Michigan looks to ride their stellar D and hope that their revamped offense can propel them back to the top of the conference.

USC starts their second season in the Big Ten in a fascinating place. There is always the sense that the Trojans could/should be in the picture for the top of the conference, but for the past several years, the reality of the situation is not what the USC faithful expect. How hot is Lincoln Riley's seat? Will a rough schedule keep them from achieving where they believe they should be?

For the first time in what seems like forever, Nebraska is coming off a bowl appearance. Matt Rhule continues to reshape the program and Dylan Raiola enters his sophomore season hoping to improve on what was a solid freshman year. Will the Huskers actually make it a streak of bowling this year?

There are very few teams in the conference that look as different from last year as Purdue. A new coaching staff led by Barry Odom brought in boatloads of transfers into West Lafayette this year. Will it be enough to get Purdue out of the Big Ten basement?

Penn St. comes into the 2025 season highly touted and widely considered to be among the cream of the crop in the Big Ten. They return most of their offensive weapons and make a huge hire at Defensive Coordinator. Will they be able to live up to their hype this year?

It's the second season for UCLA in the Big Ten and the second season under DeShaun Foster. Coming off a 5-7 season last year, they have a lot of new faces. What will the Bruins look like when they come visit the lakefront?

Northwestern's third game of the season marks the start of the conference slate and with it, the defending Big Ten Champions, last season's #1 seed in the Playoff and what will no doubt be the highest ranked football team to play on the Lakefront, the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks look to reload after last year's disappointing finish at the Rose Bowl and they look fully capable of making that happen.