Wild ending versus Michigan State keeps dream Northwestern season alive

Northwestern responded with a tying touchdown and two-point conversion but nearly failed to complete its comeback when head coach David Braun called a dumbfounding fake punt from his own 28-yard line on a 4th-and-8 with under four minutes remaining only to receive fresh life on a blocked field goal with one minute left in regulation.

The Wildcats then drove 64 yards for a winning 34-yard field goal with two seconds remaining.

The dizzying finish moved Northwestern to 5-1 for the first time since 2020 and kept the program in the conversation as a dark-horse CFP candidate. Per ESPN's Football Power Index, the Wildcats entered Saturday with 14.6 percent odds of qualifying for the CFP, the seventh-best odds in the Big Ten.

After getting Rutgers (2-4, 1-2 in Big Ten) in Week 8, Northwestern will be challenged during a three-week stretch beginning on Halloween at the Oregon Ducks (3-2, 1-1 in Big Ten), followed by games against the No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-1 in Big Ten) and No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1, 4-0 in Big Ten), who may be without starting quarterback Julian Sayin after he suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday's win at the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers (6-1, 3-1 in Big Ten)

The opportunity exists for Northwestern to make a major statement with its second-half schedule. It's time for the rest of college football to wake up and take notice.