2002 schedule
Northwestern
Big Ten
Final rank
#24
Record
3-9
Points
5
Diff
-221
Scored
272
Allowed
493
Outcome
Relegated
Game log
Real CFBD regular-season results. Points earned per game follow the opponent's 2002 starting tier: 5 for Tier 1, 4 for Tier 2, 3 for Tier 3, 2 for Tier 4, 1 for Tier 5, 0 for FBS losses or FCS wins, and −3 for any loss to an FCS opponent.
| Week | Opponent | Site | Score | Result | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Air Force(Tier 2) | Away | 3 – 52 | L | 0 |
| 3 | TCU(Tier 2) | Home | 24 – 48 | L | 0 |
| 4 | Duke(Tier 5) | Home | 26 – 21 | W | +1 |
| 5 | Navy(Tier 5) | Away | 49 – 40 | W | +1 |
| 6 | Michigan State(Premier) | Away | 24 – 39 | L | 0 |
| 7 | Ohio State(Premier) | Home | 16 – 27 | L | 0 |
| 8 | Minnesota(Tier 3) | Away | 42 – 45 | L | 0 |
| 9 | Penn State(Premier) | Away | 0 – 49 | L | 0 |
| 10 | Purdue(Tier 2) | Home | 13 – 42 | L | 0 |
| 11 | Indiana(Tier 3) | Home | 41 – 37 | W | +3 |
| 12 | Iowa(Tier 4) | Away | 10 – 62 | L | 0 |
| 14 | Illinois(Tier 2) | Home | 24 – 31 | L | 0 |
