2004 schedule
Northwestern
Big Ten
Final rank
#1
Record
6-6
Points
20
Diff
-47
Scored
295
Allowed
342
Outcome
Promoted
Game log
Real CFBD regular-season results. Points earned per game follow the opponent's 2004 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 | TCU(Tier 2) | Away | 45 – 48 | L | 0 |
| 3 | Arizona State(Tier 2) | Home | 21 – 30 | L | 0 |
| 4 | Kansas(Tier 5) | Home | 20 – 17 | W | +1 |
| 5 | Minnesota(Tier 3) | Away | 17 – 43 | L | 0 |
| 6 | Ohio State(Premier) | Home | 33 – 27 | W | +5 |
| 7 | Indiana(Tier 4) | Home | 31 – 24 | W | +2 |
| 9 | Wisconsin(Tier 2) | Away | 12 – 24 | L | 0 |
| 10 | Purdue(Premier) | Home | 13 – 10 | W | +5 |
| 11 | Penn State(Tier 2) | Away | 14 – 7 | W | +4 |
| 12 | Michigan(Premier) | Away | 20 – 42 | L | 0 |
| 13 | Illinois(Tier 3) | Home | 28 – 21 | W | +3 |
| 14 | Hawaii(Tier 2) | Away | 41 – 49 | L | 0 |
