2005 schedule
Northwestern
Big Ten
Final rank
#3
Record
7-4
Points
25
Diff
-7
Scored
350
Allowed
357
Outcome
—
Game log
Real CFBD regular-season results. Points earned per game follow the opponent's 2005 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio(Tier 4) | Home | 38 – 14 | W | +2 |
| 2 | Northern Illinois(Tier 3) | Home | 38 – 37 | W | +3 |
| 3 | Arizona State(Premier) | Away | 21 – 52 | L | 0 |
| 4 | Penn State(Tier 3) | Home | 29 – 34 | L | 0 |
| 6 | Wisconsin(Tier 2) | Home | 51 – 48 | W | +4 |
| 7 | Purdue(Premier) | Away | 34 – 29 | W | +5 |
| 8 | Michigan State(Tier 2) | Away | 49 – 14 | W | +4 |
| 9 | Michigan(Premier) | Home | 17 – 33 | L | 0 |
| 10 | Iowa(Tier 2) | Home | 28 – 27 | W | +4 |
| 11 | Ohio State(Premier) | Away | 7 – 48 | L | 0 |
| 12 | Illinois(Tier 3) | Away | 38 – 21 | W | +3 |
