2012 schedule
Northwestern
Big Ten
Final rank
#1
Record
9-3
Points
23
Diff
+105
Scored
378
Allowed
273
Outcome
Promoted
Game log
Real CFBD regular-season results. Points earned per game follow the opponent's 2012 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 | Syracuse(Tier 3) | Away | 42 – 41 | W | +3 |
| 2 | Vanderbilt(Tier 5) | Home | 23 – 13 | W | +1 |
| 3 | Boston College(Tier 2) | Home | 22 – 13 | W | +4 |
| 4 | FCS opponent | Home | 38 – 7 | W | 0 |
| 5 | Indiana(Tier 5) | Home | 44 – 29 | W | +1 |
| 6 | Penn State(Tier 2) | Away | 28 – 39 | L | 0 |
| 7 | Minnesota(Tier 4) | Away | 21 – 13 | W | +2 |
| 8 | Nebraska(Premier) | Home | 28 – 29 | L | 0 |
| 9 | Iowa(Tier 2) | Home | 28 – 17 | W | +4 |
| 11 | Michigan(Premier) | Away | 31 – 38 | L | 0 |
| 12 | Michigan State(Premier) | Away | 23 – 20 | W | +5 |
| 13 | Illinois(Tier 3) | Home | 50 – 14 | W | +3 |
