2016 schedule
Northwestern
Big Ten
Final rank
#16
Record
6-6
Points
15
Diff
+42
Scored
307
Allowed
265
Outcome
—
Game log
Real CFBD regular-season results. Points earned per game follow the opponent's 2016 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 | Western Michigan(Tier 3) | Home | 21 – 22 | L | 0 |
| 3 | FCS opponent | Home | 7 – 9 | L | -3 |
| 4 | Duke(Tier 4) | Home | 24 – 13 | W | +2 |
| 5 | Nebraska(Premier) | Home | 13 – 24 | L | 0 |
| 6 | Iowa(Premier) | Away | 38 – 31 | W | +5 |
| 8 | Michigan State(Premier) | Away | 54 – 40 | W | +5 |
| 9 | Indiana(Tier 4) | Home | 24 – 14 | W | +2 |
| 10 | Ohio State(Premier) | Away | 20 – 24 | L | 0 |
| 11 | Wisconsin(Premier) | Home | 7 – 21 | L | 0 |
| 12 | Purdue(Tier 4) | Away | 45 – 17 | W | +2 |
| 13 | Minnesota(Tier 3) | Away | 12 – 29 | L | 0 |
| 14 | Illinois(Tier 4) | Home | 42 – 21 | W | +2 |
