Northwestern Opens as Massive Favorite Against Ball State

Northwestern football has quickly gone from being the underdog to being the team everyone expects to win.

After an impressive 34-13 victory over Penn State in the first game at New Ryan Field, the Wildcats will return home Saturday to face Ball State for Homecoming. And for the first time this season, Northwestern enters a matchup as an overwhelming favorite.

The Wildcats opened as 34.5-point favorites, but that number has since climbed to 36.5 points, according to FanDuel. That means Northwestern is favored by more than five touchdowns against the Cardinals.

It is a significant change from the previous two weeks, when Northwestern entered matchups against Indiana and Penn State as the underdog.

Now, the expectations are completely different.

Northwestern enters Saturday's matchup with a 3-1 record and plenty of momentum after dominating Penn State on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, Ball State comes to Evanston with a 1-4 record, having struggled throughout the early portion of the season.

On paper, this is a game Northwestern should control from start to finish. But that does not mean the Wildcats can afford to take their foot off the gas.

Head coach David Braun has watched his team continue to improve throughout the opening four games, and Saturday presents another opportunity to show just how far Northwestern has come.

Against Penn State, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's unit exploded for 413 rushing yards, with Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II combining for 350 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

The defense was just as impressive, holding Penn State to 13 points and 48 rushing yards while forcing two interceptions.

That is the type of complete performance Northwestern needs to continue building on.

Ball State has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 37.8 points and 473.6 total yards per game. The Cardinals have been particularly vulnerable against the run, surrendering nearly 230 rushing yards per contest.

For Kelly and Northwestern's offense, that presents another opportunity to establish the running game early and keep the pressure on.

But this should not simply be about winning another football game.

It should be about playing clean, disciplined football and continuing to develop the habits that will matter when Northwestern returns to Big Ten competition.

The Wildcats cannot afford unnecessary penalties, costly turnovers or slow starts that allow Ball State to gain confidence.

Instead, Northwestern needs to come out aggressive, execute its game plan and take control early. There is also a bigger picture to consider.

Following Saturday's Homecoming matchup, Northwestern will travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State on October 17.

That road matchup will present another important challenge for Braun's team as the Wildcats look to continue establishing themselves in the Big Ten.

The last thing Northwestern wants is to lose momentum heading into that game.

A convincing performance against Ball State would give the Wildcats another opportunity to build confidence, sharpen their execution and continue developing chemistry on both sides of the ball.

And with tougher conference opponents waiting later in the season, every opportunity to improve matters.

Northwestern has already shown that it can compete against strong competition, nearly upsetting Indiana before delivering a dominant performance against Penn State.

Now, the challenge is proving it can handle being the heavy favorite.

There is a different kind of pressure when a team is expected to win comfortably, especially by more than five touchdowns.

But if Northwestern wants to continue taking steps forward this season, these are the games it needs to handle with authority.

The Wildcats have an opportunity to put together another complete performance, give the Homecoming crowd something to celebrate and carry even more momentum into next week's road matchup against Michigan State.

Northwestern has already made a statement with its impressive start. Now it needs to keep its foot on the gas.

Saturday's matchup is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. CT at New Ryan Field and will air on Big Ten Network.