David Braun said the goal this year is a Big Ten championship, not just another bowl trip, and Northwestern has earned the benefit of the doubt — six straight bowl wins and 19 victories through Braun's first three seasons. But this roster still has to prove the new pieces fit before it gets anywhere near October, when a brutal stretch against Oregon, Iowa and Ohio State awaits.
South Dakota State isn't just a name on the schedule to pad a resume. The Jackrabbits won back-to-back FCS national titles in 2022 and 2023, and quarterback Chase Mason and receiver Lofton O'Groske are both back chasing All-American seasons after SDSU pushed into the second round of the playoffs last year despite injury trouble. This is as credible an FCS program as exists in the country.
SDSU's questions live in the secondary, where the Jackrabbits lose their top two safeties and top three cornerbacks in snaps from a season ago, and an offensive line that struggled at times in 2025 still needs to prove it can hold up against a Big Ten front. That's a tough combination to bring into a road environment against a roster with this much more talent on paper.
There's also a quirky wrinkle to the setting. This game won't be played at the new Ryan Field, which doesn't open until an October 2 showdown with Penn State — instead, Northwestern hosts the Jackrabbits at the temporary lakefront facility, Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, giving the opener a stripped-down, almost minor-league atmosphere before the big stadium debut takes over the back half of the season.