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Northwestern will try to bounce back from its two-game slide without Aidan Chiles on Saturday in Columbus against the reeling Buckeyes. To preview the game, Zach welcomes on former Ohio State captain and co-host of the Bleav in Buckeyes podcast Bryant Browning. The two discuss what’s gone wrong for the usually stout Buckeyes, taking a deeper look past the injury to Julian Sayin by going over the defensive struggles and why the offense hasn’t fired on all cylinders after Jeremiah Smith. Bryant also makes his pitch for Smith to win the Heisman and breaks down whether or not more coaching changes are coming in Columbus. Finally, both guys give their keys to the game for each side and make their final predictions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Northwestern basketball is officially here! Zach is joined by Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney to talk about their takeaways from the first three buy games, which the Wildcats got through unscathed. They discuss their biggest concerns coming in the frontcourt, and why Northwestern struggled to get size this year. Plus, they go over Jake West’s potential leap and what his blueprint for success might be alongside LA Pratt before Kevin gives his ideal starting 5 for the ‘Cats and previews the crosstown rivalry matchup with DePaul. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Zach is back from his trip to Ryan Field and shares some brief thoughts on experiencing the new stadium for the first time in the audience. Then, he’s joined by Wildcat Report managing editor Matt Shelton to dive deeper into Northwestern’s underwhelming performance in a 24–10 loss to Iowa. They start with the defense, lamenting the passive approach and lack of pressure applied on Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown. They then turn to special teams, with Matt breaking down how many instances of poor play the unit has had in two years under Paul Creighton and why it’s likely time for a major change. Finally, they spend some time on the offense and how Nicco Marchiol fared in his first start with Northwestern, while pointing out why the offensive line is a much bigger problem than previously expected. Watch the show on Youtube and subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Follow me @ZachKoons on X, @zachksports on Instagram/TikTok Email me: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Northwestern returns to Ryan Field with a chance to move to 6–0 at home against an ever consistent Iowa team, in what’s turned into a College Football Playoff elimination game. Zach is joined by former Iowa long-snapper and host of the Washed Up Walkons podcast Tyler Kluver to break down the matchup, starting with the reasons for the Hawkeyes’ up-and-down season. The two discuss Hank Brown’s potential ceiling and very clear floor, while going over why this offense isn’t as inept as years past. They then pivot to the defense and talk about how Kirk Ferentz keeps replicating a fundamentally sound unit, and why it could give Northwestern trouble on Saturday. Finally, the pair goes over their keys to the game and makes final score predictions. Watch the show on Youtube and subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Follow me @ZachKoons on X, @zachksports on Instagram/TikTok Email me: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Northwestern’s path to the College Football Playoff took a tremendous hit with a 34–26 loss at Oregon. Zach is joined by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg to discuss the reasons for the defense’s complete collapse and why it felt like a full-system failure. They also get into the evident talent disparity on the field at Autzen Stadium and what that might say about how far the Wildcats still have to go. They hypothesize about why the offense failed to finish drives and didn’t seem to have a counter punch in the second half and also give their brief thoughts on the chaos of the Big Ten and how to make sense of the conference this year. Watch the show on Youtube and subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Follow me @ZachKoons on X, @zachksports on Instagram/TikTok Email me: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wildcats face their biggest opportunity of the David Braun era on Saturday at Oregon—a borderline must-win if the team aspires for more than just a bowl game this season. Ducks beat reporter and Bleav in Oregon host Zachary Neel joins Zach on the show to break down what’s gone wrong in Eugene in 2026, starting with the offense. They discuss the change at offensive coordinator, Dylan Raiola’s lackluster play and other issues that have plagued Oregon all season long. Next, they pivot to the defense, focusing in particular on the defensive line and how that unit might make life difficult for Aidan Chiles and the Northwestern run game. Finally, they give out their keys to the game for each side and make their picks. Watch the show on Youtube and subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Follow me @ZachKoons on X, @zachksports on Instagram/TikTok Email me: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Northwestern is bowl eligible before the end of October and Zach is joined by Northwestern Roundtable’s Gavin Dorsey to break down the game that put the ‘Cats over the edge. They discuss the impressive bounce back from the Michigan State tester and why NU felt overpowering against Rutgers. Zach then puts Aidan Chiles’s season into context, comparing his performance to Heisman hopefuls and to Northwestern all-time greats. The duo then pivots to the defense and hands out some individual flowers to Michael Kilbane and Montae Pate before (again) questioning why this group can’t seem to stop the run—and whether or not that even matters. Finally, they give out confidence scores for each of Northwestern’s five remaining games, dissecting what it would take for the team to make the College Football Playoff. Watch the show on Youtube and subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Follow me @ZachKoons on X, @zachksports on Instagram/TikTok Email me: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wildcats welcome 2–4 Rutgers into Evanston this weekend with a chance to become bowl eligible before the month is out. Zach is joined by Alec Crouthamel of On3’s The Knight Report to preview the matchup, going over the reasons for the up-and-down nature of Rutgers’ season and if Greg Schiano’s job is in danger sooner rather than later. They then discuss specifics of the team’s (at times) explosive offense from Dylan Lonergan re-seizing the reins are quarterback to why KJ Duff should worry the Northwestern defense. They pivot to the reasons for the Scarlet Knight’s defensive struggles and pinpoint their keys to the game, which a focus on a battle in the trenches. Finally, they make their predictions for the final score. Watch the show on Youtube and subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Follow me @ZachKoons on X, @zachksports on Instagram/TikTok Email me: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wildcats snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against former head coach Pat Fitzgerald and Michigan State. Zach is joined by Wildcat Report’s Matt Shelton as they try to make sense of what happened in East Lansing. They discuss the offense’s habit for slow start, David Braun’s horrendous fake punt decision, the rally and late-game clutch factor from Aidan Chiles and what it means now that this game is in the rearview mirror. Then, they hand out midseason report cards for Northwestern’s key figures, from David Braun and Chip Kelly to Aidan Chiles, Alex Honig and more. Finally, they grades NU’s season as a whole thus far and look ahead to what awaits the team in the second half. Watch the show on Youtube and subscribe to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Follow me @ZachKoons on X, @zachksports on Instagram/TikTok Email me: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Pat Fitzgerald bowl has finally arrived as Northwestern will take on its former head coach in a highly anticipated game this Saturday in East Lansing. Zach is joined by Jacob Cotsonika of Michigan State on SI to give their thoughts on the first six games of Fitz’s tenure with the Spartans and the reasons why it’s gotten off to such a disappointing start. That begins with the offense, and Jacob offers up his explanation for why the unit is the worst in the Big Ten thus far. Then, they discuss the numerous injuries plaguing the Spartans and how that might hurt the team’s defense when going up against Chip Kelly and Aidan Chiles. Finally, Zach and Jacob make their final score predictions. Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wildcats cruised past the Ball State Cardinals, and while there might not be the need for a play-by-play breakdown, Zach is joined by Breaking the Pocket’s Jonah Dylan to discuss some key takeaways about Chip Kelly’s approach to this game, as well as some lingering concerns about the defense. They also chat about why there were so many empty seats for a Homecoming game before celebrating Northwestern getting back into the Top 25 in the AP Poll for the first time since 2020. Finally, they go over their rankings for the Big Ten’s chase pack. Who among Northwestern, UCLA, USC, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin is the best team? Watch the podcast on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zach-koons Follow Zach on X: @ZachKoons or email him [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wildcats are receiving votes in the AP Poll and riding the momentum of the new Ryan Field right into a favorable matchup with Ball State. Zach is joined by Ball State of the Union host Jon Clawson to break down the Cardinals, beginning with where Jon feels the MAC program is at in 2026 and his thoughts on the disparity between Group of 6 teams and Power 4 schools. Then, they take a deeper look at the matchup on the field, including where Ball State might present challenges for the Wildcats’ defensive front and how the Wildcats should be able to exploit the Cardinals’ porous run defense. Finally, they make predictions for the Week 5 matchup. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Friday night was a cornerstone moment in Northwestern football history as the new Ryan Field delivered a spectacle that made Evanston that center of attention. Then, the Wildcats dominated on the field against Penn State. Zach is joined by Kevin Sweeney, who was on the ground at the new stadium, to discuss their thoughts on the environment and the pageantry of the venue’s debut, both from near and afar. They then break down a showcase of Chip Kelly’s offense and a run-game dominance that hasn’t been seen at Northwestern in more than 20 years. The duo then pivots to the defense, which had one of its best performances of the year, including from some players who had to step up in big moments. Finally, they discuss the path ahead for the Wildcats and what this team might be able to accomplish this season and beyond. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s a big week in Northwestern sports with the opening of the new Ryan Field against Penn State. Zach opens the show by sharing insight from his Sports Illustrated feature on Northwestern football seeking to replicate an Indiana-type rise (2:27), which included conversations with David Braun, Mark Jackson and Christian Sarkisian. Then, he details his tour of the New Ryan Field, highlighting the specific elements that stand out, as well as the sheer accomplishment of pulling this project off (16:09). Finally, if you’re looking for a preview of the actual football to be played Friday at the new stadium, Penn State beat reporter Daniel Gallen of 247Sports joins to preview the matchup, highlight keys to the game for the Nittany Lions and make predictions for the final score. SI story link: https://www.si.com/college-football/indiana-created-blueprint-for-impossible-turnaround-northwestern-building-even-bigger Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So close but no cigar for the Wildcats on the road against the defending champs. Zach is joined by Henry Ettinger and Andrew Bowen to lament a massive missed opportunity for the defining win of the David Braun era. They react to Northwestern’s uncharacteristic mistakes and lack of readiness for the hostile environment at Indiana before breaking down how refreshing it is to have a quarterback, offensive coordinator and team capable of rallying from down two scores. Then, the trio has some criticism for the defense and tries to figure out what the group will do to be more competitive before discussing the final two-minute sequence and looking at what’s ahead. Follow Zach @ZachKoons on X, subscribe to his YouTube channel @zach-koons or send him an email [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.