The 2005 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. They played their home games at Ryan Field and participated as members of the Big Ten Conference. They were coached by Randy Walker. This was Randy's last season as the Wildcats' coach, as he would die from a heart attack following the season. The Wildcats finished tied for 3rd place in the Big Ten with a conference record of 5–3.