Josh Moyer, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Q&A: Northwestern QB Trevor Siemian

Northwestern’s coming off an unusual 2013 season -- losing four straight games by one score -- and has endured quite the unique offseason with the unionization vote.

Through it all, redshirt senior Trevor Siemian has been a constant for the Wildcats. He’s a team leader, the starting quarterback -- and a big reason this team isn’t overly concerned with Kain Colter's graduation.

ESPN.com checked in with Siemian recently to chat about some hypotheticals, the goals for this season -- and about his unhealthy obsession with a certain rock band that formed in the '90s.

Important first question for you, Trevor. It’s fourth-and-goal. You’re on the 5-yard-line. There’s one second left, and you’re down by five. What play do you call?

Trevor Siemian: Four verticals, and pick a matchup -- and let one of our receivers make a play, give him a chance. Yeah, I don’t think I’d go wrong there. At that point in time, it’s just a matter of who’s going to step up and make a big play for us. Maybe throw a fade or an inside vertical to Christian [Jones] or Dan Vitale.

You didn’t really have to think about that -- at all. Is that just because you always have to be ready for something like that, in case you’re in a no-huddle or there are no timeouts?

TS: We play fast as heck anyway. [Laughs] So a play’s over, and I’m already thinking most of the time what we’re running before our guys are even tackled. I just think it’s instinctive because when you try to push the tempo, you see down and distance and, from there, what the game plan is, so you’re just trying not to be surprised by the call when it comes in. I’ve been here for four-and-a-half, five years so I kind of have a good feel for what they’re thinking and vice versa. It’s good that we’re on the same page.

Good answer -- so let me shoot another hypothetical your way. Tomorrow, a new NCAA rule says Northwestern can pick any player in the Big Ten and add him to the roster. Who are you taking?

TS: Oh man, that’s still playing? I’m trying to think. I got to be careful here. ... I don’t know, maybe that running back from Wisconsin -- Melvin Gordon's pretty good. I’m trying to think of who else but, you know, I’m really not sure.

It seemed like you had an answer waiting if I said you could’ve picked a guy from last year. You have someone in mind there?

TS: You know, I was going to tell you Chris Borland. I thought he was pretty good when he played us.

You said before that fans recognize you around campus and will ask for a photo or autograph every now and then. But let me flip that around: What’s one celebrity that’d make you go fan-boy crazy if you met them?

TS: Probably Dave Matthews. I’m a big Dave Matthews fan; that’d be pretty cool to meet him. And maybe like the president would be pretty cool, too.

I love how Dave Matthews was your first choice, and Barack Obama was No. 2. Why such a big DMB fan?

TS: I don’t know. I think with Dave fans, it’s like if you’re a fan of Dave Matthews, you’re in this community. It’s like everyone is beaucoup crazy for Dave Matthews. I am to a certain extent -- I don’t have any Dave tattoos or anything, like I see at his concerts with some people going a little overboard with. But I think it’s a little different from most other bands; the following seems to be almost more dedicated.

Well, if I have to ask since you’re such a big Dave fan, what’s your favorite song?

TS: That’s a tough question. I don’t know if it’s my favorite song, but here’s a funny story: One of my roommates used to always play, ‘You and Me’ with his girlfriend in high school. So whenever I’m with him, I’ll try to sneak in and play ‘You and Me’ loudly on my phone. But, for me, maybe ‘Funny the Way It Is.’ I don’t know, picking a Dave song is like ... I don’t know. I’m actually going to see them July 5, I want to say.

We’ve covered your favorite musician, so I feel like it’s only natural to ask -- what’s your favorite movie?

TS: I like Shawshank Redemption, but my favorite movie is Sandlot for sure. I must’ve watched it 600 times when I was a kid, and I just dig it. I’m a big Benny ‘The Jet’ Rodriguez fan. I thought the characters were pretty cool -- like Squints, the Ham -- I just thought it was a cool movie. They have to turn it back on sometime soon here.

I haven’t seen that movie in FOR-EV-ER. But let’s switch gears here a minute. There’s been quite a bit of talk about unionization, and I know you don’t want to dwell on that. But you and your teammates didn’t all agree here -- how is that going to affect you guys when the season starts?

TS: I think it was tough to say going through it all when it happened. But I actually think, looking back, I think it was good for us in a sense -- just for guys talking about things that matter to us and guys had beliefs one way or another and overcoming all that. It was kind of a point for us to rally around and get over. And, looking back now, our guys were so mature handling that whole ordeal. It’s not even an issue now. I think it’ll help us out in the long-term.

Finish this sentence: Northwestern’s 2014 season will be a success if __________.

TS: We win the Rose Bowl.

I should've seen that coming. Anyway, we’re in World Cup mode, and I asked Rutgers’ tight end this. So final question: Who’s going to win it all this year?

TS: My heart wants to say USA, man. Big time. And we got a chance. I thought going into it, before we beat Ghana -- I’m not going to lie -- I thought Argentina was going to run away with it. And Brazil tied Mexico, so I don’t know how strong they look either. But, in a perfect world, USA wins on a Clint Dempsey 89th-minute goal to seal the deal.

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