Last week’s Northwestern-Michigan game has to be the worst/funniest game I have ever attended as editor of InsideNU, SB Nation’s Northwestern site. It had literally everything, which we documented through Vine to recap the game. Northwestern went for two to try to win it on the last play of the game, and this is how it ended ...
How to watch Northwestern vs. Notre Dame: Game guide, TV/streaming, odds
Will there be a stunning repeat of 1995?
Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Meanwhile, Notre Dame had a pretty bad on Saturday, as well. The Irish went down 31-3 to start the game against Arizona State, and after a valiant comeback attempt, they still ended up getting blown out. So it’s probably no surprise that when I posted the line this week, neither fan base could understand Vegas’s optimism in their respective teams.
So who’s excited for football in South Bend!? Theoretically, everyone should be, since these teams haven’t played in almost 20 years, and the last time they did was a stunning NU upset. But things aren’t the same as they used to be.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Radio: Northwestern: 87.7 FM The Game, 720 AM WGN in Chicagoland; Notre Dame Radio Network
Online streaming: NBC Sports Live Extra
The numbers
Rankings and records: Notre Dame is 7-2 and ranked 18th by the College Football Playoff committee. Northwestern is 3-6 and unranked.
Vegas: Notre Dame opened as a 16-point favorite. The line is now 18 with an over/under 52 over/under, per OddsShark.
Weather forecast: Mostly sunny with a high of 34 and a low of 26.
Two things at stake
If Notre Dame is going to have any chance of climbing back up in the College Football Playoff’s rankings to reach one of the New Year’s bowls, it will have to win out, and it certainly can’t lose to Northwestern.
Northwestern will miss out on a bowl game for a second straight season if it loses this game. If it’s a blowout, the seat under offensive coordinator Mick McCall will get even hotter, and things could get warm-ish (relative to how they’ve been) for Pat Fitzgerald.
One big matchup
Northwestern defense vs. Notre Dame offense: Northwestern’s offense could have its best day of the year and it still isn’t going to score enough points to outscore Notre Dame in a shootout. That means the defense, which has been pretty solid this year, needs to step up.
The Wildcats weren't afraid to bring pressure against Penn State in their most successful game of the year, and they'll need to do more of that against the Irish. If they can get to turnover-prone Everett Golson, they'll have a shot to pull the upset.
Further reading
Read InsideNU for more on Northwestern and One Foot Down for more on Notre Dame.
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