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The Northwestern Wildcats (3-6, 2-4) are in South Bend today to take on the Notre Dame Fightin Irish (7-2). While it's a rare break from conference play this late in the season, this is a game Northwestern must win if it still has hopes of clinching bowl eligibility without the aid of its APR score.
However, it's a tough task. Notre Dame has been a top 10 team at times this season, and only barely lost to Florida State on the road in October. Northwestern is a heavy underdog (+17 or +18 depending on where you look), and the Wildcats haven't won in well over a month. But could this be a let down game for the hosts? Coming off a deflating loss to Arizona State, and with the College Football Playoff now out of the question, there's certainly a possibility.
It's somewhat of a festive atmosphere here prior to kickoff. There's snow on the ground, but the tailgating scene was littered with purple, and both students and alumni have travelled well. As we count down to kickoff and throughout the game, come discuss it with us.