Northwestern opens as biggest underdog since 1995 upset of Notre Dame

The oddsmakers have spoken, and Northwestern will face quite the uphill battle when it takes on Ohio State in Evanston. Not that you needed a point spread to determine the mismatch on paper, but the ‘Cats initially opened as a 25.5-point dog to the Buckeyes, and bettors have already pushed that number to 27 (and even 28 depending on where you look).

When was the last time NU was this big of an underdog, you ask? Well that answer will be easily identified by ‘Cats fans older than I. In 1995, Notre Dame was favored by 27 when a gritty Northwestern team arrived in South Bend.

In the ‘95 season opener, Northwestern entered the home of the Fighting Irish on the back of a 3-7-1 season without much expectation of significant success. Gary Barnett’s team ultimately shocked the Irish and set the stage for one of the most famous seasons in NU history.

A win against the No. 3 Buckeyes this Friday? That would be nearly as historic. Not only has Ohio State opened the season with six wins, it’s covered the spread in five of those contests with a 37.5-point average margin of victory.

If you truly believe Northwestern can pull off this upset? You can get the ‘Cats at +2750 (bet $100 to win $2750)!