Northwestern and Stanford are set to square off Saturday on the opening weekend of the 2015 college football season, and, naturally, it's a huge game for both teams. Any College Football Playoff hopes for Stanford would be dashed with a loss, and Northwestern could make a huge splash with a win. But the game isn't just important for this season. It's important off the field as well, on a larger scale.
As academically comparable schools, Northwestern and Stanford often find themselves battling for the same high school prospects. Because of academic restrictions and university values, similar players often show up on the list of targets for both schools.