It’s been over a month since Northwestern trounced Illinois to guarantee itself a bowl game. And now that bowl game is nearly here. Here’s how our writers believe the game will play out.

Ian McCafferty: Northwestern 38, Pittsburgh 35

There are honestly so many different ways that I could see this game playing out. Pittsburgh could come out and just steamroll Northwestern in yet another brutal bowl game defeat, Northwestern could play well and easily win (like this would ever happen) or it could be an excruciatingly close game that hinges on one or two plays. For some reason I feel like that third option is what we’re going to get.