Northwestern takes on its highest-ranked opponent this year in No. 3 Notre Dame Saturday night. The Irish are undefeated and have played a fairly tough schedule, with three wins over then-ranked opponents. However, just one of those teams, Michigan, is currently ranked. They likely cannot afford a loss and make the College Football Playoff, while the ‘Cats are playing with little to lose in a rare late-season, non-conference contest. Below are three key matchups that will help decide a rare primetime matchup at Ryan Field:
The Irish are 8-0, but it has been almost a different season on offense since Ian Book took the starting quarterback job from Brandon Wimbush.