Well, they didn’t win the Hat. They played in a the middle of a snowstorm that required the grounds crew to replow the field at halftime like they were zamboniying an ice rink and they had to do the thing where they plow the yardlines into the field and Illinois was only able to clear off half the stands which were not the side where the cameras were pointing so the announcers had to reassure the television audience that there actually people in the stadium, which to be honest is something Northwestern fans are used to hearing.
You would think that playing in a miserable snowy maelstrom would be optimal for Northwestern’s offense, which is designed to inch the ball across the field of play while the offensive line whales on people.