In a literal sense, the outcomes of all non-playoff bowl games aren't all that important. Individual circumstances of course vary, and the games do mean something, be it something as meaningful (or meaningless) as bragging rights.
For Northwestern, what exactly is at stake Friday?
Well, for one thing, there’s a 10-win season on the line.
That is an arbitrary number, but NU has only won 10 games four times in program history, and one of those came in 1903. Beating Kentucky would give Pat Fitzgerald his third double-digit win campaign, which isn't anything to scoff at.