When Northwestern takes the field against the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, it will do so as an underdog for the seventh time this season. The SEC's representative in Jan. 1's Outback Bowl comes in as an eight-point favorite despite simple metrics such as win-loss record and ranking favoring the Wildcats.
However, Northwestern has won five of those seven games outright. It's a feat almost remarkable as the fact that a top 15 team played more than half its games as an underdog.
Throughout the season, Northwestern has consistently done just enough to win.