This is what (midwest) dreams are made of. For either the Ohio State Buckeyes or Northwestern Wildcats, a win—at a minimum—will slot them for the Rose Bowl. Urban Meyer’s program in Columbus, however, has the added benefit of being in the running for the College Football Playoff—and may slip (again) into the No. 4 slot if the Scarlet and Gray can secure a decisive victory in Indianapolis.
On the flipside, the Wildcats are playing for their first trip to Pasadena since the Gary Barnett-coached season of 1995. And on top of that, Pat Fitzgerald, the current NU coach, is searching for his first win against Meyer’s OSU squad in three tries; the previous two games were within 10 points, and the last meeting in Columbus came down to just four points.