A ranked team visits East Lansing, and the Spartans would love to spoil the party. No. 25 Northwestern (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) visits Michigan State (2-4, 0-3) at noon on Peacock. The Wildcats are trying to stay ranked, while the Spartans need a win to keep bowl hopes alive.
Northwestern insider Ezra Lindqvist footnotes his own jokes, and he can back them up. Aidan Chiles has 1,172 yards and no interceptions, Griffin Wilde has 425 receiving yards, and ESPN ranks the Wildcat offense 10th. Michigan State insider Shay Kowalczyk frames every defensive call like a catcher. She admits the glove is thin this week: cornerbacks Tre Bell, Tyran Chappell, Charles Brantley and Keshawn Williams are all out, along with linebackers Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff and left tackle Ben Murawski. Running back Cam Edwards is out for the season.
Northwestern has losses too. Safety Robert Fitzgerald, its leading tackler, is out, and so is tight end Luke Dehnicke. Michigan State played well in last week's 38-37 overtime loss to Illinois, and Alessio Milivojevic gives the Spartans a puncher's chance.
Our call: Northwestern 30, Michigan State 20.