The Penn State Nittany Lions have two losses and virtually no shot at the College Football Playoff (CFP), but they can at least eye the Big Ten title game.
The same can be said for the Northwestern Wildcats (21), who will host Penn State Saturday afternoon as slight favorites. Northwestern is looking to get back on track after losing two of their last three after starting out 5-0.
Click here to watch the game live via WatchESPN. You can also listen to the game live via TuneIn. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET in Evanston, Ill.
Penn State's shot at the Big Ten East is an outside one, as they sit one game behind unbeaten Ohio State and Michigan State with three games to play. Northwestern faces similar odds, looking up at Iowa and Wisconsin in the Big Ten West. If either wants a chance to play in the conference championship, they will have to win Saturday.
Both defenses are tough against the pass and have been more susceptible to the opposition's run game. But running the ball will more important for Northwestern, because the Lions wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage and do a good job capitalizing on opposing quarterbacks' mistakes.
"It's a nightmare," Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald said in his weekly press conference. "First of all, they're playing multiple guys. The whole group is fundamentally very good and very, very active. They're relentless in their effort.
"They're playing a lot of guys. They're talented. They're deep. They're fast. They're physical. They're tough. They do a lot of things very, very well. They have athletic guys who can rush the passer."
