The Nittany Lions’ opponents at Northwestern currently have a 6-2 record, including a 2-2 record in Big Ten conference play. What does that tell us?
Well, maybe not so much. Four of those wins came against nonentities in Vanderbilt, Illinois State, Rice and Central Michigan. Their two conference wins came against Indiana and Minnesota, the Big Ten’s two worst teams so far, and both victories were by three points or fewer. (However, both those wins were on the road, and Indiana scored a touchdown in the game’s final minute that made the game appear closer than it really was.) So none of their wins really tell us much about them.
It’s worth pointing out, though, that their two losses so far, against Purdue and a good Michigan State team, were also very close. At the very least, Northwestern should be competitive against the Nittany Lions. Both teams stand at 2-2 in conference play, so this week’s game should help clarify where they stand in the conference standings.