Purdue is coming off of its first November win in five years, while Northwestern has been riding a razor’s edge. you could argue they are three plays from being 3-6 instead of 6-3, as they have won three consecutive games in five total overtimes.
They also have a lengthy winning streak over Purdue. They are not blowing teams out, but they have been playing better football this late in the season and they know how to win close games. That makes them a pretty typical Northwestern team.
Purdue holds a convincing 50-3-1 edge int he all-time series, but the Wildcats have won four in a row since the teams were reunited in the Big Ten West Division. Purdue came close in their last trip to Evanston, but they lost 21-14. The last Purdue win came back in 2010 when Purdue beat a ranked Northwestern 20-17 behind Rob Henry at quarterback.