Michigan State at Northwestern
Michigan State (9-2, 6-1) at Northwestern (6-5, 3-4)
When: 11 a.m. at Ryan FieldTV: BTNRadio: WGN 720-AM, WNUR 89.3-FMSeries: Michigan State leads 35-16; won last season 35-27.Coaches: Pat Fitzgerald (40-34, sixth year at NU); Mark Dantonio (42-21, fifth year at MSU).Players to watch: Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins ranks second in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (229), while WR B.J. Cunningham is third in receiving yards (91.4). #133; NU has developed a couple of young defensive stars in freshman S Ibraheim Campbell and junior OLB David Nwabuisi, who rank first and third on the team, respectively, in tackles.The skinny: Northwestern could have a motivation advantage in this contest. The Spartans already have locked up the division title and a spot in the first Big Ten title game Dec. 3 in Indianapolis. The Wildcats, meanwhile, could use another victory to improve their bowl resume. They also suffered a frustrating loss to MSU last fall, squandering a 24-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Northwestern#146;s offense has been reliable most of the season and should be tested by MSU, which leads the Big Ten in total defense (257 yards per game) and interceptions (16).Fast fact: Northwestern WR Jeremy Ebert needs 14 receiving yards to become the school#146;s first 1,000-yard receiver since D#146;Wayne Bates in 1998. #8212; Mike McGraw