Gruen's Big Ten Glance: Northwestern Has Its Chance To Make A Statement

By Seth Gruen--

(CBS) Look back at the history of Michigan football and its crowning years have has been defined by national championships, Big Ten titles, wins against Ohio State, maybe a thrashing of Wisconsin or a slugfest win over Penn State.

It's the heavyweight fights that have distinguished the best Michigan teams and less so a sparring session with the Big Ten's football neophytes.

On the other hand, Northwestern has always played the role of David. The only private school in the Big Ten, Northwestern is fighting above its weight class every week. The Wildcats' budget may not be enough to get into the Michigan booster club, and many teams have more talent than Northwestern.

So when the No. 13 Wildcats and No. 18 Wolverines meet in Ann Arbor on Saturday, the game will be of unequal importance to these two programs. For Northwestern, it's a chance to get the national recognition Michigan gets by just showing up. For the Wolverines — win or lose — it won't matter much to the Jim Harbaugh era.

If Goliath had won, who would have remembered the story?

That's not to say that this Michigan team is a college football titan. (By the way, the Wildcats opened as a head-scratching double-digit underdog. The line has gone down but, as of this writing, the Wolverines still sit as a touchdown favorite). Or that the Wildcats are nobodies. In fact, heading into Saturday, they look like two favorites to win the West Division.

The offseason won't judge Year 1 of the Harbaugh era based on this game, win or lose. It's just the opposite for this Northwestern team.

The Wolverines and Wildcats are peering out of equally dark places. Both teams had miserable 2013 and 2014 seasons. The difference: Michigan is looking to rebuild, Northwestern to rebound.

Harbaugh's exceeding expectations, but that also means there weren't many to begin the year. If this Michigan team limped into the conference season, no one would have held it against Harbaugh. He was hired to build Michigan back into a championship contender, just not this season.

Of course, Michigan isn't overlooking this game. The Wolverines want to win the West as bad as anyone, and early in the season the road to the Big Ten championship appears to go through Northwestern. So this game bears meaning in the standings.

But a win for Northwestern would mean so much more than a simple division title. The team could climb closer to the top 10, where it has rarely resided. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald could quiet those who were critical of him — this sportswriter included — for retaining his coaching staff after back-to-back losing seasons. Fitzgerald and the Wildcats are looking to veer back onto the path that made them a sexy pick to win the Big Ten championship after starting the 2013 season 4-0, before spiraling to a dismal 5-7.

A win for Northwestern would make a statement. For Michigan, it wouldn't even be a footnote.

Big Ten power rankings

1. Ohio State (5-0, 1-0) -- Its close call was against a slightly better team than Michigan State's.

2. Michigan State (5-0, 1-0) -- A close call against Purdue? Yikes.

3. Northwestern (5-0, 1-0) -- Read above -- the one close call was against a poor team.

4. Michigan (4-1, 1-0) -- Bravo, Jim.

5. Iowa (5-0, 1-0) -- In a conference loaded with defensive talent, the Hawkeyes have one of the best groups.

6. Indiana (4-1, 0-1) -- This team looks bowl bound.

7. Penn State (4-1, 1-0) -- The Nittany Lions are at home against the Hoosiers before traveling to Ohio State.

8. Wisconsin (3-2, 0-1) -- The Badgers are missing their best offensive player, running back Corey Clement.

9. Illinois (4-1, 1-0) -- A win over Nebraska used to be something to celebrate.

10. Minnesota (3-2, 0-1) -- Shockingly bad against Northwestern.

11. Nebraska (2-3, 0-1) -- The Huskers are too nice to put "for sale" signs on Mike Riley's lawn.

12. Maryland (2-3, 0-1) -- It'll get worse this weekend against the Buckeyes.

13. Rutgers (2-2, 0-1) -- Hopefully doing their homework.

14. Purdue (1-4, 0-1) -- Moral victories get you … nowhere.

Seth Gruen is columnist for CBSChicago.com, focusing on college sports. You can follow him on Twitter @SethGruen.