Northwestern vs. Michigan: Wildcats need road victory against Wolverines to keep division hopes alive

The Northwestern Wildcats travel to Ann Arbor on Saturday to face their Legends Division rival, the Michigan Wolverines. Northwestern will need to win this game to keep realistic division title hopes alive.

Michigan Wolverines are currently tied with the Nebraska Cornhuskers for first place in the Legends Division, and the Northwestern Wildcats currently sit one game behind both teams. If Michigan defeats Northwestern on Saturday, the Wildcats would need the Wolverines to lose out in order to jump them in the division. Therefore, Saturday's game in Ann Arbor is essentially a must-win for Northwestern.

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson sat out last week against Minnesota, but the Wolverines still won handily, defeating the Golden Gophers, 35-13. Devin Gardner had a strong game filling in for Robinson, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. Michigan coach Brady Hoke is encouraged by the progress the senior quarterback has made, and appears hopeful that Robinson will start for the Wolverines.

Northwestern will need to run the ball successfully to beat Michigan, and the game looks favorable for the Wildcats. The Northwestern offense is 13th in the nation in total yards, averaging 236.4 yards per game, while the Michigan rush defense has been suspect, surrendering 143.2 yards per game.

Game Time: Noon ET

TV: ESPN

Odds: Michigan -13