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Wk 8 · 2026

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Northwestern Wildcats — Sat, Oct 24

Sat, Oct 24 · Ryan Field, Evanston, IL

Weather

No forecast yet. This one is 54 days away and has no kickoff time yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
Big Ten · no games yet
at
TBDET
no line posted yet
Ratings differential NU by 6.2
Big Ten · no games yet

What is at stake

A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Rutgers: -1.8#78
Efficiency margin
Northwestern: +2.0#54
Rutgers: 28.7
Offense (pts/100)
Northwestern: 23.8
Rutgers: 30.5
Defense (pts/100)
Northwestern: 21.9
Rutgers: 65.5
Pace (plays/g)
Northwestern: 65.5
Rutgers: no data
Yards / play
Northwestern: no data
Rutgers: no data
Yards / play allowed
Northwestern: no data
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Rutgers: no data
Points / game
Northwestern: no data
Rutgers: no data
Points allowed
Northwestern: no data
Rutgers: no data
Yards / game
Northwestern: no data
Rutgers: no data
Yards allowed
Northwestern: no data
Rutgers: no data
Pass yds allowed
Northwestern: no data
Rutgers: no data
Rush yds allowed
Northwestern: no data
Rutgers: no data
Turnovers / game
Northwestern: no data
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Rutgers form

No completed games on record.

Northwestern form

No completed games on record.

Rutgers this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.

Northwestern this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 3

OpponentRutgersNorthwestern
Indiana
Big Ten
vs Wk 5 · scheduled previewat Wk 4 · scheduled preview
Penn State
Big Ten
at Wk 12 · scheduled previewvs Wk 5 · scheduled preview
Michigan St
Big Ten
vs Wk 13 · scheduled previewat Wk 7 · scheduled preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Northwestern leads 2–1 · Rutgers won the last one
3 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 0.0 points either way
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20232023-09-03Northwestern 724 Rutgersat RUTGRutgers
20212021-10-16Rutgers 721 Northwesternat NUNorthwestern
20182018-10-20Northwestern 1815 Rutgersat RUTGNorthwestern

Rutgers leaders 2025 regular season

PassingAthan Kaliakmanis QB #16229/368, 3124 YDS, 20 TD, 7 INT
AJ Surace QB #104/9, 58 YDS, 2 TD
RushingAntwan Raymond RB #3244 CAR, 1241 YDS, 13 TD
Ja'shon Benjamin RB #2068 CAR, 328 YDS, 2 TD
CJ Campbell Jr. RB #022 CAR, 119 YDS
ReceivingKJ Duff WR #860 REC, 1084 YDS, 7 TD
Ian Strong WR #952 REC, 762 YDS, 5 TD
DT Sheffield WR #044 REC, 577 YDS, 5 TD
Kenny Fletcher Jr. TE #1226 REC, 236 YDS
Defense
TacklesJett Elad DB #977
Dariel Djabome LB #867
Kaj Sanders DB #164
SacksBradley Weaver DL #942.5
Eric O'Neill EDGE #992.5
Dariel Djabome LB #82
InterceptionsJett Elad DB #92
Cam Miller CB #71
Bo Mascoe DB #51

Northwestern leaders 2025 regular season

PassingPreston Stone QB #8203/339, 2174 YDS, 14 TD, 12 INT
Ryan Boe QB #21/3, 7 YDS
RushingCaleb Komolafe RB #5175 CAR, 886 YDS, 10 TD
Joseph Himon II RB #699 CAR, 486 YDS, 1 TD
Dashun Reeder RB #2422 CAR, 222 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingGriffin Wilde WR #1761 REC, 783 YDS, 6 TD
Hayden Eligon II WR #834 REC, 476 YDS, 3 TD
Hunter Welcing TE #8427 REC, 283 YDS, 2 TD
Drew Wagner WR #1922 REC, 172 YDS, 2 TD
Defense
TacklesRobert Fitzgerald DB #6109
Mac Uihlein LB #3792
Braydon Brus LB #3370
SacksAidan Hubbard DE #914.5
Michael Kilbane DL #473.5
Anto Saka DE #143
InterceptionsMac Uihlein LB #374
Najee Story DL #951
Ore Adeyi DB #71
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.