Overview
- Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Ford Field with ESPN carrying the broadcast.
- Opening lines list Central Michigan as roughly a 13.5-point underdog with a total of 43.5.
- Central Michigan finished 7-5 under Drinkall with a run-heavy attack and first-team All-MAC defenders Michael Heldman and Jordan Kwiatkowski.
- Northwestern went 6-6 and clinched bowl eligibility with a 38-35 win over Minnesota at Wrigley Field on Nov. 22 under coach David Braun.
- The Detroit Lions host the Big Ten vs. MAC matchup, a rare meeting between these programs and Northwestern’s first Detroit bowl trip since 2003.