Northwestern has lost two straight games while Purdue has suffered four straight setbacks. One of those losing streaks will come to end on Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium as the Wildcats take on the Boilers.

WildcatReport football writers Louie Vaccher and Macray Poidomani talk about the matchups and make their picks.

Louie: The big item in the news this week was that the Big Ten will play Friday night games starting in 2017 – though I heard there was some sort of an election, too. Fitz is no fan of the new innovation, figuring that Friday nights should be for high school ball, but he understands that it’s all driven by TV and TV money. As luck would have it, NU is the only school that will get TWO Friday night games next year: at Maryland and home against Michigan State.

So what do you think? Are Friday night games a bad idea or yet another issue in which Jim Delany is out in front of his peers? We all know that any academic considerations – players will have to miss class on Fridays, no doubt – take a back seat to money when it comes to the NCAA. Might it even help NU attendance, as Friday night may bring in the soccer moms and families who are otherwise occupied on Saturdays?

Macray: Personally, I love Friday night games for Northwestern football. Instead of having to compete with the likes of Michigan, Wisconsin, or Ohio State for views, NU will have a night to their own for fans. Obviously this goes in conflict with high school football but it could raise the profile of the program and reach fans who may not usually tune in. Attendance would go up I think because students at NU often don't have too much going on Friday nights and tailgates before night games are the ones largest attended. Overall from this front I think it's a net positive.

With regards to the school standpoint, many students don't take classes on Friday anyway or use it as a travel day, so it won't impact it as much as people think. It's an exaggerated concerned compared to the already large requirements put on student athletes.

What are your thoughts on it? Do you think it will have an impact on recruiting?

Louie: I don't think it will have much of an impact on recruiting, though it will make scheduling visitors for those Friday night games more difficult. Most kids play on Friday night, and the ones from outside of Chicago probably won't be able to travel to a Friday night game. I'm with Fitz, for the most part. Maybe that's because I'm just an old man set in his ways, but I think Fridays should be for high school football, Saturdays for college. Plus, we all know that if it's a success, Thursday night games won't be far off. It's all about television money. The big-time programs like Michigan and Penn State can flat-out refuse to play on Friday nights, but the conference feels like it can do whatever it wants to NU and scheduled them for two the first year.

But enough about scheduling. NU is scheduled to take on Purdue on Saturday, and that's what we should be talking about. The Boilers are just 3-6 (1-5 Big Ten) but they have the No. 1 passer in the Big Ten in David Blough and a wide receiver who can make big plays in DeAngelo Yancey. The problem is they don't have much else -- they're the worst in the league in rushing offense, scoring defense and total defense. I think Justin Jackson must be licking his chops after facing Ohio State and Wisconsin the last two weeks. Purdue gives up 248.3 yards per game on the ground (!), so I think No. 21 will have a big day after being held under 100 yards for three straight weeks.

NU is favored by two touchdowns. Is there any way you see Purdue pulling off the upset? What is your prediction?

Macray: If Purdue plays the way that they did against Nebraska, then there is always a chance they could pull off the stunner. During that game, Blough showed that he can sling it and the defense was just good enough to keep them in the game until the second half. Overall, they can put up points with Blough in charge (26 points per game), but it doesn't seem like they can stop them. Indeed, Purdue's defense ranks 100th in the FBS in total defense, 104 in yards per game, and 117th in points allowed per game.

I see Northwestern taking advantage of playing a lesser opponent, however, and putting up a ton of points. The difference between Wisconsin and Ohio State's defenses to Purdue's is literally night and day. Justin Jackson should be able to rush for 100+ yards and Clayton Thorson and Austin Carr should continue to stay hot. All in all, I think the situation is ripe for a solid Northwestern football redemption day. The pick: Northwestern 35 Purdue 17

Louie: I agree with you. I think it will be awfully tough for Purdue to pull off a shocker. While the Wildcats can’t just come out and “out-talent” anyone (see: Illinois State), if they just play their game and take care of the football, they should emerge with the win. I think Jackson and Thorson will pile up the yards and points offensively. Defensively, I think it will be key for Ifeadi Odenigbo & Co. put pressure on Blough. The Wildcats have just one sack over the last two losses after they amassed 12 during their preceding three-game winning streak. Northwestern proves to be too much for the Boilermakers and gets to within one win of bowl eligibility with a relatively comfortable win. The pick: Northwestern 34 Purdue 23