For more on this matchup: No. 8 is great for Northwestern l View from the other sideline: MSU l The skinny: Northwestern vs. Michigan State

Northwestern is now ranked 8th in the College Football Playoff rankings. They own a 5-0 record and are 13.5-point favorites on Saturday against 1-3 Michigan State. The media has been praising the Wildcats all week after their impressive 17-7 throttling of previously unbeaten Wisconsin.

Can you say “trap game”? The Cats are lovable underdogs no more and will play with the burden of high expectations for the first time all season.

But the Wildcats are on the road, where they often play better than they do at home, and, on top of that, at Spartan Stadium, where they've won their last three in a row.

It’s game day, so we asked our staff for their final takes on how this game will go. Here’s what each of us had to say.

The take: Northwestern wins if they continue doing what they do best: playing lights out defense. Michigan State has proven they can't run the ball effectively, and though they have three good receivers, they don't have the QB that can get it to them consistently, and Northwestern has consistently shut down the skies. The Wildcats need to use this game to get their run game going again, as this isn't your typical Spartan run defense. We're not worried about a hangover — we've seen a focused group this year and that will continue this week.

The pick: Northwestern 28 Michigan State 10

The take: Northwestern has to find some way to run the ball. Peyton Ramsey can’t keep doing everything for the offense. They also have to guard against a letdown after a big win last week. Michigan State has had two weeks to prepare and they need to focus on not turning the ball over and taking advantage of Northwestern’s mistakes if they want to knock off the Wildcats. I’m riding my hot — or cold — hand.

The pick: Michigan State 17 Northwestern 7

The take: This is going to be a test of the Wildcats’ mental toughness, playing an overmatched opponent on the heels of a big, emotional win. Michigan State is putting up just 15.2 points per game, has the worst rushing offense in the Big Ten and turns the ball over too much. Against this Northwestern defense, the Spartans probably won’t be able to score enough points to have a realistic shot at winning. Still, it won’t be easy for the Wildcats, especially without a consistent ground game to lean on. But that’s okay. Even if they can’t run the ball effectively — and I’m not expecting them to improve overnight; at this point, they are who they are — they can just let Ramsey rip it. It won't always be pretty, but Northwestern gets a two-score win.

The pick: Northwestern 24 Michigan State 13