EVANSTON-Northwestern hosts No. 2 Ohio State, the highest-ranked opponent of head coach David Braun's tenure, this Saturday at Wrigley Field for Homecoming.

Braun knows the odds are stacked against them: the Wildcats opened as 31.5-point underdogs. But don't tell him they don't have a chance.

"We know we're the underdog," he said. "We're not just an underdog. There's no one out there that expects Northwestern to go in and beat Ohio State, or, for that matter, compete. But this group believes that with a great two weeks of preparation and showing up with our best, we can make this a four-quarter battle...

"When we look up with zeroes on the clock, our expectation is to expect victory."

This marks the fourth game at Wrigley Field for the Wildcats since 2010, and the first of four November games over the next two seasons as Northwestern is without a permanent home field. The grounds crew has made advancements each season, and this will be the first time the game has standard sidelines on opposite sides of the field, rather than forcing the teams to share a sideline.

"We made it work last year and it was pretty unique to be on the same sideline. But we feel really confident that this is a great setup, and having two opposite sidelines in a traditional manner is important," Braun said.

Northwestern will go through its typical game-week schedule this week. The only difference, according to Braun, will be the team busing to a Chicago hotel rather than an Evanston one on Friday night.

Mueller, Kirtz unlikely to be back this week: "You're not going to like my answer," Braun started when asked about the potential returns from injury for his star linebacker and No. 1 receiver.

Outside linebacker Xander Mueller has gone through walkthrough reps but no live action after missing the last two games. Braun said they'll get a better picture mid-week about his status and are excited about the possibility that he could be back on Saturday against Ohio State. But Braun declined to confirm his availability.

For wide receiver Bryce Kirtz, Braun continued his dreaded injury-update nomenclature by saying his injury rehab featured "progression and then some regression." He added that the team is hopeful to have him back before the season's end but are "very uncertain" if Kirtz will be back for the Buckeyes.

Northwestern continues its policy to not disclose specific injury designations or return timetables.

Braun encouraged by midseason rally to beat Purdue: After dismal losses to Wisconsin and Iowa, Northwestern's season was on the brink heading into West Lafayette. But the Wildcats pulled off a 26-20 win in overtime to give them a boost heading into the final three-game stretch and keep their bowl hopes alive.

"I really challenged our group after that two-game stretch to respond," Braun said. "That was in the way that we practice, the way that we handle details, the way we show up to compete and dominate our process.

"What we saw against Purdue was not a dominant performance, not a perfect performance, but the preparation we saw throughout the week was really impressive. Our guys hung in on the road in a tough environment and found a way to win. That gives me a ton of confidence and belief in our transition throughout the bye week and entering the fourth quarter of the season."

The Wildcats stand at 4-5 with three games remaining: against Ohio State, at Michigan and then back to Wrigley Field to face Illinois in the regular season finale. They need two wins to lock up a bowl game and one to give them a shot to earn a bid on Academic Progress Rate. They are currently tied with North Carolina (5-4) for the best APR for a team with fewer than six wins.

"We have a lot to play for," Braun said. "We are playing for one another, but we have an opportunity to extend the season for a bowl game. That's something we're all excited for."

While the season hasn't gone as planned, Braun focused on the positives he's seen in his team this season.

"All of us in this room know this season hasn't been perfect or smooth sailing," he said. "But you find out a lot about people's character when things aren't going well, when there's turbulence, adversity. That's one thing I continue to stand on. We have a group of people that check their ego at the door. They're high-output.

"It's my job to challenge not only myself, but the program and everyone in it to find ways to improve. I think the Purdue week prep and the result was a microcosm of a group that responded in the right way."

Can the Friendly Confines live up to its name? Northwestern has lost all three of their games on Clark and Addison but will have four chances in the next two seasons to get their first win -- including battling Illinois for the Land of Lincoln Trophy.

The Wildcats have continued to strengthen their bond with Wrigley over the past few years, using it as a centerpiece on recruiting visits, increasing game frequency and often having coaches take part in festivities like a first pitch.

Braun acquitted himself admirably with a "two-seam, right down the heart of the plate" pitch back in May and has been open about his Cubs fandom since he was a kid and his dad took him to his first MLB game at Wrigley. He said he has returned the favor for his own kids since moving to Chicagoland last year.

The second-year coach started his remarks by thanking the Cubs for accommodating the Wildcats so often.

"A huge thanks to the Cubs and the Ricketts family [the team's owners]," Braun said. "This opportunity is something that I know our team and program couldn't take for granted, and it's an opportunity to play a Big Ten football game at an iconic venue. It's really special.

Buckeyes remain the gold standard: The matchup with Ohio State has been ringed with warning lights since the schedule was released. The Wildcats have lost 10 straight to the Buckeyes and have beaten them just once in their last 36 matchups.

What gives Braun some hope against the 9-1 Buckeyes is that the Wildcats hung with 10-0 and now No. 5 Indiana earlier this season. Northwestern trailed 27-24 in the fourth quarter before the Hoosiers pulled away for a 41-24 win.

Still, Ohio State will be an incredibly daunting task.

Northwestern's corners have made immense strides this season, with Theran Johnson coming into his own as a veteran -- albeit one that needs to avoid recent unsportsmanlike penalties -- and Josh Fussell earning the starting job across from him. But they haven't faced receivers like the Buckeys have. Prodigal freshman Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka both rank among the Top 10 receivers in the Big Ten and have combined for more than 1,300 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.

"We have to prepare and force these guys to process post-snap," Braun said. "We're going to have to do a great job of staying on top of routes and affecting the quarterback, and then tackling in space. We have to be clean with our eyes and understand our leverage... The bye week definitely presented an opportunity for us to hone in on those details."

The other side of the ball is even more impressive. Ohio State is No. 1 in the nation in total defense (250.8 ypg) and No. 2 in scoring (10.7 ppg).

Braun singled out a trio of defensive linemen to watch out for: ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, and tackle Tyleik Williams.

"[These] players are incredibly disruptive in the run game and pass game," he said. "They've done a great job... [I] went back and watched all the defensive tape this season to try and find some trends on things that maybe they've been exposed in or struggled with, and that was a difficult task. They're playing at a really high level right now."