The Most Important Games for the Northwestern Wildcats are those conference games in the upcoming week whose outcome most changes the Wildcats final standings. The Importance Factor provides a relative importance between games. Northwestern Wildcats fans can use this table to identify the most interesting conference games in the upcoming week of play.
| Game | Importance Factor (0‑∼100) |
Game Winner |
Northwestern Resultant Probabilities | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season Finish | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1* First, Second, and Third Round Byes |
2* First, Second, and Third Round Byes |
3* First, Second, and Third Round Byes |
4* First, Second, and Third Round Byes |
5** First and Second Round Byes |
6** First and Second Round Byes |
7** First and Second Round Byes |
8** First and Second Round Byes |
9*** First Round Bye |
10*** First Round Bye |
11*** First Round Bye |
12*** First Round Bye |
13*** First Round Bye |
14*** First Round Bye |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||
| NorthwesternN. Western (12‑16) vs Oregon (11‑17) |
45 | NorthwesternN. Western Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 2% | 8% | 38% | 44% | 8% | <1% | ^ |
| Current Probabilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Oregon Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 3% | 12% | 45% | 38% | 2% | ||
| Maryland (11‑16) vs Rutgers (11‑17) |
20 | Maryland Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 6% | 31% | 23% | 15% | 23% | 1% |
| Current Probabilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Rutgers Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 3% | 14% | 40% | 33% | 8% | <1% | ||
| UCLA (19‑9) vs Minnesota (13‑15) |
1 | UCLA Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 2% | 6% | 22% | 29% | 23% | 17% | 1% |
| Current Probabilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Minnesota Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 2% | 26% | 31% | 22% | 17% | 1% | ||
| Penn State (11‑17) vs Iowa (20‑8) |
0 | Penn State Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 24% | 30% | 23% | 15% | 2% |
| Current Probabilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Iowa Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 24% | 17% | ^ | ||
| Washington (14‑14) vs Wisconsin (19‑9) |
0 | Washington Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 24% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% |
| Current Probabilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Wisconsin Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 2% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| USC (18‑10) vs Nebraska (24‑4) |
0 | USC Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 24% | 30% | 23% | 17% | 1% |
| Current Probabilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Nebraska Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 2% | 5% | 24% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Purdue (22‑5) vs Michigan St. (22‑5) |
0 | Purdue Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% |
| Current Probabilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Michigan St. Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Illinois (22‑6) vs Michigan (26‑2) |
0 | Illinois Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% |
| Current Probabilities | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||
| Michigan Wins | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1% | 5% | 23% | 30% | 23% | 16% | 1% | ||