Defending B1G West champion Northwestern returns to Ryan Field for the 2021 season Friday night. Northwestern will host Michigan State in a primetime matchup (9 p.m. EST/ESPN).

In advance of the conference clash, Northwestern unveiled a hype video for the return of the Wildcats – and the Northwestern faithful – to Ryan Field.

That’s bound to have Northwestern fans excited for the home opener. Northwestern also revealed the uniform combo vs. Michigan State.

Northwestern posted a 7-2 record last season, falling in the B1G title game to Ohio State. Northwestern has only had one losing season (2019) in the last six years and has captured the B1G West twice (2018, 2020) in the last three years.

Michigan State leads the all-time series 39-20 vs. Northwestern and has won the last two matchups. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) is predicting a convincing victory for Northwestern vs. Michigan State, giving the Wildcats a 59.6 percent chance.