Northwestern and Iowa have spent the past week trying to get over crushing home defeats. Northwestern (6-2, 2-2 Big Ten) blew a 12-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and lost a heartbreaker to Nebraska, 29-28, last Saturday. The Hawkeyes (4-3, 2-1) let Penn State jump out to an early lead and got crushed, 38-14, in one of the worst losses of coach Kirk Ferentz’s 14-year tenure. Those losses have given Northwestern and Iowa an added sense of urgency heading into Saturday’s matchup in Evanston. Both teams are on the verge of being out of contention in the Big Ten Legends Division.