I am an NU grad, but being born and raised in Columbus, I grew up an Ohio State fan. One year Illinois rose up and beat every big ten team and went to the Rose Bowl. At the time, I was 'annoyed at Illinois' for beating Ohio State that year, so when Illinois got to the Rose Bowl I rooted hard against them. I enjoyed watching a mediocre UCLA put a beat down on Illinois. However, in subsequent years, I realized that it was making the conference look bad when its champion lost the Rose Bowl. That was was probably the last time I rooted against the Big Ten team in the Rose Bowl, because lose and they talk down the conference like something god awful - and it seems like the Big Ten gets more ire directed its way than other conferences - perhaps because of the Big Ten's dominant position in the mid-20th century? Now I root for all the Big Ten teams in out-of-conference competition whether it is football non-conference play, bowl games, NCAA basketball tournament, or other events. Heck, I pulled for Indiana in the College Baseball World Series a couple of years ago. Ohio State winning the national title will not directly help Northwestern, but it does impact the conference's reputation just like the New Years Day wins by Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin were a much needed shot in the arm for the Big Ten's football reputation especially after some low points for the conference earlier in the 2014 non-conference season and I think there is some indirect benefit from being associated with a successful conference - one that produces national champions and national title contenders.