Big Ten Week 10 Preview and BSD Challenge

A topsy-turvy week of Big Ten play has caused some movement in the Big Ten Rankings, but for the most part the rich got richer. Wisconsin and Ohio State are now at ramming speed for a collision in the Big Ten championship game - though both have interesting games left on their schedules. Once again, we’ve got another full slate of games this week, with some intriguing matchups. How will this week’s B1G games go down? Let’s find out!

Big Ten Week 10 Preview

#9 Wisconsin (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) at Indiana (3-5, 0-5)

Saturday, 12:00 PM at Bloomington, IN

Line: Wisconsin -12.5

Wisconsin looked very pedestrian in their win over the Illini, which might have something to do with them only being ranked #9 in the first playoff rankings. Indiana, meanwhile, managed a loss to the Terrapins, so I don’t have much faith in the Hoosiers here. Wisconsin is in the driver’s seat for the West, and this game shouldn’t do much to change that.

Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Indiana 21

Illinois (2-6, 0-5) at Purdue (3-5, 1-4)

Saturday, 12:00 PM at West Lafayette, IN

Line: Purdue -14

Illinois put up a fight against the Badgers, but couldn’t overcome a two-touchdown lead at the half. Meanwhile it seems that the wheels (?) have come off the train for the Boilermakers, as they were upended by Nebraska, and may not have enough games left on the schedule to reach bowl eligibility. I’ll go with Purdue, but I expect an ugly game either way.

Prediction: Purdue 35, Illinois 24

#6 Ohio State (7-1, 5-0) at Iowa (5-3, 2-3)

Saturday, 3:30 PM at Iowa City, IA

Line: Ohio State -18

SIGH. Last week Ohio State [redacted], while Iowa managed to overcome Minnesota. The game is a late afternoon kickoff, so the Buckeyes will avoid most of the Kinnick voodoo that harassed Penn State this year, and Michigan last year. Even if it were a night game, I don’t see Ohio State losing another game. The Buckeyes continue to roll their way toward Indianapolis.

Prediction: Ohio State 42, Iowa 14

Maryland (4-4, 2-3) at Rutgers (3-5, 2-3)

Saturday, 3:30 PM at Piscataway, NJ

Line: Maryland -3

Maryland took down Indiana, and now have at least a fighting chance at a bowl game. If they’re to make it to the postseason, a win over Rutgers is a must. Speaking of Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights were trounced by Michigan, but 35-14 is better than 78-0. This should be a fairly defensive battle, but Maryland has just enough offense to get the win.

Prediction: Maryland 21, Rutgers 14

Northwestern (5-3, 3-2) at Nebraska (4-4, 3-2)

Saturday, 3:30 PM at Lincoln, NE

Line: Northwestern -1

Well looky here, Northwestern is just one game away from bowl eligibility. The Wildcats defeated the Spartans 39-31 in triple overtime, scoring on all three OT possessions. Nebraska, meanwhile, needed a last second touchdown to beat Purdue. I don’t think the Cornhuskers have it in them, and it looks like Northwestern is starting to put it all together.

Prediction: Purdue 35, Nebraska 28

Minnesota (4-4, 1-4) at Michigan (6-2, 3-2)

Saturday, 7:30 PM at Ann Arbor, MI

Line: Michigan -15.5

Minnesota was being shut out against Iowa until the fourth quarter, when their 10 points made a 17-10 loss look respectable. Michigan, meanwhile, looked more competent on offense after switching quarterbacks. It will be interesting to see whether or not that change has a lasting impact, but it shouldn’t matter much for this game. The Wolverine defense is too stout, and Minnesota flounders on the road.

Prediction: Michigan 31, Minnesota 10

BSD Challenge

Upsets by Maryland, Northwestern, and Nebraska mean that very few of the staff had a good week picking. Aaron went 6-1 on the week, and now sits just 1 game behind the leaders. Still, only 4 games separate first place from last place, so we have a lot more picking to do.

For this week, the staff has unanimously decided on the following games:

• #7 Penn State over #24 Michigan State
• Purdue over Illinois
• Northwestern over Nebraska
• Michigan over Minnesota

That give us three games to talk about:

Cari, Eli, and Clay all think that Indiana will take down Wisconsin - in fact, this game was nearly a tossup according to the staff. The Badgers have not looked particularly convincing lately, and had the Hoosiers beaten the Terrapins, I may have picked them too - but Wisconsin knows they need to win out to have a chance at the playoffs, and I think the Badgers get the win.

Eli is fighting the good fight, picking Iowa to upset the Buckeyes - strange things happen in Kinnick Stadium, but after beating Penn State, I can’t see Ohio State losing to Iowa. Lastly, Cari and Eli have taken the Scarlet Knights over the Terrapins - it’s a bold strategy, but I feel that Maryland has a bit more resurgence about them at this point in time. What say you, dear reader? Did the masthead get it right?