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Another week of Big Ten action is upon us, and there are some interesting games to be had. Read on, make your own picks, and see if you know better than the masthead!
#6 Michigan (6-1, 4-0) at #24 Michigan State (4-2, 2-1)
East Lansing, MI
Saturday, October 20th, 12:00 PM
Line: MICH -7
So I’m still pretty bitter about Penn State’s loss to Michigan State. Last year, the Spartans upset the Lions, and then proceeded to lose to Ohio State, effectively ending both of our playoff bids in the span of just a few weeks. It is with this in mind that I expect Michigan State to get blown out by the Wolverines - apparently the Spartans’ superpower is messing with Penn State, but no one else.
Michigan 42, Michigan State 21
Maryland (4-2, 2-1) at #19 Iowa (5-1, 2-1)
Iowa City, IA
Saturday, October 20th, 12:00 PM
Line: IOWA -12.5
This line seems unreasonably large to me, given that Maryland has righted the ship and appears to be in the top half of the conference. Give me Iowa for the win, but not to cover.
Iowa 27, Maryland 17
Illinois (3-3, 1-2) at #23 Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1)
Madison, WI
Saturday, October 20th, 12:00 PM
Line: WIS -26
Forgive me, but I don’t see how Wisconsin can actually have any point spread the rest of the season be anything greater than a couple touchdowns. The Badgers will win this, but I don’t expect them to blow anyone out the rest of the season.
Wisconsin 35, Illinois 20
Northwestern (3-3, 3-1) at Rutgers (1-6, 0-4)
Piscataway, NJ
Saturday, October 20th, 12:00 PM
Line: NW -20.5
Similarly, I think Northwestern is a solid team, and has turned things around. I also think Rutgers is not as bad as they’ve shown so far. Give me the Wildcat victory, but for the Knights to keep it kind of close.
Northwestern 35, Rutgers 21
Minnesota (3-3, 0-3) at Nebraska (0-6, 0-4)
Lincoln, NE
Saturday, October 20th, 3:30 PM
Line: NEB -4
(BIG) RED ALERT. I’m calling it now, Nebraska is going to get their first win of the season this week against Minnesota. I actually think the game could be settled by a field goal or less, but I’m feeling frisky. Give me the Cornhuskers to cover on this one.
Nebraska 28, Minnesota 21
#2 Ohio State (7-0, 4-0) at Purdue (3-3, 2-1)
West Lafayette, IN
October 20th, 7:30 PM
Line: OSU -13.5
Does this line feel a bit small to anyone else? I’d like to think the Buckeyes are at least two touchdowns better than the Boilermakers. I could see Purdue making a game of this, but ultimately I think OSU is just too good.
Ohio State 42, Purdue 24
BSD Challenge
Check out the staff’s picks below. For the record, the line used for the Penn State-Indiana game was PSU -14. The masthead was unanimous for just one game:
- Ohio State -13.5 over Purdue
That leaves six games up for grabs:
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Most everyone thinks Michigan will cover against Michigan State, while the majority like Iowa over Maryland. Perhaps unsurprisingly, half of the masthead went with the Illini to keep it close against Wisconsin, a sign that many believe the Badgers have lost their luster.
Only Clay and I think Rutgers will stay competitive with Northwestern, and I’m the lone backer of Big Red in the whole bunch. Lastly, we have an even 50/50 split on the Penn State-Indiana game, a sign that several writers have lost at least some faith in the Nittany Lions to get the job done.
What do you think, dear reader? Who ya got in week eight?