It’s rivalry week in college football. Week 14 will have some of the biggest clashes around the country and the biggest one will be played at Noon in Columbus when Ohio State hosts Michigan.
But outside of The Game, there are several other fun matchups around the Big Ten Conference. We will see two games being played on Friday then the rest will follow on Saturday. There are two non-conference games being played, as well. USC will host Notre Dame, while UCLA will end its season with Fresno State.
Here are my predictions for every Big Ten game this weekend.
Wisconsin has a lot riding on this game, not only is it a rivalry game, but the Badgers must win the game if they want to go bowling. While Wisconsin has dropped four in a row, the Gophers have lost two straight — while being competitive with Penn State. With it being in Madison, I’ll take Wisconsin in a close one.
Final score: Wisconsin 24, Minnesota 20
Both of these teams are capable of playing good football but we’ve also seen both teams play poorly. Kinnick Stadium at night is never an easy place to play and the Hawkeye faithful will be plugged in. The Iowa defense continues to play well and it might be too much for the young Nebraska offense to handle.
Final score: Iowa 27, Nebraska 17
The team that rushes for more yards typically wins this game. Which you would think favors Michigan with how it likes to run the football, but the Wolverines’ offensive line isn’t as dominant as what it was the past three seasons. If Michigan has any chance to win this game, the defensive line will have to wreak havoc against WIll Howard and the Buckeyes’ offensive line. The Buckeyes are too explosive and have too many playmakers for the Michigan defense to match up against. I think this game will be closer than the oddsmakers believe, but the Buckeyes will get the win.
Final score: Ohio State 31, Michigan 21
After losing two in a row, Illinois seems to have figured out how to offense again. The Illini have been playing well and the Wildcats are playing not so good. The ‘Cats really struggle on offense and Illinois has a solid defense with an above-average offense. As long as Luke Altmyer is safe with the ball, Illinois should get the in-state win.
Final score: Illinois 31, Northwestern 20
At one point in time this season, you might’ve thought this was a trap game for the Nittany Lions. But Maryland is playing downright bad football and the Terps struggle to stop teams from scoring. Penn State is a vulnerable team, but Drew Allar and Co. should get the job done at home.
Final score: Penn State 35, Maryland 17
Don’t look now, but USC is 2-0 since making a quarterback change. Unfortunately for the Trojans, Notre Dame is playing as good of football as its played all year. The Irish are demolishing teams and while this game is being played in California, Notre Dame is likely too much for the Trojans to handle.
Final score: Notre Dame 31, USC 20
Michigan State needs to win this game to become bowl-eligible but even being at home, it’s not going to be easy. The Spartans struggle to stop the run and that’s what Rutgers does a good job of doing. Kyle Monangai is one of the top running backs in the conference and if MSU has a hard time of stoping him, this could be a long game for the Spartans.
Final score: Rutgers 27, Michigan State 24
Fresno State isn’t a bad team and will likely give UCLA all it wants. But the Bruins are better than their 4-7 record shows. UCLA has been in the past two games against Washington and USC and I think the Bruins go out on top in the first season under DeShaun Foster.
Final score: UCLA 31, Fresno State 21
Curt Cignetti isn’t going to want to hold back in this game after dropping five spots in the College Football Playoff rankings after losing to Ohio State. Going up against a one-win Purdue team, Cignetti can’t trust the committee if he doesn’t lay it down on the Hoosiers’ rival.
Final score: Indiana 41, Purdue 14
Oregon has a chance to enter the Big Ten and go undefeated in its first season in the conference. The only thing standing in the Ducks’ way is rival Washington. The Huskies are an OK team, but the lack of explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball will be challenging to upset the No. 1 Oregon Ducks.
Final score: Oregon 38, Washington 17
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