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Except for the not epic Penn State-Michigan State Land-Grant Trophy game, this is the big week in Big Ten football. This is when your top rivalry games take place. Even Maryland-Rutgers feels much more organic than Michigan State-Penn State, which is basically the two leftover teams after we have six natural rivalry games. For some games, only pride is at stake. For others, a place in the Big Ten title game.
Nebraska (9-2, 6-2) at Iowa (7-4, 5-3) 3:30pm Friday, ABC
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Do you want to see a clusterfuck in the Big Ten West? Cheer for Iowa here. An Iowa win and a Minnesota win over Wisconsin on Saturday gives us a four-way tie for the Big Ten West crown between Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Minnesota. I think in that scenario Wisconsin wins the multi-team tiebreaker, but it would be fun to see anyway. The Hawkeyes are good at home this year too against FBS competition not named Northwestern. Iowa 27, Nebraska 24
Illinois (3-8, 2-6) at Northwestern (5-6, 4-4) Noon, BTN
Illinois has nothing to play for except pride and Jeff George Jr. with his flowing locks. Northwestern has a destination in Detroit to play for, though a win likely puts them ahead of Indiana since they would have a head-to-head win over the Hoosiers. Just discussing a bowl game after Northwestern lost to Illinois State is impressive. They should win this because Illinois is awful, but lucked into a home game against a bad Michigan State and a game against Rutgers for two league wins. Northwestern 37, Illinois 17
Rutgers (2-9, 0-8) at Maryland (5-6, 2-6) Noon, ESPNNews
Aside from Maryland making a bowl for winning all their non-conference games and beating the three worst teams in the Big Ten, there is an interesting storyline here. Rutgers has been shut out by every Big Ten East team not named Indiana. Can they go 1-5 in even scoring against the East? The Terps are playing at home and for a bowl. Rutgers is worse-than-Purdue awful. Why not? Maryland 31, Rutgers 0
Michigan (10-1, 7-1) at Ohio State (10-1, 7-1) Noon, ABC
Is this merely round 1? Can both teams make the playoff? Michigan is in the Big Ten title game with a win. Ohio State needs a win and a Michigan State win over Penn State to get in because of their loss in Happy Valley. This year looks a lot like last year's Ohio State season. The Buckeyes have been the best team in the conference except for a one game, three-point dick trip. They should win this, merely because Michigan has fewer wins since 2004 over Ohio State than Purdue does. Ohio State 24, Michigan 21
Purdue (3-8, 1-7) at Indiana (5-6, 3-5) Noon, ESPNU
It is a flat out embarrassment that Darrel Hazell has lowered Purdue to the point that they have lost three in a row to Indiana and they are a 20 point underdog to the Hoosiers in game for. This is on him. I really hate to pick Indiana because they are not good, but they are far better than Purdue. This will likely go a lot like the other five games since Hazell's firing. Purdue will come out inspired and might even lead at halftime. Then the depth will come out. Purdue leads 21-17 at the half, but loses. Indiana 41, Purdue 24
Michigan State (3-8, 1-7) at Penn State (9-2, 7-1) 3:30pm, ESPN
Okay Michigan State, I need you to do a favor. Penn State fans are in full "we are taking our deserved return to glory" after everything that happened, and they will be in Indianapolis if they win this and Ohio State beats Michigan. They don't deserve it. They deserve to have their program burned to the ground and the ashes salted so nothing ever grows again. You're probably not going to win this, but you have at least been feisty in some games. Penn State 30, Michigan State 20
Minnesota (8-3, 5-3) at Wisconsin (9-2, 6-2) 3:30pm, BTN
The burn of the week goes to Wisconsin fans. I saw a tweet that said no one has ever tweeted that Minnesota beat Wisconsin in football because the last time it happened twitter didn't exist. They are right. Wisconsin has won 12 in a row and they have a berth in Indianapolis to play for. Minnesota is the best bad team in America, going 8-0 against mediocre-to-bad teams and 0-3 in real games. Wisconsin 24, Minnesota 14