The Big Ten has a great slate of college football on Saturday and fans around the country will have their eyes on the Big Ten this weekend. Continuing my prediction segment, I am 14-3 in terms of predicting the right outcomes so far. This week features some tougher matchups and some of the best games we could see on the Big Ten schedule. Let’s take a look.

Michigan State at Rutgers

This game is going to turn out to be one of the best games all weekend. It will be a back and forth slugfest between both ball clubs. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a humiliating home loss to Ohio State and they are looking to bounce back and get the credit they deserve. The Spartans have weapons on defense and they hold opponents to 20.6 points per game. Furthermore, the offense is the best it has looked in a long time, Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne has 11 touchdowns through five games. Spartan’s running back Kenneth Walker III is the best running back so far in the conference and I think the offense continues to shine this weekend. Watch for a close game and for Rutgers to cover the spread of +5, but I like the Spartans to continue rolling.

Michigan State 31 Rutgers 28

Penn State at Iowa

This game could contend for the game of the year for the Big Ten. It is the first top-five matchup for the Big Ten in five years as Iowa is ranked No.3 and Penn State is No. 4. The game features two of the top three best defenses in the country in terms of points per game. Iowa forces you to make turnovers and the Hawkeyes defense is playing as a complete unit. But, playing against Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford and wide receiver Jahan Dotson is a tougher task. I think that Penn State and the Hawkeyes will struggle to score but the Hawkeyes ride the crowd and a defensive turnover to change the game. Penn State has won four out of the five past meetings, but I think the trend changes this year.

Penn State 24 Iowa 28

Michigan at Nebraska 

Everybody is hot on the Wolverines but who have they beat. A Wisconsin team that can’t move the football with confidence is a good win but nothing to brag about. This game is Michigan’s biggest test. The Wolverines will run the ball and try to punch Nebraska in the mouth but the Cornhuskers are only giving up 122.3 rushing yards a week. The Cornhuskers are hot, they are coming off a massive win versus Northwestern. I think the nation will witness just how real Nebraska is on Saturday night as we get an upset Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Michigan 28 Nebraska 31

References: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

Writer

-By: Justin Howard

Through week five, the top five teams are established in the Big Ten. Four Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll and the conference is the best it's been in years in terms of top to bottom. Conference play is underway and we can learn the regular season is shaping up to be super important regarding which team will make the college football playoff. Let’s take a look at the top five power rankings and see who is leading the conference. Here we go.

5. Michigan State (5-0)

The Spartans have looked opposite to the team they had in 2020 and it comes down to them having a functional offense. The offense is averaging 37.8 points per game which ranks 19th among FBS teams. They do not turn the ball over often which is a recipe for success. The rushing attack for Michigan State is the best part of their offense, Kenneth Walker III has eight touchdowns and 680-yards through just five games. Look out for the Spartans to make noise and potentially upset the teams ahead of him. 

4. Michigan (5-0)

The Wolverines started the season unranked after a disappointing 2020, now they sit at No. 9 in the nation. Michigan is coming off an impressive win versus Wisconsin but in reality, the Badgers aren’t a good football team. There hasn’t been an impressive win yet for the Wolverines which is why I have them ranked at No. 4. But credit is due, the defense and offense both look great. The defense is giving up 12.8 points per game while the offense is averaging 39.8 points. Michigan knows their identity but they haven’t played anybody to prove their worth. We will get a better idea of who the Wolverines are as we progress in the season. 

3. Penn State (5-0)

Ranking the top three is super difficult but it comes down to which offense has the most weapons. Although wide receiver Jahan Dotson and Sean Clifford are performing well, Penn State’s offense is not dynamic. Right now, the offense is averaging 30 points per game ranking 63rd in the country. The defense is elite, they are giving up only 12 points per game and they are forcing 1.8 turnovers per game. In week six, they will learn more about their team when they play No. 3 Iowa.

2. Iowa (5-0)

Iowa forces you to beat them offensively and not many teams in the conference can do that. The defense is really good, they are ranked second in the nation giving up 11.6 points per game. The Hawkeyes take the ball away and force turnovers as they are averaging 3.2 turnovers a game. They have beaten legit teams in Maryland, Indiana, and Iowa State. Quarterback Spencer Petras is playing solid football, he isn’t necessarily special but he is managing the games well by not giving the ball away. We will see just how good Iowa is when they play Penn State in week six.

1. Ohio State (4-1)

Ohio State is still the best team in the conference. After losing to Oregon in week two, everybody was out on the Buckeyes and their defense. But, in the past two weeks, the defense has had five takeaways and, the young guys on defense are starting to figure it out. The offense is what separates them from the rest of the conference. C.J. Stroud is finding his groove after the Rutgers game, and the offense is averaging 45 points per game, 4th in the nation. Freshman running back TreVeyon Henderson is emerging as the best running back in the conference and, he is averaging 9.4 yards a carry. The wide receiver unit is the best in the nation and, the offense is too good for other teams to compete with Ohio State. 

References: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

-By: Justin Howard

In week five, the Big Ten started the bulk of its conference play schedule as we witnessed matchups that we are akin to seeing. The top of the conference showed why they are the best as they dominated their matchups in week 5 while the teams that aren’t as competitive are just trying to stay afloat. Let’s look at what occurred in week 5 and analyze how individual teams played. Here we go.

Iowa 51 at Maryland 14

Coming into this game, I believed that Iowa was potentially on upset alert, but they proved me wrong. Maryland’s offense was clicking coming into Friday’s matchup, but turnovers got the best of Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. The Terrapins had seven total turnovers, five of which were from Tagovailoa interceptions. Iowa scored 24 points off Maryland’s turnovers showing that their defense is for real. The Hawkeyes know the right formula for success as they ran for three touchdowns behind their elite offensive line. Maryland should continue to grow from this loss and Tagovailoa will have to learn from his mistakes. Next week Iowa has a big matchup versus No. 4 Penn State while Maryland faces a trending up No. 7 Ohio State team.

Minnesota 20 at Purdue 13

This Minnesota team confuses me due to their inconsistencies. One week they look great and the other week they can’t seem to get things right. However, credit to the Golden Gophers for going into Purdue and coming out with a victory. Purdue has been playing decent football and they have put themselves in positions to win games. They easily had more total yards than Minnesota and had 16 more first downs. Turnovers were the difference in the game as the Boilermakers had two giveaways leading to Minnesota’s victory. Aidan O’Connell outperformed Tanner Morgan as he threw for 202 more yards. Both teams have a bye in week six but after the schedules don’t get easier. Minnesota faces a good Nebraska team in week six while Purdue plays Iowa after their bye week. 

Michigan 38 at Wisconsin 17

Michigan is real this year. The opponents they have faced haven’t been of the best caliber, but they went into a hostile environment in Madison, Wisconsin, and took care of business easily. At halftime, it was 13-10 in favor of the Wolverines and this game was a battle, but Michigan pulled away in the second half. The Wolverines had success in every statistical category, they had more total yards, first downs, and fewer turnovers than the Badgers. The issue with Wisconsin is the offense, they can’t seem to generate a successful passing game as Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz has looked unsteady all year. Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara looked efficient as he threw for almost 200 yards and two touchdowns. Michigan has a real test in week five as they travel to play a good Nebraska team. Wisconsin looks to get back on track with a game against Illinois in week six. 

Charlotte 14 at Illinois 24

Illinois needed to win this football game for the morale of the program. It would’ve been a bad sign for Head coach Bret Bielema if they lost to Charlotte at home. The Fighting Illini had a great week rushing the football as they had 339-rushing yards. The bulk of the yards were accumulated by Chase Brown, he rushed for 257-yards and two touchdowns. At the end of the day, Illinois did what they had to do to walk away with the victory. Next week, the schedule gets tougher as they play a Wisconsin team that is desperate for a win.

Ohio State 52 at Rutgers 13

The Buckeyes might be back to their normal self after Saturday’s victory. Ohio State went into Piscataway, New Jersey, and took care of business with ease. Ohio State’s offense was reaching its potential as they had 45 points at halftime. C.J. Stroud was back and looked fresh off a rest week, he threw for 330-yards and five touchdowns. Ohio State’s receiver’s Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave looked sharped and carved up the Rutgers’ secondary. The biggest takeaway from this game is how sharp the defense for the Buckeyes looked. They forced three turnovers on defense and finally stopped giving up the big plays as the young secondary was making plays. Unfortunately, the Scarlett Knights ran into an angry Ohio State team, so they look to bounce back in week six versus a good Michigan State team. Next week, the Buckeyes look to keep the ball rolling versus Maryland. 

Indiana 0 at Penn State 24

Penn State walked away from Saturday’s game with a bit of revenge as they continue their steady play this season. Both sides of the ball were playing well for the Nittany Lions, they rushed for 209-yards and Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford threw for 199-yards and three touchdowns as his connection with receiver Jahan Dotson is one of the best in college football. Indiana’s struggles continue and it starts with the quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Indiana quarterback is struggled coming off an ACL injury and now he is dealing with a shoulder injury. He now has seven interceptions and four touchdowns after throwing two more on Saturday. The Hoosiers have a bye next week, but in week seven they might have to rely on Jack Tuttle versus Michigan State. Penn State has their biggest test of the week on Saturday when they face the No. 3 team in the nation in Iowa. 

Western Kentucky 31 at Michigan State 48

The Spartans are now 5-0 after Saturday’s victory versus Western Kentucky. Michigan State’s running back Kenneth Walker III is on a tear right now, he rushed for 124-yards and three touchdowns. Michigan State looks dynamic, and they have made massive changes since last year’s team, quarterback Payton Thorne had 327-yards throwing and a touchdown. However, it was a bit concerning how the defense of the Spartans allowed 560-total yards to Western Kentucky. The secondary for Michigan State looks to be an area of weakness as they gave up three downs and 488-yards through the air. Michigan State has one of their biggest tests so far as they play at Rutgers in week six.

Northwestern 7 at Nebraska 56

Northwestern is officially not the team they were in the 2020 season. This game was extremely lopsided, the Wildcats allowed Nebraska to have a total of 657 yards on offense including seven rushing touchdowns. The Wildcats usually pride themselves on defense and it is concerning for them to give up that many yards. Adrian Martinez played a beautiful football game as he scored three touchdowns running and one passing for a total of 252-yards. The Cornhuskers are playing good football in the past couple of weeks and look to build upon this win versus Michigan in a potential upset. Northwestern in week six has a bye week but they will face Rutgers in week seven. 

References: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

-By: Justin Howard