Big Ten Preview - 11.5.05

Big Ten

Minnesota at Indiana - This one should not be much of a test for Minnesota. They are currently on a two game slide, but Indiana is good for a team's morale...unless, of course, you play for Indiana. A win today would get the Gophers bowl-eligible. I don't expect them to miss this opportunity. Minnesota 42 - Indiana 21.

Iowa at Northwestern - These two teams have something in common. Both's last loss was in heartbreaking fashion to Michigan. Iowa lost in overtime, and the Wolverines effectively knocked Northwestern out of contention in the Big Ten. Ouch. So who gets the rebound victory? Well, Northwestern's offense has been on fire recently and then went AWOL in the second-half of the Michigan game. Iowa, meanwhile, is right up there with Texas A&M and Tennessee for most disappointing team of the year. However, they have been playing much better recently. Both teams need a victory to become bowl-eligible. Northwestern still has Illinois on its schedule, so we'll be seeing it in December. Iowa, though, has Northwestern, Wisconsin, and then Minnesota. It needs to find a win badly, and this Saturday is one of its best chances. Not only is Northwestern suffering some serious letdown, it takes on Ohio State next week. This game is a major trap game for Northwestern. I fully expect Iowa to take advantage of that fact. Iowa 21 - Northwestern 20.

Michigan State at Purdue - If this game were last week, it would be a good one. However, Purdue now has no shot of reaching six wins. Michigan State, though, needs only one win. That's great and all, except the remaining schedule includes Minnesota and Penn State. This is the Spartans' best chance to get to the checkpoint. If they lose on Saturday, they may very well lose the next two and get shut out of the postseason. This game is much more important to Michigan State than it is to Purdue. I think the teams match up fairly well, but the psychological edge is heavily in Michigan State's favor, particularly after the thrashing it gave Indiana last week instilled some confidence into the team. Michigan State 31 - Purdue 21.

Illinois at Ohio State - Illinois is on a six-game losing streak. Ohio State is not how you fix that. Illinois 13 - Ohio State 35.

Wisconsin at Penn State - This is probably the second biggest game on Saturday, rivaled only by Miami at Virginia Tech. I was tempted to go with the Badgers simply because I'm in Wisconsin, but reality set in too quickly. Wisconsin is a good team. RB Brian Calhoun is the real deal. He's a workhorse. But Penn State's defense is also the real deal. QB Michael Robinson also appears to be finally reaching his potential. These teams are incredibly equal on paper, with the only difference coming in Penn State's defense. And I believe that defense will be the difference in the game. I don't expect either team to pull away in this one. Wisconsin 19 - Penn State 23.