Big Ten Week 6 staff predictions
Penn State may be off this week but our staff at Nittany Lions Wire is still serving up their weekly batch of Big Ten picks. It is a bit of a lighter schedule in the Big Ten this weekend with both Penn State and Minnesota getting the week off.
This is actually a pretty interesting weekend of Big Ten football as both Michigan and Ohio State are taking to the road for the first time this season. Both will do so as heavy favorites, but is our staff confident in their chances on the road this weekend? Spoiler alert, but yes. Absolutely.
Here are our weekly staff picks for this weekend’s Big Ten schedule, with a couple of thoughts on a few of the games that may be flying a bit more under the radar in Week 6.
Rutgers vs. Nebraska
Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
Friday, 7:00 p.m. , FS1
Andrew: Rutgers
Kevin: Rutgers
Sam: Rutgers
Kevin says: Nebraska is making the longest possible road trip in the Big Ten until USC and UCLA join the conference, and they have to do so on a short week with this game being played on Friday. Rutgers will struggle to slow down the Huskers on the ground but will find a way to scrap together a win.
Indiana vs. Michigan
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
12:00 p.m., FOX
Andrew: Michigan
Kevin: Michigan
Sam: Michigan
Maryland vs. Purdue
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
12:00 p.m., Big Ten Network
Andrew: Maryland
Kevin: Maryland
Sam: Purdue
Northwestern vs. Wisconsin
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
3:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
Andrew: Wisconsin
Kevin: Northwestern
Sam: Wisconsin
Sam says: Wisconsin hasn’t won in Evanston since 2016, and now they’re having to do it under a new interim head coach in defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Northwestern isn’t good, but the Badgers haven’t seemed to find a way to win in Evanston in recent years. I think that changes on Saturday.
Michigan State vs. Ohio State
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
4:00 p.m., ABC
Andrew: Ohio State
Kevin: Ohio State
Sam: Ohio State
Illinois vs. Iowa
Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network
Andrew: Illinois
Kevin: Illinois
Sam: Illinois
Kevin says: At some point this season, Iowa is going to have to pay for its lack of offense. Illinois will be more than happy to make the Hawkeyes pay as the Illini surprisingly emerge as the favorite in the Big Ten West with wins against Wisconsin and Iowa already in their pockets.
Season records
Andrew 33-10
Kevin 31-12
Sam 30-13
Sam was the only one to correctly call out the Wisconsin debacle against Illinois last week, although nobody could have honestly predicted the fallout that led to the firing of head coach Paul Chryst a day later, right?
Andrew made up some ground on that inaccurate pick though by being the only one to place faith in Nebraska last week at home against Indiana. As such, Andrew maintains his lead on the staff going into Week 6 this weekend.
This week, the staff is pretty much in sync on their Big Ten picks, but Kevin is taking a shot on Northwestern scoring a home win against Wisconsin and Sam is taking Purdue on the road against Maryland. Will they be right, or will Andrew continue to pad his lead?
