Week 8 in the Big Ten has produced many interesting storylines to follow up on. This week’s slate looks enticing and is built to feature a couple of classic Big Ten games. USC has a great opportunity to enter the contender phase, and Washington also has a great chance to be viewed as a threat. Penn State gets to see what life looks like with Franklin, and I have a feeling they will not be as successful as UCLA has been.
Here are my Week 8 game-by-game picks for Big Ten football:
Nebraska over Minnesota (Friday)
Minnesota has made mistakes in close games and gotten lucky; the Cornhuskers have found ways to win in the clutch. Dylan Raiola has been Mr. 4th quarter this season. I think he does it again, leading the Cornhuskers to another close victory.
Washington over Michigan
USC could do no wrong against Michigan last week. Demond Williams will bring this Huskies team to the Big House and get an upset. The Huskies might start slow like always, but I trust this Huskies team to use their elite firepower and win this game. The AP Poll will have no choice but to take the Huskies seriously after this win. Sherrone Moore’s job safety could be at risk with this loss.
Northwestern over Purdue
Prestone Stone has been good of late, and the Boilermakers look like one of the worst Big Ten teams. I like the Wildcats to win convincingly and keep their winning streak going.
Ohio State over Wisconsin
This game has to be the nail in the coffin for Luke Fickell. I do not see the Badger being in this football game at any point. They might even be down in this game even before kickoff.
Indiana over Michigan State
This will not be a trap game. Michigan State is reaching UCLA levels pre Tim Skipper. Indiana should steam roll Michigan State and continue getting valuable reps for their dance with Ohio State.
Oregon over Rutgers
Rutgers could make this game competitive, but Dante Moore and Dan Lanning need to prove to the college football world that they are legit again. Indiana may be the humbling loss this team needed. A close game against Rutgers could continue a possible fraudulent team narrative.
Iowa over Penn State
Penn State will not be just like UCLA after it fired its head coach. This season is already over for their team, and Iowa will draw blood. I don’t think this will be a blowout, but Iowa will still win convincingly. Heck, the Hawkeyes might throw for 200 yards in this game.
Maryland over UCLA
UCLA is a significantly better team than the one we saw in the first four weeks. This defense, however, is not that good. Malik Washington could have a big game in this matchup. Maryland’s defense is good enough to limit Nico from being the quarterback we saw the last two weeks. Washington will be the best quarterback on the field and lead the Terps to a big win.
USC over Notre Dame
This is the type of win that could give Lincoln Riley an extension and keep this rivalry going. Riley was fantastic last week out coaching Sherrone Moore and Wink Martindale. He will need to be on his A game for this matchup. This would be a monumental win for the Trojans. I think all of USC’s stars stepe up in the game and the Trojans prove that they are the playoff contender instead of Notre Dame. With this win the Trojans will finally be taken serious.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Micah’s game-by-game football predictions for Week 8 in the Big Ten
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
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