Week 1 of the college football season is finally here. After the long wait we have a few exciting Big Ten Conference games to open up the season. While a few Big Ten teams are near locks to move to 1-0, everyone will be able to enjoy a full slate of games this Saturday.
It’s Year 2 of the new-look Big Ten, but even with the conference’s additions, the Ohio State Buckeyes ran the table in the College Football Playoff. OSU is likely to have another very talented team in 2025.
Ohio State isn’t the only Big Ten team with national title aspirations. Penn State and the Oregon Ducks are both capable of representing the Big Ten deep into the College Football Playoff. Let’s take a look at the full Big Ten slate in Week 1, along with my score predictions for each game.
Rutgers 27, Ohio 10
Rutgers opens as 10.5 point home favorites against the defending MAC champions and the Scarlet Knights don’t disappoint the home fans in the opener.
Minnesota 31, Buffalo 14
Much like Rutgers, Minnesota opens the season at home as heavy favorites and it will also be our first look at the Golden Gophers’ new starting quarterback Drake Lindsey.
Wisconsin 28, Miami (Ohio) 13
The Badgers will likely move to 1-0 after an easy landing into the 2025 season against the Redhawks. Big Ten veteran Billy Edwards Jr. will also make his debut as the Badgers’ quarterback.
Illinois 42, Western Illinois 17
Illinois won 10 games last season and will begin their 2025 campaign against an FCS team in Western Illinois. Quarterback Luke Altmyer returns for Illinois for his senior season.
Ohio State 34, Texas 27
The premier game of Week 1 with two of the top teams in the country but I believe that Ohio State’s immense talent will be enough to get the victory.
Purdue 20, Ball State 13
Purdue had a rough season in 2024 but they’ll start 2025 with a win, mostly due to the fact that they’re facing Ball State, coming off of a 3-9 season.
Maryland 20, FAU 14
FAU has a new head coach in Zach Kittley but Kittley’s first win with the Owls will have to wait, with the Terps holding on for a hard-fought win.
Indiana 34, Old Dominion 13
Indiana lost offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri to UCLA but their offense won’t miss him too much in Week 1, with the Hoosiers picking up the comfortable win.
Penn State 48, Nevada 17
Penn State has a polished roster, with NFL- ready talent at multiple spots with a real chance at a national title, unfortunately for Nevada, they’re in the way of the Nittany Lions.
Iowa 28, Albany 14
Albany is coming off of a 4-8 season, making them a perfect Week 1 opponent for quarterback Mark Gronkowski and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Tulane 21, Northwestern 20
Tulane won nine games last year and the Green Wave won’t let the home crowd down, eeking out a narrow win over the Wildcats to open the 2025 season.
Nebraska 27, Cincinnati 20
Matt Rhule is looking for some signs of growth in the Corn Huskers’ program in 2025, Rhule and Nebraska will get off to a good start in 2025 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Michigan State 28, Western Michigan 20
Western Michigan went 6-7 in 2024 so a road win against the Spartans is asking for a lot. Michigan State has added plenty of talent through the transfer portal which should raise their floor.
Oregon 42, Montana State 17
The Oregon Ducks can’t erase the pain of last year’s Rose Bowl in one game but they sure can try. The Ducks will take out some frustration on Montana State, a very solid FCS program.
Michigan 23, New Mexico 10
All eyes will be on Bryce Underwood, who won the Wolverines’ starting quarterback job as a true freshman and he should have a good debut against a recovering New Mexico program.
USC 31, Missouri State 14
The Trojans need results from Lincoln Riley in 2025 but there’s little doubt that he and USC should handle business against Missouri State.
Washington 35, Colorado State 13
The Washington Huskies are ready for a bounce-back after falling back to earth following their national title game appearance in 2023. The Huskies shouldn’t have a problem with Colorado State.
Utah 23, UCLA 20
Nico Iamaleava makes his debut in front of the home crowd but he’s doing so against a very sound Utah team and while maybe the Bruins can pull off the upset, Iamaleava will have to wait another week for his first UCLA victory.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Big Ten game predictions for Week 1 of the college football season
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
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