Week 6 Big Ten Football Open Thread

Good Morning OTE!

So, DJ usually gets these out on Saturdays, but he has real work to do and I need to pretend that I have a semblance of contribution to the site, so here we are.

We've got a weird day of football ahead of us here in Big Ten Country. From a historic rivalry with a pig on the line to the BATTLE FOR SOMETHING out on the East Coast, I must admit that this week has the potential to be interesting, but probably filled with awful football.

Anyhow, here's the slate:

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Minnesota Golden Gophers || 11AM Central || ESPN2

Line: Minnesota -2 || O/U: 50

Oh, cool. Battle for Floyd. Look, Minnesota might be mostly good with a terrible secondary and Iowa might be mostly bad with a terrible offensive line. I don’t really know what to read of this game, but in theory, rivalries will be close. Looking down the slate of games, I’m resting my hopes on this one for entertainment.

Maryland Terrapins @ Penn State Nittany Lions || 11AM Central || BTN

Line: Maryland -3 || O/U: 57

This is another one of those games that I really can’t get a good read on. In theory, these teams aren’t all that evenly matched. Maryland looks fairly good this year and Penn State has not really hit its stride. Yet, we only see a line of 3 and even I think that Penn State could pull this one off by a TD or more. This will be the first test for the Terps, which is saying a lot about the scheduling to this point.

BYU Cougars @ Michigan State Spartans || 2:30PM Central || ABC/ESPN2

Line: MSU -5.5 || O/U: 49

I said this in the picks column, but like... this just seems like an awkward game. Both teams are sort of mediocre and while each has a win that maybe says they’re good, I wouldn’t bet on either having a stellar season. That said, I expect BYU to make this close because that’s literally all they do.

Indiana Hoosiers @ Ohio State Buckeyes || 2:30PM Central || ESPN

Line: OSU -28 || O/U 60

This will most likely be carnage because that is what the Buckeyes do. Sorry Hoosier bros.

Purdue Boilermakers @ Illinois Fighting Illini || 2:30PM Central || BTN

Line: Illinois -10 || O/U: 53.5

It’s the next stop on the “Why does Darrell Hazell have a job” tour! I’m taking the Illini because I honestly believe Purdue is somehow worse than they’ve been in a while. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but again, here we are.

Michigan Wolverines @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights || 6PM Central || ESPN

Line: Michigan -30.5 || O/U: 53

This will most likely be carnage, but hey, at least it’s in PRIME TIME!

Stay safe out there today peeps. Reminder, no racism, sexism, homophobic talk, or general jackass behavior. Also no porn or illegal streams. Good? Good.