Tough one for my Buccaneers last night after a 28-14 loss to hated UMass-Dartmouth.

If you watched the 12-9 Colts-Broncos win last night and thought “That’s the pinnacle of football,” well...boy, we’ve got a few games for you this week in the Big Ten. HIT IT, RockyMtnBlue!

The Picks

(all times CT)

Friday, Oct 7

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights

6:00pm | FS1 | Nebraska -3 | O/U 51

Straight-Up: jNebby 10-4
Against the Spread: Samesies

Buffkomodo: It’d be kinda funny if Nebraska went on to win the B1G West at this point. Give me Gers though.

misdreavus79: I struggled with this one, but ultimately went with Rutgers because this is the first time Nebraska is playing outside of Lincoln since the Dublin debacle. Rutgers 31, Nebraska 28

MaximumSam: This is a bit of a tough one, only because Nebraska finally resembled a competent outfit against Indiana last week. Rutgers isn’t good, but they play sound defense and try to score every once in a while. Can’t say I feel confident either way, but I’m still leaning towards Nebraska being a bottomless hole and Rutgers being better than that. Rutgers 21, Nebraska 17

Thumpasaurus: With Scott Frost gone, the results on the field have started to actually make some sense. The ‘Gers could very well have a defense but their offense will not be able to keep pace.

MNW: Nebraska has athletes. Rutgers is a Jersey Mike’s money-laundering front. I don’t know what that means, but it made sense at the time. Huskers, 28-17.

RockyMtnBlue: The world saw a disturbing sight last week. jNebby looked... not bad? This is a horrible development and we should all do something about it. But we won’t, so jNebby rolls. Nebraska 24, Rutgers 10

Saturday, Oct 8

Purdue Boilermakers @ Maryland Terrapins

11:00am | BTN | Maryland -3 | O/U 59

Straight-Up: Turtles 8-6
Against the Spread: Samesies

Buffkomodo: A high scoring affair where you’ve gotta take the home team.

misdreavus79: If this were at home, I’d take Purdue. But I don’t know that the Boilers can pull two road upsets in a row. Maryland 28, Purdue 21

MaximumSam: This is a fun game, and definitely the Game of the Week in the B1G. Both of these teams trade in getting your hopes up just to dash them. I was higher on Purdue coming into the season - I thought Jeff Brohm was finally getting his team into place after years of injuries and hiccups. I wasn’t high on Maryland, but who can deny that they have been very solid every week, a consistency we haven’t seen there in some time. Still, the weather is turning colder, and I just have a little less faith in the Terps. Purdue 35, Maryland 28.

Thumpasaurus: This is gonna rule. I really wish I had some way to watch this in Grange Grove. Purdue displayed some toughness on defense, but it wasn’t against a passing offense of Maryland’s caliber. I think Maryland will win and I’m only taking the cover because it’s 3 points.

BoilerUp89: If Purdue had a healthy Jalen Graham to help their secondary, I would probably pick them to win. But he’s supposed to be a game time decision and I’m rather doubtful that he ends up playing. While Purdue’s front 7 on D is good/great at slowing down the run (at least until they face wisconsin), Maryland is a team that can pass that ball. If Ron English runs the same D as the last few weeks where he stacks the box and dares the opponent to pass the ball, Purdue won’t be able to stop Maryland (especially without Graham). There is just a handful too many question marks in the secondary. Both teams should be able to move the ball pretty well thru the air, so the team that limits penalties and turnovers should come away with the win. Turtles 34 - Trains 31.

MNW: I said last week that if the Turtles beat Michigan State, I would respect them.

Turns out I lied. Purdue Reaper knocks again. Boilers, 35-28.

RockyMtnBlue: This could be a really good game. I know, “early season Maryland blah blah blah”, but Maryland has a pulse until we see it doesn’t. The thing is, a good bit of their success this year is finding balance on offense. Purdue’s run defense can take that balance away. Purdue 38, Maryland 35.

(4) Michigan Wolverines @ Indiana Hoosiers

11:00am | FOX | Michigan -22 | O/U 59

Straight-Up: All Blue
Against the Spread: Blue 8-6

Buffkomodo: Read my stuff.

misdreavus79: [does not read Buffkomodo’s stuff]. Michigan 42, Indiana 21

BoilerUp89: Wait, you guys know how to read? Can you teach me? Michigan a lot, Indiana a few.

Thumpasaurus: Meatchicken is good and Illinois’ loss to Indiana is starting to age very badly

MaximumSam: In the olden days, you could count on Indiana to give you something crazy. Those days are gone. Michigan 34, Indiana 10.

MNW: Pat Fitzgerald and Ol’ Love Each Other have really turned into shells of themselves this year, huh? We’ll always have 2020, boys.

I personally think the over/under on this one is nuts. Michigan’s defense is fine, Indiana’s offense is certainly not Maryland’s offense, and unless JCade McNamaracarthy—look I don’t know which is the starter and I really don’t care—can’t take the lid off IU’s defense, this one will be a comfortable, slow strangulation. Michigan, 35-10.

RockyMtnBlue: Who the hell even knows what Indiana is this year? Whatever it is I don’t think it’s up to upsetting YOUR REIGNING CONFERENCE CHAMPION MICHIGAN WOLVERINES. Michigan 34, Indiana 14

Wisconsin Badgers @ Northwestern Wildcats

2:30pm | BTN | Wisconsin -10 | O/U 43.5

Straight-Up: Rodents 9-5
Against the Spread: Kittens 11-3

Buffkomodo: I’ll take a middle position because…hell if I know what’s going to happen. Last B1G team to fire their coach won their next B1G game. So we’ll see?

misdreavus79: And it begins. Northwestern’s run to a West title begins with a sizable upset of Wisconsin in Evanston. Northwestern 17, Wisconsin 10

MaximumSam: It’s no coincidence that the Badger brain trust shot Chryst back to his father with Northwestern on the horizon. This is a game for Jim Leonhard to start making his case. Wisconsin 36, Northwestern 10.

HWAHSQB: Kind of says that the Badgers don’t win in Evanston and he’s smart so I’m going to go with that.

BoilerUp89: The road to Ireland-11 continues. Don’t know if the spread gets covered though and can’t be bothered to check to see what I picked.

MNW: Honest to God we are just so so so so so so so goddamn bad. And wisconsin’s defense is made to take advantage of stupid mistakes that Ryan Hilinski will surely make.

If the rain scheduled for Friday rolls in, I’ll consider revising my prediction, but for now it’s just going to be a slow, dumb death on Homecoming. Can’t wait for Fitz to blame all the students for not wanting to show up and watch this horseshit. And I’m going to be stuck at a wedding with goddamn badger fans and probably actually have to see my wife’s side of the family at Christmas this year, which just blows. ‘Cats lose, 17-9.

RockyMtnBlue: Remember when this game would come up on the schedule and Northwestern would drag a potent Wisconsin attack into the gutter and we’d all be surprised how stupid the game was, regardless who won? Nobody’s going to be surprised this year. Wisconsin 21, Northwestern 11

(3) Ohio State Buckeyes @ Michigan State Spartans

3:00pm | ABC | Ohio State -25.5 | O/U 63

Straight-Up: All Deathstar
Against the Spread: Deathstar 11-3

Buffkomodo: Ohio State by as many as they want.

misdreavus79: Y’all thought last year was bad? Hoo boy! Ohio State 77, Michigan State 17

Thumpasaurus: Depends on whose stats they want to pad I suppose.

MaximumSam: Tough to find much hope for Sparty here, given their many issues on the back end of their defense. The game is in East Lansing, which is perhaps the only hope for the home team. Ohio State 40, Michigan State 17

BoilerUp89: Go Sparty! Ohio State wins and covers.

MNW: Go for the fabian rutger strategy, Sparty—take the air outta the ball and live to lose another day, too. Ohio State, 42-17.

RockyMtnBlue: On one side we have the Deathstar: an unstoppable juggernaut of evil, representing everything that’s horrible about the universe. On the other we have an AT-ST. An old one. That’s broken a little. Same general values, but this thing can be killed by teddy bears. Ohio State 55, Michigan State 13

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Illinois Fighting Illini

6:30pm | BTN | Illinois -3.5 | O/U 36

Straight-Up: Fighting Thumps 9-5
Against the Spread: All tied up at 7

Buffkomodo: This game. At Iowa, take Iowa but the home Illinois adds a wrinkle to it. I actually believe Illinois is very good this year so I’ll go with the kids in orange.

misdreavus79: The difference between all those Iowa wins of the past eight seasons is that the Hawkeyes had something that one could at least pretend was an offense. What do they have now? Illinois 27, Iowa 10

MaximumSam: I am an early adopter to Team Bert this season, but I am also Not A Complete Brian Ferentz Hater. I saw a few signs of life last week against Michigan. A flicker, if you will. Enough to make me think Iowa can put together a below average to average offensive performance, and coupled with the defense, that’s enough to win. Iowa 17, Illinois 13

BoilerUp89: A strong contender for game of the week. If you prefer defense to offense, this is the game of the week. Winner is a true contender for the division. Loser isn’t out of the running either, but will have a much smaller margin for error moving forward (both teams have a game against Michigan or OSU left).

HWAHSQB: Look, no one wants Illinois to win this game more than I do. However, I just don’t think it will happen. Illinois has turned the ball over with too much regularity and has the worst kicking game in the conference. I-wa has Phil Parker devil-magic for turning turnovers into scores and a fantastic kicking game. That will be the difference in a contest where neither offense is able to move the ball very well.

I hate that I feel this way. Fuck me. Pass the Malort.

MNW: 8 in a row.

Until proven otherwise, I will not pick against Iowa in this one. Hawkeyes, 17-10.

Thumpasaurus: I can no longer pretend this defense isn’t great. Our offense is better, but their special teams unit is vastly superior to ours. They won’t get anywhere on offense, but they will flip the field. You know what that means? This is a big time situation. That calls for a big time quarterback.

BIG TIME TOMMY IS IN THE HOUSE.

RockyMtnBlue: Illinois had quite the coming out party last week, announcing to the world they’re for real*. Now they find themselves favored over Iowa. Can they keep it up? I say they can. Illinois 17, Iowa 5

* for Big10 West values of ‘real’

Too cowardly to play this week

Minnesota Golden Gophers

(10) Penn State Nittany Lions

Buffkomodo: I mean, Penn State deserves this after playing in the rain last week. They seem to be on course to meltdown though. Goophers done messed up A-A-Ron. Back to the boat for PJ.

misdreavus79: You know what would be ideal? If Penn State’s inexplicable dumb game of the season was the one against Northwestern. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. They’re good for one of these a year, and dear god please let it be the one where they actually came out with a win for once.

MaximumSam: PJ Fleck spends his off week watching his water tank full of eels swim against the current. His toenails have grown another quarter of an inch, and he admires the sharpness of his pinky nail, which he may use to slice the carotid artery of his many foes.

Meanwhile, James Franklin pours back a Yuengling and rates his assistant coaches’ girlfriends on a scale of one to five. Fleck 38, Franklin 12

BoilerUp89: You know what? Don’t teach me how to read.

RockyMtnBlue: Taking the week off to prep for my Wolverines, eh Nits? How very SEC of you.