The game of the year in the Big Ten is this week, as Ohio State hosts Penn State in the Big Ten’s unofficial championship game. Otherwise, it could be a relatively boring week with many blow outs and few upsets.

Illinois @ Wisconsin
Who would have thought that this game would be a 4-3 team vs. a 3-4 team, neither of which were ranked? The Illini and Badgers began the season in the Top 25 and now are scrambling to become bowl-eligible. The Illini, however, are in much better shape coming off a romp over the Hoosiers. The Badgers’ collapse continued last week with an embarrassing loss to the Hawkeyes. Considering how many points Wisconsin gave up to Iowa (38), Illini quarterback Juice Williams is probably licking his chops. Wisconsin does have home-field advantage at Camp Randall, and if their defense that has been absent for the past month shows up, they could pull off the upset. But that is a rather large ‘if.’
Prediction: Illini 38 Badgers 20

#24 Minnesota @ Purdue

Purdue is still sputtering after its defeat against Northwestern last weekend. Photo by Julie Beck / North by Northwestern.

The Golden Gophers had a much-needed bye week to get healthy after becoming bowl eligible with an upset win over Illinois. The Gophers, who won only one game last season, are backing up coach Tim Brewster’s preseason declaration that his goal was to take the Gophers to Pasadena. The Boilermakers, in contrast, are sputtering after giving up 48 points to Northwestern last weekend. The Gophers’ liability is still their defense, which works out well for Kory Sheets and Curtis Painter — Purdue’s playmakers. If the Purdue defense that held Ohio State to 16 points shows up, they can get an upset win and get back on track. The Gophers will look to be only the second Big Ten team to win after its bye week this season.
Prediction: Golden Gophers 34 Boilermakers 31

Michigan State @ Michigan
This inter-state rivalry has lost its luster this season as the Wolverines are very much in risk of missing the postseason. At 2-5, Michigan’s one highlight was their comeback win over Wisconsin—a win that isn’t so impressive considering the Badgers’ results since that game. The Spartans had a chance for a big upset in East Lansing last week but failed miserably and got dominated by Ohio State. Look for them to come back with an impressive win in Ann Arbor thanks to running back Javon Ringer. Normally, I’d say the Wolverines could pull off the upset due to the advantage of playing in the Big House—but they’ve shown this year that not even playing in Ann Arbor can help them this season.
Prediction: Spartans 42 Wolverines 24

#3 Penn State @ #9 Ohio State
We’ve been looking forward to this game since the beginning of the Big Ten season, and, since neither team was upset, this is essentially a game for the Big Ten Championship. A win by the Nittany Lions put them in position to make the BCS National Championship game, allowing another Big Ten team, say Northwestern, to reach the Rose Bowl. The Nittany Lions almost had their first challenge last Saturday as they went down early to Michigan, but a big second half led to another rout for Joe Paterno’s team. The Buckeyes have continued to roll since losing to USC. Their win two weeks ago over Purdue was not too convincing, but they shut up the critics with a huge win in East Lansing last Saturday against a very good Spartan team. The Buckeyes have more momentum and they get to play at home, in the Horseshoe, so I’m going to go with Ohio State in this one.
Prediction: Buckeyes 31 Nittany Lions 24

#22 Northwestern @ Indiana
Here are two teams going in opposite directions. After an inspiring season in 2007, Indiana has lost five in a row and was blown out by Iowa and Illinois the last two weeks. The 2-5 Hoosiers have been without a healthy Kellen Lewis—the key to their offensive success. He is still listed as questionable for Saturday with a high ankle sprain. His backup, Ben Chappell, is not as mobile as Lewis, nor has he gotten much protection. The Cats, in contrast, had a big homecoming win last Saturday over Purdue, proving themselves after their loss to Michigan State. The offense came alive and, with help from a defense that forced five turnovers, NU put 48 points on the scoreboard, bringing back memories from 2005. C.J. Bacher and Tyrell Sutton should be ready to feast on a weak Hoosiers defense. If Lewis is not playing, or not at 100%, the Cats should win big. But Northwestern has been prone in the past to playing down to their competition, so if Lewis is in the lineup, the game will be close. As I’ve said before, even if it’s homecoming, there’s no such thing as a home-field advantage in Bloomington. A Wildcat victory will vault them into the top 20 heading into a treacherous final four games on the schedule. They have succeeded in beating the teams they should beat all year long, and need to continue to do so on Saturday.
Prediction: Wildcats 41 Hoosiers 24

Bye Week: Iowa

Last week’s record: 4-1
Season record: 14-7