Purdue at Penn State
The struggling Boilmakers take their circus act to Happy Valley to take on an up-and-down Penn State team that by all accounts can be considered over achievers. Bill O'Brien was given limited scholarships due to NCAA violations and has turned water into wine with what he has. His quarterback Christian Hackenberg has been the main event as the true freshman has lived up to the hype of the nation's top recruit. Penn State ran into a speed bump last week as they played the red hot Gophers and couldn't find any type of rhythm throughout the day losing by a score of 24-10 and dropping them to a 5-4 record. They will look to get back to what gave them earlier success in the year by running the ball effectively with Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton while letting Hackenberg make big plays down the field off the play action game. Purdue's first year head coach Darrell Hazzel will continue his rebuilding process by plugging in different players in hopes to build a foundation for next year. He has already benched his preseason starting quarterback for freshman Danny Etling and will continue to do the best with what he was given. This will be a fun game for the Nittnay Lion players to stop over thinking their assignments and just go play football against a far lesser opponent playing with zero confidence.
X Factor: The Penn State running game was no where to be found and it killed the passing game. Bill Belton must be an effective work horse on the ground to open up the passing game for Hackenberg.
Vegas Line: Penn State -21.5
Michigan at Northwestern
What the hell happened with these two teams!? What were once locks to be some of the last men standing at the end of the season have completely disintegrated. Northwestern started their season a perfect 4-0 and have since lost their last five, count 'em, five in a row. Michigan started the season throwing up points like Pacman Jones at a strip club. Their quarterback Devin Gardner looked unstoppable and was a heavy Heisman favorite until a string of poor performances one after another. His poorest bad habit that has recently transpired has been his lack of ball security throwing far more interceptions than touchdowns and being careless when tucking the ball down and running. The Wolverines looked like they were back on track after putting up 63 points against the Hoosiers three weeks ago but followed that up with a losses to in-state rival Michigan State and Nebraska last week snapping Brady Hoke's 20 game home winning streak. Still at 6-3 their season is still salvageable starting with a win Saturday. They get the Wildcats without arguably their best player in running back Venric Mark who fractured his ankle. A theme that is no stranger to Northwestern being plagued with injuries week in and week out. Even without Mark however, playing in front of a home crowd and an effective two quarterback system with talented Kain Colter and Mark Sieman, I'm giving the Wildcats a slight edge to snap their losing streak.
X Factor: The Wolverines have the firepower to put up big points in any game, the key is how well Gardner can take care of the ball and limiting the shots in the foot he gives his team.
Vegas LIne: Northwestern -3
Indiana at Wisconsin
With a 7-2 record the 17th ranked Badgers have three Big Ten teams left on their schedule including two opponents with at least four losses making a ten win season more than realistic. Staying outside the top 14 with ten wins, however, is also very realistic. Wisconsin fans would be sick to their stomach if that were the case as they think back to a cheap loss to Arizona State earlier in the year. Back to the now, Wisconsin plays a Hoosier team they have beat eight consecutive times by an average of 35 points per game.
They play a Hoosier team this year that is blowing up the score board leading the conference with 327 yards passing which also ranks 12th in the country. Losing their star running back Tevin Coleman to an ankle injury will be a big blow as he is leading the Big Ten with 12 rushing touchdowns and third with 106 yards rushing per game. Coleman also was named Big Ten player of the week with 215 yards on just 15 carries with two touchdowns. Stephen Houston will start in his place who is averaging 7.3 yards per carry this season.
As he lines up in the backfield he will be starring at a monster on the other side of the ball in linebacker Chris Borland who came back last week form a hamstring injury and made a huge impact on the game with 12 tackles and two sacks. Borland is the Badgers best defensive player and is being projected in the first round in next years draft. Having him back and healthy will be more than enough to stop Indiana's electric offensive attack.
X Factor: The Wisconsin running game has been nearly unstoppable. If the Hoosiers can put any kind of hiccup in that phase of their game and force Joel Stave to save the day, they will have more than a fighting chance in a passing game shoot out.
Vegas LIne: Wisconsin -22
Ohio State at Illinois
The last time these two teams met back in 2011, Ohio State won a game in where they completed just one pass. No, that is not a typo, and yes, Urban Meyer will make sure that offensive game plan will never be duplicated. The Buckeyes, who have won a nation best 22 straight games, are fifth in the country with 48 points per game. Rushing the ball and good defense has been their recipe for success ranking eighth in the nation in both rushing yards per game and points scored against.
Illinois ranks an impressive 24th nationally in passing yards per game for a team that has dropped to 3-6, losing their last five games in a row. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is a big reason why. After starting the season throwing 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions in his first four games, and just three touchdown passes in his last five games making him one of the biggest Jekyl and Hyde performances of the year. The Buckeyes will rely on running back Carlos Hyde early and often to set the tempo of a smash mouth Big Ten style football game.
Former Heisman candidate Braxton Miller will do the rest working off Meyer's bootleg and play action filled playbook. If Illinois wants to snap their five game losing streak they will need to find a way to shut out one of Ohio State's offensive components while limiting the other. The Buckeyes are not known for a stellar pass defense which is music to Scheelhaase's ears. He has the talent and ability to expose the Buckeyes in their pass coverage and surprise a lot of people by keeping this game close.
X Factor: The Fighting Illini will have to play flawless football to have a shot in this one. That means Nathan Scheelhaase will not only have to be aggressive but also extremely protective of the football. Any turnovers by him and this game will be over before it starts.
Vegas Line: Ohio State -33
Michigan State at Nebraska
Forget about Ohio States 22 game winning streak, Michigan State is the hottest team in the Big Ten right now. The number one defense in the nation mixed in with a quarterback who is efficient and doesn't turn the ball over and you've got the 8-1 Spartans. Connor Cook has filled his role of "game manager" to a T. Now with almost 1,500 yards thrown and 13 touchdowns he has been the key element in a team that lost five games last year by a total of just 11 points to a team that is now ranked 16th in the nation.
They head to Nebraska to take on a Cornhuskers team that still has a Big Ten title in their sights and won't seem to take no for an answer. Two weeks ago they stunned Northwestern on a last second hail mary and followed that show up with a game winning two minute drive against Michigan capped off by an Ameer Abdullah touchdown run. Hug implications are on the line this week as the Spartans could all but seal up a spot in the conference title game as they would only have to win one of their final two games. But at 7-2 Nebraska is nipping at the heels of Michigan State and could leapfrog them with a win this Saturday. Keep in mind in these two team's seven meetings Nebraska has came out on top in every sing match up. Will history repeat itself or will Cinderella keep on her slippers. Tune in Saturday at 2:30 central time on ABC to find out.
X Factor: Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah has been the rock of the team dating back to last year when he was named All-Big Ten, and now has 1,213 yards and seven touchdowns on the year. It's vital he continues to be the guy the Cornhuskers rely on consistently for four quarters and try to wear down this daunting defense, taking pressure off Taylor Martinez, and keep his defense off of the field. Even if his yards per carry and numbers don't make it on Sportscenter.
Vegas Line: Michigan State -6