So, last week I said there were going to be some very exciting matchups for the Big Ten: NU v. PSU, MU v. PU and NU v. OSU. None of those panned out.
This week I don’t like any of the contests; therefore, going by simple-man’s logic, they will be great, exciting games. For your sake and mine, I hope they are.
I finally figured out a way to incorporate my picks into the lines without directly telling you, which is what I’m doing right now with this sentence. See if you can see what I did there. For those who would like to watch some real college football this Saturday, I recommend No. 15 Texas at No. 13 Oklahoma and probably the best game this week: No. 17 Stanford at No. 7 Notre Dame. I will be at that game.
OFF: Penn State, Nebraska
Iowa (+9.5) @ Michigan State
Iowa is coming off their bye week and Michigan State is coming off a poor performance against Indiana that resulted in the benching of their defensive captain Chris Norman. For the Hawkeyes, running back Damon Bullock is coming back from a concussion, but former fullback walk-on Mark Weisman has rushed for 506 yards and 7 touchdowns in three games.
Those opponents were Northern Iowa, Central Michigan, and Minnesota. Bullock is expected not to get the start. For the Spartans, defensive coordinator Ted Gill has confirmed that he may put William Ghoulston at nose tackle in nickel formations. Hey Kirk, I think they know you’re going to run the ball, better have that passing game figured out.
Northwestern @ Minnesota (+3.5)
I place last week’s loss at Penn State mostly on the coaching staff. In the fourth quarter against Penn State, Venric Mark and Kain Colter did not receive carries. On the second to last Wildcat play of the game, Kyle Prater caught his first pass. That is disturbing if you are a fan of the purple and black.
If Northwestern wants to stand a chance in this game, they need to do the exact opposite of what they did with a lead last week. Minnesota has a chance to go to a bowl this year, based mostly on their defense. I’m pegging them as contenders in three of their remaining seven games: Northwestern, Purdue, and Illinois. If they can pull off a win against Northwestern in week seven or Purdue in week nine, then they could be bowling for the first time since 2009 (Illinois is a win for anyone with a roster).
Wow, that wasn’t as long ago as I thought it would be. So much for trying to poopoo on Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are coming off a bye and Northwestern’s next opponent, Nebraska, will also be coming off a bye. Poor Wildcats drew the short straw. Injured quarterback MarQueis Gray might appear in the contest, but it isn’t likely as head coach Jerry Kill has stated he doesn’t know if he can take a hit yet.
Wisconsin (+2) @ Purdue
This matchup has huge implications for the Leaders division title. Wisconsin sits 1-1 in conference play and Purdue sits at 0-1. Yes, it is very early, but with both teams remaining schedules looking about even with difficulty, this game could tell us who will end up heading to Indianapolis. Purdue is coming off a very disappointing loss at home to Michigan and Wisconsin had a chance to refine some of their offensive game plan against the lowly Illini.
After seeing Purdue almost blow a lead to Marshall and then get stomped by Michigan, I want to know why the line is giving Wisconsin 2. They also almost beat Nebraska at Omaha if it wasn’t for awful communication during their final drive.
Illinois @ No. 25 Michigan (-25)
There are already rumblings inside the booster camp for the Illini that Tim Beckman was a mistake. Five games into his tenure at Illinois and he is already being considered a failure. Yikes. Sources are also reporting that he has received a motion of no confidence from the fanbase at illinihq.com. I am those sources.
I think Denard Robinson will cover the spread single-handedly and Beckman could be fired at halftime. STAMP IT. It is a real shame, too, because there are some interesting NFL prospects on the Illini’s defense: Michael Buchanan, Jonathan Brown, Terry Hawthorne and Akeem Spence.
No. 8 Ohio State (-17.5) @ Indiana
The spread of this game is way too low. It opened at -17.5 and it still sits at IU getting 17.5 here on Friday. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. I DUB OHIO STATE MY SHOE-IN OF THE WEEK. *takes off shoe and slams it on desk*
If Indiana can play at least three quarters of football instead of the two they played last week and the Buckeyes only manage to play with half their asses, I think this game will be close. That isn’t going to happen and I wish my Hoosiers all the best.
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