Last week we got the games we all deserved. Indiana at Penn State and Oregon at Iowa were classics. Amazing finishes from both the Hoosiers and Ducks to pull out last second wins when it looked like they were on the ropes. Then there was Washington laying a complete egg losing in the sleet to Wisconsin. Yuck. This week we have a lot of big spreads, and probably not a lot of great games, but someone usually surprises. Who will it be this week?
#1 Ohio State Buckeyes (Previously #1)
The Buckeyes teased Purdue letting the Boilermakers have
a 3-0 lead after the first quarter. Hmm…sounds familiar. Then OSU went on a tear scoring 34 unanswered points before Purdue added a late touchdown for a back door cover and to make the final 34-10. The Buckeyes host UCLA this week in a rare November night game in the Shoe. They are 32.5 point favorites in a NBC primetime game that could easily be over by halftime.
#2 Indiana Hoosiers (Previously #2)
Indiana fought and clawed and needed a drive that will go down in Hoosier history to do it, but they picked up a 27-24 win at Penn State and remained undefeated. The final touchdown toe tap is one of the best you will ever see from Omar Cooper, Jr. That sound you all heard was a huge exhale from Bloomington. This Week Indiana will see if they can fair better against other top Big Ten teams Ohio State and Oregon who struggled a bit and played much closer games than expected against Wisconsin. The Badgers head to Bloomington where the Hoosiers are 29.5 point favorites, and it would be nice to see that covered by halftime.
#3 Oregon Ducks (Previously #3)
Oregon stays at #3 by the skin of their teeth and pulls out a last second field goal to win at Iowa in the rain 18-16. The Ducks needed to play big boy midwest football to get it done and they did just that taking it up the gut of the Iowa defense in less than two minutes to get the game winner. They return home to host Minnesota on Friday night in a game that should be a blowout, but maybe somehow the Gophers can catch them sleeping? Yeah a guy can wish, but it doesn’t mean it will come true. The line has jumped to 25.5 points in the favor of the Ducks, so Vegas doesn’t think so.
#4 USC Trojans (Previously #4)
USC remains at #4 after a 38-17 win over Northwestern at home on Friday night. The Wildcats tried to keep up but just ran out of gas. USC remains a CFP longshot coming in at #17 in this week’s rankings, and a big win this week when they host Iowa would go a long way to putting them at least in the discussion. Trojans are favored by 6.5 which seems high.
#5 Michigan Wolverines (Previously #6)
Michigan jumps up a spot on their bye that they lost to Iowa last week on their bye. The Wolverines sit at 7-2 and have a clear path to at least 9-3 with games against Northwestern at Wrigley Field this week (where there will be more Wolverines fans hat Wildcat fans), at Maryland and then home for The Game. The Wolverines sit #18 in the CFP rankings this week but will need a lot of help to move up on the bubble, and need a win against the Buckeyes and even that might not be enough. Michigan is a 12.5 point favorite in the Friendly Confines on Saturday.
#6 Iowa Hawkeyes (Previously #5)
Iowa has had two chances this year to hang on for huge home victories and has squandered both away to Indiana and Oregon. Win both of those and we are talking about playoff Iowa. But, they lost both and instead we are talking about 6-3 Iowa who now has to head across the country to face a good USC team. The Hawkeyes are 6.5 point dogs and are going to need their defense to shine to have a chance to win.
#7 Illinois Fighting Illini (Previously #8)
Illinois jumps up a spot on their bye after Washington’s loss. The Illini sit at 6-3 and have a very attainable path to 9-3 starting this week when they host Maryland as 14.5 point favorites. Wisconsin and Northwestern remain between Illinois and a second straight Florida bowl game.
#8 Minnesota Golden Gophers (Previously #9)
The Gophers also pop up a spot on their bye thanks to the Huskies crapping the bed. They now have to go to Eugene and face an Oregon team that wants to earn as many style points as possible to impress the CFP committee. If the Gopher defense shows up, this one could be closer than expected. If they don’t this one will be over by 8:45 Friday night.
#9 Nebraska Cornhuskers (Previously #10)
Nebraska puts together another close win but gust it out 28-21 over UCLA t home with a backup QB to move to 7-3 on the season. They get a bye this week before finishing at Penn State and hosting Iowa. 9-3 is possible, as is 7-5. Which one will it be?
#10 Washington Huskies (Previously #7)
Oh Huskies, not like that. While your Pacific Northwestern brothers Oregon figured out how to play big boy midwest football, you did not. A 13-10 loss in Madison to give the Badgers their first Big Ten win was not what anyone had in mind. A great season will now just be good as they sit at 6-3 while hosting Purdue this weekend as 16.5 point favorites. The Huskies finish at UCLA and with Oregon so 8-4 is still a definite possibility, but 9-3 would have looked a lot better.
#11 Northwestern Wildcats (Previously #11)
Northwestern stays at #11 after a drubbing at USC last Friday. But they still look like the best of the rest. They enter this weekend with a 5-4 record and need one of their last three to go bowling. Its not easy with both Michigan and Minnesota back to bac at Wrigley the next two weeks before finishing at Illinois, but its definitely do able.
#12 Penn State Nittany Lions (Previously #13)
Penn State jumps up a spot after almost pulling off a huge upset at home, but just could not hang on for one more drive and Indiana stole the victory away from the Nittany Lions. Despite the loss and the 3-6 record, nobody is counting out Penn State running the table to get to 6-6 and still making a bowl game. That starts this week when then head to East Lansing at 7.5 point favorites over Michigan State. Add in a home game battle of the backup QBs vs Nebraska and a finale at Rutgers and its not so far fetched.
#13 UCLA Bruins (Previously #12)
UCLA drops a spot after blowing a big chance against a backup QB in Lincoln and falling by a TD. The Bruins sit at 3-6 and their great redemption story will finally be extinguished as they become bowl ineligible this weekend unless they pull off the upset of the century knocking off Ohio State.
#14 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Previously #15)
Rutgers picks up conference win #2 with a 35-20 victory over Maryland to mote to 5-5. They get a bye this week to try and figure out how to pick up one more win and make it to a bowl. Probably not next week at Ohio State to circle the season finale against Penn State that could potentially be a 5-6 vs 5-6 matchup for postseason survival.
#15 Wisconsin Badgers (Previously #18)
Congrats Badgers for living in the Midwest and knowing how just enough to play in the conditions. Their first Big Ten win comes 13-10 over Washington who looked like they wanted to be anywhere else but in the sleet filled confines of Camp Randall and the Badgers pulled out a win despite their leading passer being their punter. Seriously. The Badgers played three quarterbacks in the game and their most successful passer was their punter. And they won. You just got to put up your hands and shrug. Good luck not getting run off the field in Bloomington this week. It’s gonna be a bit different me thinks.
#16 Michigan State Spartans (Previously #14)
The Spartans drop a pair of spots on their bye after Rutgers and Wisconsin pick up wins. Michigan State is still looking for their first conference win on the season and with a suddenly semi rejuvenated Penn State team coming to town this week is might not be a great chance. At Iowa next weekend not so much either—so that season finale against Maryland might be it.
#17 Purdue Boilermakers (Previously #16)
Purdue drops a spot after a loss to Ohio State. No shame there but they do get jumped by Wisconsin. Purdue is sitting at 2-8 put has played lot of quality teams close—just haven’t been able to get over the hump. They go to Washington this week who is probably not happy with the way they played in Madison—so Purdue would do themselves a favor to not fall behind early.
#18 Maryland Terrapins (Previously #17)
Maryland falls to the cellar after a loss to Rutgers. Mike Locksley was not in fact fired after their loss 2 weeks ago—damn you Tim Brando for falling for a fake account and me believing him but here we are. The Terps may still think they have a chance at a bowl sitting at 4-5 but with games at Illinois and against Michigan the next two weeks—-well if you can’t beat Rutgers I don’t think you ca beat either of those teams.
