Mike: The Lateef era begins with #B1GafterDusk at the infamous Rose Bowel, overlooking the majestic San Gabriel mountains in lovely Pasadena, California. (Must speak that in Keith Jackson’s voice.)
Jarek:
I’m always looking for a good reason to stay up later. This will suit me just fine.
Jill: Welcome back #PAC13AfterDark
Andy: Back-to-back night games, you think I’d be sleeping in before a busy evening, but nah. I’m breaking out the pad to get some stuff done while enjoying Friday’s leftovers of homemade pizza and taco for breakfast. Or will I stretch the leftover meat to two tacos? Anyway, enjoy your eggs.
Jon: Weeeeeeeee
Indiana (-14.5) at Penn State
Jarek: Preseason this game was one that I had quietly circled knowing it was going to be a huge matchup. Then crap hit the fan for Penn State. Meanwhile, Curt Cignetti is starting to show Indiana football he’s their Bobby Knight. The Hoosiers should have zero problems with this one. I look forward to scouting Penn State here. Indiana 41 Penn State 17
Mike: Indiana finishes the season with Penn State, Wisconsin and Purdue. Needless to say, they are on cruise control, and this is likely their last chance for Curt Cignetti to make an emphatic statement on Big 11 AM. The line is 14.5? Not so sure it shouldn’t be 41. Hoosiers 63, Nitts 17
Jill: Indiana is firmly in the national championship race and they want to make a statement. Hoosiers 42 Penn State 18
Andy: Welcome to a demonstration of what happens when a team who has their shit together meets one that doesn’t. In addition, Indiana will lay a thumping on the Nittaninnies to show that the CFP is ranking a brand in the top spot instead of the more deserving team with a bigger win. Indiana 47 Penn State 13
Jon: Penn State finally rises from the ashes and makes a brilliant stand only to lose in OT when they miss a 28 yard field goal. Indiana 34, Penn State 31
Maryland (+1.5) at Rutgers
Jarek: Ah yes, if this game had a trophy, it would be “the biggest end of season cliff dive without a parachute”. Rutgers just doesn’t quite have that defensive tenacity under Schiano it used to. I like Maryland here. Maryland 27 Rutgers 20
Mike: The Terps have been closer to having a decent season than Rutgers, which has been a bunch of meh. Turtles 34, Buttgers 21
Jill: It is time for November Maryland. Knights 22 Terps 19
Andy: A B1G bottom feeder matchup of little interest to anyone. I’ll take Rutgers since Maryland is in their annual tradition of, as they did this season, starting 4-0 (or something similar) then hitting the skids. They are currently 4-4. And that’s as deep as I’m diving as I head down the hall to clear space for the pizza & tacos. Maryland – some points, Rutgers – a few more
Jon: Someone gets to win! Rutgers 28, Maryland 24
Oregon (-6.5) at Iowa
Jarek: Iowa…as it gets dark…at Kinnick…gulp. It’s officially hunting season here in the Midwest, and Ducks are primarily target numero uno. Iowa usually punches above its weight in games like this. Operative word being usually. I think the Ducks escape, but barely. Cue the laughing dog from Duck Hunt. Oregon 27 Iowa 24
Mike: October Iowa was a heckuva lot better than the non-conference Iowa team at the start of the season. But these Ducks? Ducks 34, Squawkeyes 19
Jill: Iowa has shown signs of…gasp…competence on offense. Traveling over two time zones has become the norm for Oregon. I agree with the guys that the Ducks pull this one out. Oregon 24 Iowa 20
Andy: Iowa’s offensive resurgence is an illusion. They are finding weird ways to put points on the board, but they average a paltry 308 yards a game, only 136 of them through the air. Oregon definitely has more weapons, but those could be negated by cold, wet weather in the foul colon of Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will pile up the 3 & outs and wait for Ducky mistakes. The Squawks tout their 5-1 record vs. Top 10 teams in November although the 1st two wins were interrupted by news reports of the signing of the Magna Carta and the Boston Tea Party respectively. The Ducks honk out a 19-12 cover.
Jon: I’ve always thought going to Iowa City to play football will be the moment Oregon regrets joining the Big Ten. I don’t think they’ll lose, but God help their fans encountering Iowa. It’ll be a slog. Oregon 24, Iowa 21
Washington (-11.5) at Wisconsin
Jarek: In case you haven’t noticed, Washington is pretty good. Wisconsin can’t even win in beer sales. Fickell is staying for another year, so Wisconsin might suck again. Washington 37 Wisconsin 17
Mike: Good news for Wisconsin: October is over. That being said, the Badgers are just mailing it in at this point, and wondering if there’s a bump in NIL funding for next season. But that’s next year. This week? Huskies 42, Stinkin’ Badgers 13
Jill: I think the Badgers want their season to be over as much as the rest of us do. Huskies 40 Badgers 12
Andy: Wisconsin has decided to invest in building a stronger roster for Luke Fickell in 2026 instead of joining the current trend of paying a bloated buyout to a fired coach. Will it work? Not today. Look for a another potent west coast offense to be stymied by cold, wet weather, but Washington will still prevail against a Badger team who can’t score in any conditions. Huskies 17 Stinkin’ Batchers 7
Jon: Basketball season has started! Washington 38, Wisconsin 3
Nebraska (+1.5) at UCLA
Jarek: A true freshman in his first genuine road start…there are going to be some growing pains. UCLA for about a month looked reborn, only to get slapped back into reality. My head and my heart are usually at war with this type of game, but incredibly unsure of itself but convinced the other is wrong. This time, they are in uneasy agreement. Bodes well for Nebraska. Nebraska 24 UCLA 21
Mike: Nebraska’s passing game has been mostly inept in conference play, but I have this suspicion that TJ Lateef is going to give Nebraska’s passing game a bit of a spark. Wishful thinking perhaps? Perhaps. Nico Iamaleava is going to have the bigger stats, but Lateef is going to get Nebraska more points. Huskers 31, Bruins 27
Jill: I don’t trust either team. Nebraska is starting a true freshman who isn’t going to fix the offense. UCLA has been a feel-good story for part of the season and they are at home. They do enough to hold off the visitors. UCLA 27 Nebraska 21
Andy: No freaking clue.
The Blackshirts should add Nico Iamaleava to their pile of stifling sub-100 yard passing performances, but he will also likely run for 100 as well. A sub-200 total yard performance from him would be a win for Nebraska.
T.J. Lateef, when not playing Akron or HCU backups, showed the gulf between Dylan Raiola and his backups as the offense mostly stalled, except for Emmett Johnson, when he entered Saturday’s game. It needs to be remembered he only earned the backup job over NAIA transfer Jaylen Gramstad two weeks before the season opener.
Okay, that’s the negative. The upside? Lateef has skills, a bright post-Raiola future and a week to run with the ones. But this will be a very conservative offense. People expecting a sudden QB-run heavy package to complement Johnson will likely be disappointed – in high school, Lateef averaged 250 rushing yds/season his junior & senior years at 3.5 yards per carry. Expect a few designed runs and a short passing attack, but the game is not going to be put on his back. (But maybe a couple deep shots downfield for keeping them honest?)
That’s Emmett Johnson.
Lateef won’t win this game, but he can lose it. A 4th quarter battle would sorely miss Raiola who, in one-score games entering that quarter, is 42-55 (76.4%) for 384 yards with 5 TDs and no picks. However, if Lateef keeps mistakes to a minimum and can use his talents to occasionally to move the chains and extend drives, that should be enough to grab a win and pump his confidence meter going into Penn State and Iowa. I’m going with the Cincinnati score: Huskers 20 Bruins 17
Jon: I felt really great about this game until hearing from Andy. NEGATIVE ANDY. NEGATIVE ROTTEN SMELLY ANDY. I’m going with – TJ Lateef will move around a lot more, turning negatives LIKE ANDY into positives LIKE ME and keep the chains moving, along with Emmett.
Nebraska’s defense shuts down UCLA’s offense except that Nico guy. Still, the good guys LIKE ME win, unlike the BAD GUYS like Andy, who lose. Nebraska 31, UCLA 21
