It's tradition around these parts once the Ohio State football season starts. Every year (and every week of the season), we have a little friendly competition among our writers for world domination in picking the Big Ten football games and some of the bigger college football contests now that conference play is in full swing.
Preseason favorites Ohio State and Oregon have already lost a game, and defending College Football Playoff national champion Indiana is getting a lot of national notoriety and looks the part (more or less) after five weeks of play for Big Ten supremacy. You can't count out teams Nebraska and UCLA at this point, but those two and others will have to prove themselves to be taken seriously. And then there's Michigan*.
So, just
how will Week 6 look as we look to see improvement from all the teams, especially Rutgers, which is the only team to be winless in the conference? Our writers take turns picking all the games in the League straight up and against the spread for your wagering and reading consumption — do with it as you wish.
As a reminder, if there’s an asterisk next to the pick, that means the team will win, but not cover. If there is a tie, rather than have a cage match or old-fashioned duel, we’ll settle it with less violence and go with the tried-and-true coin flip, where George Washington has the say.
EXAMPLE: If Ohio State is favored -3.5 over Michigan:
If you think Ohio State will win outright and cover: OSU
If you think Ohio State will win, but NOT cover: OSU*
If you think Ohio State will lose: Michigan
Here are our expert picks for Week 5, focusing on the Big Ten games only but also throwing in the biggest non-Big Ten games across the country now that we are starting the conference season
Big Ten and biggest national college football picks and predictions for Week 6
Results So Far
Follow Phil Harrison: 61-12 SU, 40-33 ATS
Follow MarkRussell: 58-15 SU, 40-33 ATS
Follow Sunny Verma: 60-13 SU, 38-35 ATS
Follow Alec Lasley: 58-15 SU, 37-36 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 59-14 SU, 38-35 ATS
Next ... Big Ten games
Iowa at Washington
Friday, Oct. 9
9:00 p.m. ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Washington -3
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Washington
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Iowa
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Washington
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Washington
CONSENSUS PICK | Washington
Indiana at Nebraska
Saturday, Oct. 10
Noon ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Indiana -7.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Indiana
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Indiana*
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Indiana
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Indiana
CONSENSUS PICK: Indiana
UCLA at Oregon
Saturday, Oct. 10
3:30 p.m. ET | CBS (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Oregon -11.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Oregon*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Oregon
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Oregon
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Oregon*
CONSENSUS PICK | Oregon
Illinois at Michigan State
Saturday, Oct. 10
3:30 p.m. ET | FS1 (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Illinois -2.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Michigan State
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Illinois
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Illinois
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Illinois
CONSENSUS PICK | Illinois
Maryland at Ohio State
Saturday, Oct. 10
4:10 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Ohio State -34.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Ohio State*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Ohio State*
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Ohio State
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Ohio State
CONSENSUS PICK | Ohio State
USC at Penn State
Saturday, Oct. 10
7:30 p.m. ET | NBC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Penn State -1.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | USC
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | USC
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Penn State
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | USC
CONSENSUS PICK | USC
Minnesota at Purdue
Saturday, Oct. 10
8:00 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Minnesota -6
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Minnesota
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Minnesota
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Minnesota
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Minnesota
CONSENSUS PICK | Minnesota
Next ... Biggest non-Big Ten games
Texas A&M at Missouri
Saturday, Oct. 10
Noon ET | ABC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Missouri -3.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Missouri
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Missouri
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Missouri
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Missouri
CONSENSUS PICK | Missouri
Texas vs. Oklahoma
Saturday, Oct. 10
3:30 p.m. ET | ABC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Texas -7.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Texas
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Texas
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Texas
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Texas*
CONSENSUS PICK | Texas
Tennessee at Arkansas
Saturday, Oct. 10
4:15 p.m. ET | SEC Network (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Tennessee -13.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Tennessee
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Tennessee
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Tennessee
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Tennessee
CONSENSUS PICK | Tennessee
LSU at Kentucky
Saturday, Oct. 10
7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | LSU -8.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | LSU
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | LSU
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | LSU
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | LSU*
CONSENSUS PICK | LSU
Georgia at Alabama
Saturday, Oct. 10
7:30 p.m. ET | ABC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Alabama -1.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Georgia
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Georgia
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Alabama
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Alabama
CONSENSUS PICK | Alabama
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Big Ten and other big game CFB expert picks, predictions for Week 6
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