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 once conference play gets into full swing.
Preseason favorites Ohio State and Oregon have already fallen, and defending College Football Playoff national champion Indiana is getting a lot of national notoriety and looks the part (more or less) after three weeks of play for Big Ten supremacy. You can't count out teams like Penn State and USC, but those two and others will have to prove themselves to be taken seriously, especially Michigan, even after winning two in a row
-- ahem, three*.
So, just how will Week 4 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 4, 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 4
Results So Far
Follow Phil Harrison: 39-6 SU, 24-21 ATS
Follow MarkRussell: 37-8 SU, 22-23 ATS
Follow Sunny Verma: 39-6 SU, 24-21 ATS
Follow Alec Lasley: 39-6 SU, 22-23 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 39-6 SU, 22-23 ATS
Next ... Big Ten games
Howard at Rutgers
Friday, Sept. 25
7:00 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Off
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Rutgers
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Rutgers
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Rutgers
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Rutgers
CONSENSUS PICK | Rutgers
Northwestern at Indiana
Friday, Sept. 25
8:00 p.m. ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Indiana -21
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Indiana
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Indiana
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Indiana
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Indiana
CONSENSUS PICK | Indiana
Illinois at Ohio State
Saturday, Sept. 26
Noon ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Ohio State -27
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
UCLA at Maryland
Saturday, Sept. 26
1:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | UCLA -1.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | UCLA
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | UCLA
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | UCLA
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | UCLA
CONSENSUS PICK | UCLA
Notre Dame at Purdue
Saturday, Sept. 26
12:30 p.m. ET | Peacock
Betting Line | Notre Dame -28
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Notre Dame*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Notre Dame
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Notre Dame*
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Notre Dame
CONSENSUS PICK | Notre Dame
Iowa at Michigan
Saturday, Sept. 26
3:30 p.m. ET | CBS (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Michigan -5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Iowa
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Iowa
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Michigan*
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Michigan*
CONSENSUS PICK | Iowa
Wisconsin at Penn State
Saturday, Sept. 26
5:00 p.m. ET | Peacock
Betting Line | Penn State -9.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Penn State
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Penn State
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Penn State
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Penn State
CONSENSUS PICK | Penn State
Nebraska at Michigan State
Saturday, Sept. 26
5:00 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Nebraska -4.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Nebraska
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Michigan State
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Nebraska*
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Nebraska
CONSENSUS PICK | Nebraska
Oregon at USC
Saturday, Sept. 26
7:30 p.m. ET | NBC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Oregon -3
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Oregon
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Oregon
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Oregon
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | USC
CONSENSUS PICK | Oregon
Minnesota at Washington
Saturday, Sept. 26
11:00 p.m. ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Washington -10
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Washington*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Washington*
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Washington
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Washington
CONSENSUS PICK | Washington
Next ... Biggest non-Big Ten games
Texas at Tennessee
Saturday, Sept. 26
Noon ET | ABC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Texas -5.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Texas
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Texas*
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Texas
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Texas
CONSENSUS PICK | Texas
Oklahoma at Georgia
Saturday, Sept. 26
3:30 p.m. ET | ESPN (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Georgia -13.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Georgia*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Georgia
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Georgia*
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Georgia
CONSENSUS PICK | Georgia
Ole Miss at Florida
Saturday, Sept. 26
3:30 p.m. ET | ABC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Florida -3.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Ole Miss
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Florida
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Ole Miss
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Ole Miss
CONSENSUS PICK | Ole Miss
Texas A&M at LSU
Saturday, Sept. 26
7:30 p.m. ET | ABC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | LSU -9
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | LSU*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | LSU
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | LSU*
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | LSU
CONSENSUS PICK | LSU
Missouri at Mississippi State
Saturday, Sept. 26
7:45 p.m. ET | SEC Network (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Mississippi State -6
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Mississippi State
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Mississippi State*
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Mississippi State*
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Mississippi State
CONSENSUS PICK | Mississippi State
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Big Ten and other big game expert picks and predictions for Week 4
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