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, and defending College Football Playoff national champion Indiana is getting a lot of national notoriety and looks the part (more or less) after six weeks of play for Big Ten supremacy. You can't count out upstart team UCLA at this point after a big win in Eugene, but it and others will have to prove themselves to be taken seriously. And then there's Michigan* --
what can we say?
So, just how will Week 7 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 7, focusing on the Big Ten games only but also throwing in the biggest non-Big Ten games across the country now that we are in full swing of conference play.
Odds Courtesy of BetMGM as of Wednesday, October 14
Big Ten and biggest national college football picks and predictions for Week 7
Results So Far
Follow Phil Harrison: 67-18 SU, 46-39 ATS
Follow MarkRussell: 66-19 SU, 46-39 ATS
Follow Sunny Verma: 64-21 SU, 40-45 ATS
Follow Alec Lasley: 64-21 SU, 42-43 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 65-20 SU, 40-45 ATS
Next ... Big Ten games
Washington at Purdue
Friday, Oct. 16
8:00 p.m. ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Purdue -3.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Washington
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Purdue
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Purdue
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Purdue
CONSENSUS PICK | Purdue
Ohio State at Indiana
Saturday, Oct. 17
Noon ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Ohio State -3.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Ohio State
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Ohio State
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Ohio State
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Indiana
CONSENSUS PICK: Ohio State
Northwestern at Michigan State
Saturday, Oct. 17
Noon ET | Peacock
Betting Line | Northwestern -7.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Northwestern
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Northwestern
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Northwestern
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Northwestern
CONSENSUS PICK | Northwestern
Rutgers at Maryland
Saturday, Oct. 17
3:30 p.m. ET | FS1 (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Maryland -4.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Rutgers
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Maryland
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Maryland
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Rutgers
CONSENSUS PICK | Maryland
Penn State at Michigan
Saturday, Oct. 17
3:30 p.m. ET | CBS (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Michigan -6.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Michigan
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Michigan
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Michigan
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Michigan*
CONSENSUS PICK | Michigan
Wisconsin at UCLA
Saturday, Oct. 17
7:30 p.m. ET | NBC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | UCLA -2.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | UCLA
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Wisconsin
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | UCLA
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | UCLA
CONSENSUS PICK | UCLA
Nebraska at Oregon
Saturday, Oct. 17
11:00 p.m. ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Oregon -7
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Oregon
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Oregon
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Oregon
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Oregon*
CONSENSUS PICK | Oregon
Next ... Biggest non-Big Ten games
Mississippi State at LSU
Saturday, Oct. 17
Noon ET | ESPN (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | LSU -14.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | LSU*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | LSU*
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | LSU
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | LSU*
CONSENSUS PICK | LSU
Alabama at Tennessee
Saturday, Oct. 17
3:30 p.m. ET | ABC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Alabama -7.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Alabama*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Alabama
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Alabama
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Alabama
CONSENSUS PICK | Alabama
Missouri at Ole Miss
Saturday, Oct. 17
3:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Ole Miss -5.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Ole Miss
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Ole Miss
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Ole Miss
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Ole Miss
CONSENSUS PICK | Ole Miss
Notre Dame at BYU
Saturday, Oct. 17
7:30 p.m. ET | ABC (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Notre Dame -10.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Notre Dame*
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Notre Dame*
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Notre Dame
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | BYU
CONSENSUS PICK | Notre Dame*
Oklahoma State at Houston
Saturday, Oct. 17
7:30 p.m. ET | Fox (Stream fuboTV (watch here))
Betting Line | Houston -4.5
The Picks:
Phil Harrison (@PhilHarrisonBW) | Oklahoma State
Mark Russell (@MarkRussell1975) | Oklahoma State
Sunny Verma (@thesunnyv) | Houston
Alec Lasley (@allasley) | Oklahoma State
CONSENSUS PICK | Oklahoma State
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Big Ten and other big game CFB expert picks, predictions for Week 7
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