Big Ten play is nearly in full swing this weekend around the conference, just in time for the arrival of fall. Just two games will be played in non-conference action this weekend with Rutgers hosting an FCS opponent in hopes of picking up its first win of the season, and Purdue is hosting Notre Dame for a little in-state rivalry action. Otherwise, it is a full Big Ten slate starting Friday night with Indiana hosting Northwestern.
Here are our picks for games involving Big Ten teams this weekend. Be sure to check out our Penn State picks for final score and player of the game predictions.
Paul on Michigan vs. Iowa: I think this game will be a throwback to early 1900s football. This will be one of the lowest scoring games in college football this season,
and there will be a ton of run plays. I’m really excited to see how vastly different this game looks from modern football.
Chris on Michigan vs. Iowa: This is a top 25 battle between two of the best defenses in college football but also two of the Big Ten’s less experienced offenses. While Bryce Underwood is nationally recognized, he still looks uncomfortable within the Michigan system, especially now with a new coach. Meanwhile, Hank Brown has proven to be a steady presence for the Hawkeyes, but has not been tested. While Brown is the less known of the two, Underwood has played worse and struggled against both Western Michigan and Oklahoma. Now he has to face a famously always elite defense. Give me the Hawkeyes in a mini upset.
Kevin on Nebraska vs. Michigan State: I'm very interested in seeing how Michigan State comes out of this one after taking a loss to Notre Dame last weekend. Pat Fitzgerald's first major test as head coach of the Spartans will be to get his team that had been showing some promise early on to rebound at home against a decent Nebraska squad. I think the Spartans get it done.
Kevin on Maryland vs. UCLA: UCLA is making. cross-country trip, which is always difficult for any team in the Big Ten, and they do so with an offense that has been very entertaining the first few weeks of the season. I worry about the body clock concerns with a 1:30 pm ET kickoff, but eventually the Bruins offense will warm up enough to outlast Maryland, which will drop its second straight home game.
Paul on USC vs. Oregon: This game will tell us a lot about how the season will go for Penn State. Assuming we take care of business this weekend and handle Wisconsin, we can start turning our attention to the White Out in a few weeks. How USC looks in this game should give us a good indication of how well we’ll fare against them.
Chris on USC vs. Oregon: This should be one of the games of the season with both teams in similar spots: elite offense, but very little defense. Oregon’s defensive struggles are a bit more surprising, but USC traveled all the way across the country and gave up 35 points to an atrocious Rutgers team. Still, that offense traveled with them and Jayden Mayara looks like a top 5 Big Ten QB. Dante Moore on the other hand has looked like anything but the 2025 version of himself at times. While it will be close, I think USC’s offense scores just enough to take them over the top.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Big Ten football staff picks for Week 4
