Week 4 Predictions – 2018
Last Week: Regardless of what you read about the victory, it was a quality win for the Buckeyes over TCU. The 40-28 scores sounds closer than it really was Saturday night. Some dropped passes stopped most of the OSU offensive drives, not the inflated TCU defense. Now all (the bright) Ohio State fans will have a cheering interest in the Horned Frogs the rest of the way. As for our weekly staff picks, there is still a nice bottle neck at the top of the standings. And for anyone planning on a trip to Vegas in the near future, but sure to take Stefan “Trout” Armintrout with you, as he has correctly picked an upset each of the first three weeks.
This Week’s Games: Welcome Back Urban! The Buckeyes leave Dallas and Jerry World, where they remain unbeaten and head back to the friendly confines of the ‘Shoe. It appears the defense may be playing this game and the rest of the season without the talents of Nick Bosa. The Green Wave should not pose any problems on either side of the ball. Ohio State remains focused on the task at hand this should be over by the end of the first half …. Alabama still appears unstoppable as they dismantled the Ole Miss last week, will Texas A&M be any more of a challenge this Saturday? …. TCU will have to heal their wounds quickly as they take on the Longhorns. One of these teams will still be in the hunt for the Big 12 title, the other will already have two losses after four games. …. Stanford and Oregon will face off this week looking for the inside track on the Pac-12 North. Will Bryce Love be back and ready to get back in the Heisman race?
Guest Buckeye: As with the years past, we will continue to include former Buckeye players in our weekly prediction fun and we are thrilled to have Vaughn Broadnax(1980-83) back with us for a fourth straight year.
Here we go once again … our Week 4 Picks – Good Luck to All – Gregg
Tulane @ (4)Ohio State
Bbaver: Pick: Ohio State – Might a slight hangover from the TCU game, and some lack of focus with Penn State looming, but Bucks should win going away. Tulane may however be able to have some success on the ground. Withholding a score prediction as I give it more thought.
Cory: Tulane is a bit of an oddity. The Green Wave took Wake Forest to overtime in opener, then cruised past Nicholls before losing to UAB. Tulane features a pretty balanced offense with a quarterback who typically doesn’t make mistakes. So far Jonathan Banks has just one interception this season. That said, it’s hard to imagine that stat will remain the same after the Green Wave visit Columbus this weekend. Ohio State’s defense was not great out of the gate, but the Buckeyes really started to find their form against TCU last week with two defensive scores, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a blocked punt. It’s hard to imagine Tulane will be able to put up much of a fight, as long as the Buckeyes avoid a potential hangover from their big win last week. Ohio State 45, Tulane 7
Dave: OSU 52 Tulane 7
Gregg: Ohio State plays their final non-conference game against Tulane this weekend. The Green Wave has only scored 83 in 3 games this season, I don’t see them doing any better this week against the Buckeyes, even playing without defensive standout Nick Bosa. On the other hand, they have only given up 71 so the question will be can they somehow control the OSU offense. The only question for me this week will be if Ryan Day will be on the sideline or will he move up to the press box? Other than that, I believe the Buckeyes will dominate. Haskins will have another Heisman stat-building outing and we should see more of Tate Martell once again. The two headed monster at running back continues to work but is it too much for me to ask for a 100 yard performance? The receivers need to stop dropping balls or go to the end of the line. I think the defense will be fine as Jonathon Cooper, Tyreke Smith and Tyler Friday get more reps at defensive end to audition for the game next week in Happy Valley. Don’t expect us to go for as may field goals this week, not Urban’s style. Ohio State 63 Tulane 10
Jason: The Green Wave roll into Columbus at 1-2 with close losses to UAB and Wake Forest riding an opportune defense, who has picked off six passes thus far. For Tulane to hang around, they will need to win the turnover battle by a significant margin and control the clock. However, the Wave passing game has really struggled and even without Nick Bosa, the Ohio State defensive line is the strength of the defense so don’t expect Tulane to run the ball effectively. Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins has put himself in the Heisman conversation with a 344 yard performance through the air a week ago against TCU and the Tulane D is not TCU’s. The Green Wave has surrendered an average of over 260 yards through the air. If they expect to lean on the turnover, they are in trouble as Haskins has made good decisions thus far. The Ohio State balance on offense will dominate the day and Tulane will provide nothing more than a tune-up for the big one in State College next week. This one will be over in the first quarter so the depth chart will be utilized and then some. The return of Urban Meyer results in an easy win to send the Buckeyes to 4-0. Ohio State 70 Tulane 7
Joe-S-U: OSU over Tulane – Tulane’s former stadium played host to 3 of the first 9 Super Bowls. Only Pete Rozelle probably knew why. What that has to do with this pick, I have no clue. This game is basically 3 more hours for Nick Bosa to heal up.
John: Impressive win last week in Jerry’s World. Ordinarily, you might see a slight letdown this week, which wouldn’t have affected the outcome, as Ohio State could win this one dressing their intramural flag football champions, but with this being Urban’s first game back, expect the hosts to be in a less than hospitable mood. Buck’s can basically name their score on offense, although the triple option that Tulane runs make take a quarter or two to figure out. Ohio State 66 Tulane 17
Josh: Ohio State’s defense didn’t look pretty at times and gave up some big plays, but they also made some of the biggest plays, and helped secure the win against a pesky TCU team, who had upset on the mind. A lot of credit to Gary Patterson for preparing his team, and exposing a weakness in our defense. Hopefully these are corrected soon as we continue on with the season, especially with the showdown against Penn State in two weeks. The offense was slowed down with some low snaps, and some blitz pressure, something that the first 2 opponents weren’t able to do against our offensive line, but boy did Dwayne look like a veteran in the pocket. We will need him to continue to be poised, and guide this offense because it has a lot of weapons and will be good this season. First game back with Urban Meyer, and like a fighter who has been waiting in the wings, and you know he wants blood. I expect a fast start and build the lead early so we can see the second team in by the third quarter. Offense will be humming, and would like to see our secondary and linebackers improve and make some adjustments to help our defensive line. I expect Bosa to sit out this one, let himself heal up for the following week. Ohio State 63 – Tulane 10
Dr. Mark: OSU 42-10 – As before, I hope our current offensive scheme continues- D looked good in spite of Bosa injury. TCU was very fast- good practice for the other fast southern teams they may face in January.
PJSBuck: Maybe the most important thing to come of last Saturday’s win against TCU was the team and coaches learned to work through adversity. Good opponent and good coaching. Next, I know nothing about Tulane but what little research I have done indicates we should see a LOT of back-ups this Saturday. Just read where Bosa will NOT play against Tulane. Probably a good time for him to rest. I think Ohio State wins by 45 or more and our entire team learned to come together. I am still VERY concerned about our linebackers and some of our secondary though and worried sick Urban may return to the running QB – we will see?
Pia Pete: OSU over Tulane
Coach Rick: In this game I am hoping OSU does not lose focus and allow Tulane a couple of “cheap” touchdowns. I think with Coach returning, this will not happen. I think the offensive explosion will continue and OSU will win by 42 points.
Steven: This one would be more competitive if it was a scrimmage. Work on the run defense and get ready for Happy Valley next week. OSU 63-3.
Trout: This game won’t be a challenge for the Buckeyes. I see them scoring early and often. Most likely we will see Tate Martell play the majority of second half. I also see both Dobbins and Weber getting the ball. Both will be close to 100 yards this game. This game serves as a tune up game before the big challenge in Happy valley next week. The Green Wave will not stand a chance against this Buckeye team on all fronts. Bucks win in dominate fashion. Ohio State, 56-3
Vaughn: Tulane appears to be the latest lamb served up for slaughter in Ohio Stadium, but don’t be fooled. This team has a pulse. They beat Nichols State, who beat Kansas, and Kansas pimp smacked Rutgers. Tulane offer a competitive outing, but still gets blown out 57-10 by the Buckeyes.
Final Score: Ohio State 0 Tulane 0
(22)Texas A&M @ (1)Alabama
Bbaver: Pick: Bama – A&M may hang around for a bit, but can’t see them slowing down Tua and the Tide.
Cory: Making Tua Tagovailoa the starter at quarterback was the right move for Alabama. The Crimson Tide are rolling as usual, but feature perhaps their best offense with Tagovailoa under center. The Crimson Tide are averaging 56.7 points per game this season, including putting up 62 at Ole Miss last week. Texas A&M is back in the rankings, but do the Aggies really deserve their ranking? Sure, they almost knocked off No. 2 Clemson two weeks ago, but so far their only wins are over Northwestern State, and Louisiana Monroe. Expect Alabama to focus most of their effort on stopping Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond. Mond has a bit of Johnny Manziel in him, with his ability to stretch plays and make something out of nothing. Forcing Texas A&M to become one dimensional will help Alabama walk away with an easy win over an overrated Aggies squad. Alabama 45, Texas A&M 14
Dave: Alabama 40 Texas A&M 14
Gregg: Texas A&M has the unfortunate task of having to play both the #1 team in the country and the #2 team in the polls. They were close but failed against Clemson, and they will fair no better against the Tide. Alabama only has to turn on the jets for a couple games a year and this is one of them. Alabama leads this series 8-2 and they will be adding to that win total. But this is an SEC contest, the Aggies will have the pleasure of moving up in the polls after this game because, well, that is what happens for the darling conference. After all, doesn’t EVERYONE believe that five of the seven teams in the SEC West deserve to be ranked? Alabama 48 Texas A&M
Jason: Texas A&M is playing their second top 5 ranked team in 3 weeks and they played well against Clemson two weeks ago and now get the unenviable task of going to Tuscaloosa to play the top ranked Crimson Tide, who look like the best team in college football. A&M’s O-line played tremendous in the Clemson game against what is perceived to be the best defensive line in college football. Aggie QB Kellen Mond was the beneficiary of the time in the pocket, throwing for 430 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Tigers and the Aggies have some of the biggest and most talented wideouts in college football. They will have to come up big to challenge the Tide. Bama has looked dominant in their 3 victories thus far, but this will certainly be their biggest test by far. Behind early Heisman candidate Tua Tagovailoa, the Tide has won by a combined score of 170-28 and he has yet to throw an interception and the Aggies have forced just one turnover of their own. Not a good combination if you’re an Aggie fan. Bama won’t walk through this one as they have their first three, but it won’t be close either. Texas A&M may hang around for a while but look for the Tide to roll in their biggest win so far. Alabama 42 Texas A&M 17
Joe-S-U: Alabama over Texas A&M – 3 hours for Gary Danielson to pontificate how this Tide team would have beaten any of the 6 Super Bowl teams that played in Tulane Stadium….with one arm tied behind their back.
John: According to the talking heads on the “World Wide Leader”, we might as well just hand Alabama the CFB championship trophy today and elevate them directly to the NFC South, where the will undoubtedly go undefeated and win the Super Bowl. I’m not quite willing to join that bandwagon, but I do wonder if A&M can’t at least keep this one respectable if anyone before the SEC title game will. Tide rolls on. Alabama 42 Texas A&M 17
Josh: I like this match up for many reasons, mostly because we will get to see what type of team Texas A&M is, and this will be a date point for the playoff committee when evaluating Clemson and Alabama because this will be a common opponent. I think Alabama is good, and as of right now, they look like the best team in the country, but I still don’t think they have really been challenged. Ole Miss was what I thought would be their biggest threat and they were able to shut down the prolific passing attack. Texas A&M has a great mobile quarterback in Kellen Mond, who I think might cause some fits for Alabama, but ultimately I think this one will be another win for the Crimson Tide. This is probably the best offense for Saban since he has been at Alabama. Alabama 42 – Texas A&M 21
Dr. Mark: ‘Bama 38-20 – could be more at home.
Pia Pete: ‘Bama over TA&M
PJSBuck: Is anyone going to stop the Bama offense once it gets in midseason form? Weekly who cares game – like A&M has a real chance, playing in Tuscaloosa? ‘Bama by 50 or more and everyone but the food vendors get to play.
Coach Rick: I am not sure I agree with the 27 point spread in this game, but I am sure Alabama will win. I have ‘Bama winning by 14 points in what should be a pretty good game.
Steven: Last year the Aggies were competitive in their loss Alabama. This year, despite being ranked in the top 25, A&M probably isn’t in the same zip code as the Crimson Tide. If you have a chance, keep an eye on the stats between Tua Tagavaiola and Dwayne Haskins. They are neck and neck. Add in West Virginia’s Will Grier and NC State’s Ryan Finley and it will be a wild race to New York. Along the way, expect Tua to demolish the Aggies. ‘Bama 53-19.
Trout: This game will be closer than the 26 point spread. Although I think the Aggies have a long way to go in order to constantly compete with Alabama, Georgia and Auburn for this conference, they still have the ability to challenge and disrupt teams. Having said that, Alabama should still win this game. Even though they have played 3 bad teams, they have completely dominated those games. They are clearly one of the best teams in the country. It will be a close game, possibly within a touchdown. However, the Crimson Tide’s superior skill helps them pull off the victory. Alabama, 35-28
Vaughn: Alabama is looking like a neighborhood bully that has yet to find it’s match and there is no one on the block threatening this team. Alabama blows out Texas A&M 49-10.
Final Score: Alabama 0 Texas A&M 0
(17)TCU @ Texas
Bbaver: Pick: TCU – Both teams off of big games. If TCU isn’t too down from the loss to the Buckeyes, I think they handle Texas. Should be a good one.
Cory: Though the score looked like an impressive Ohio State win last week, TCU was the better team in the first half of the game, and likely would’ve won if not for some huge blunders in the third quarter. We known quarterback Shawn Robinson is a legitimate playmaker, but let’s give a lot of credit to his receivers as well. TCU’s receivers make spectacular catches all game long against the Buckeyes, and I don’t think that was a fluke. TCU is a very talented team, and the Horned Frogs are going against a Texas team this week that is still trying to find talent. I don’t put much stock into Texas’ win over USC last week because the Trojans appear to be just that bad. Right now, it just does not seem that Texas is on the same level as TCU. TCU 35, Texas 21
Dave: TCU 38 Texas 21
Gregg: The first question I have on this game is, did TCU use up so much last week trying to beat the Buckeyes that they have nothing left for the Longhorns. It happened to Penn State last year and they went on to lose to the Spartans the following week. Michigan was #2 in the country in 2006 and unbeaten when OSU and Troy Smith posted the victory and we know what happened to the Wolverines in their bowl game and well, basically ever since then. The Longhorns have not impressed me in either of their wins and certainly not in their loss to Maryland. Maybe their coach is too focused on talking to out of work reporters. At any rate the Frogs seem like a team that knows after a week that the loss to OSU will not hurt their chances to get in the playoffs. The will be ready for this weekend’s road challenge and if they play as well as they did in AT&T Stadium, they will dispatch Texas without concern. TCU 35 Texas 17
Jason: TCU is coming off a tough loss in Dallas to Ohio State but a bright spot was the QB play of TCU signal caller Shawn Robinson who threw for 308 yards. Texas is coming off a win as well, knocking off USC but yielding 322 yards through the air in the process. The strength of the Longhorns right now is the front 4 defensively, holding the Trojans to -5 yards rushing, while coming up with 3 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. If they can get line penetration on the Frogs, control the tempo on offense and create field position, they have a chance to pull a win at home. However, the Frogs are good, real good. They play tempo on offense and have speed to burn all over the field. The Longhorns are in the middle of a rebuild while TCU is loaded with athletes at every position. Texas will keep it close for a while, but ultimately talent wins out and TCU goes into Austin and comes away with a win over the rival. TCU 42 Texas 21
Joe-S-U: TCU over Texas – A good ol’ Southwest Conference matchup….well, back in the days when Tulane was hosting Super Bowls.
John: Texas should be a bigger game to TCU than Ohio State last week, but you have to wonder if the Frogs shot their wad versus the Buckeyes. Texas finally looked like a competent football team last week, but that was a B-A-D USC team, so I’m not quite ready to drink the Texas Kool-Aid. TCU wins, but will be closer than it should. TCU 31 Texas 27
Josh: I think everyone in Columbus will be the biggest TCU fans moving forward for the season. Texas was able to handle USC 3 hours away from TCU’s game against Ohio State, and now both team start their 9 game Big 12 stretch. TCU showed a lot of speed and versatility against our defense, and I think we have a really good team. Texas is still finding a identity as a team, and congrats to them reaching the 900 win mark. I think that win mark doesn’t extend past this one, because TCU is the better team. The only way I see Texas winning this one is if TCU comes out flat after an emotional let down from last week. TCU 35 – Texas 14
Dr. Mark: TCU 33-28. I’ll go with Frogs speed in this one. This should be a good game but Texas did look better against USC.
Pia Pete: TCU over Texas
PJSBuck: Bucks are now huge Frog fans. For me, my game of the week! This one should be really fun to watch. I am going with TCU – I think they showed more grit against us than the Longhorns have right now. TCU by 7
Coach Rick: I am personally hoping Texas wins, but I do not see that happening. If TCU can play a whole game and just not one half, they will win. I see TCU playing a full 4 quarters and winning this weekend by 17 points.
Steven: Has Texas coach Tom Hermann turned things around in Austin? A win over an overrated USC team doesn’t instill a world of confidence, but it was at least a win. TCU is coming off a loss to Ohio State where the Horned Frogs were leading at the half and showed flashes of brilliance. The hyper-speed at which the offense ran in the first quarter certainly got the Bucks a bit on their heels, but was unsustainable as a long term strategy. In the end, Ohio State’s depth just wore the Frogs down on both sides of the ball and especially their offensive line. I’m not sure if Texas has the same depth to deal as well with that speed. If coach Gary Patterson can use tempo effectively in short spurts to where he’s not tiring his own players out in the process TCU could run past the Longhorns. There’s a lot to build on from the loss to OSU, and TCU should only improve in this next game. TCU 38-28
Trout: TCU showed that they can hang with any team. They are fast, they are strong, and they are determined. Texas, on the hand, has still not dug out of the whole that Mack Brown left them in. They looked good against the Trojans, but that’s not saying much. They PAC 12 is clearly the weakest conference of the Power 5. The Horned Frogs should win this game. It will be close. The Longhorns will make sure to do enough to keep themselves in this game. However, TCU should be able to score enough to get by the Texas. TCU, 34-27
Vaughn: TCU played the Buckeyes about as well as a team could last week. One has to wonder if they have anything left after waiting 4 years to pay the Buckeyes back. I think they do and will want to curb stomp the “big dog” in the state. TCU edges Texas 35-31.
Final Score: TCU 0 Texas 0
(7)Stanford @ (20)Oregon
Bbaver: Pick: Stanford – Nice looking team David Shaw has this year…I think they get it done in Eugene.
Cory: The PAC 12 has three playoff-caliber teams, and two of them meet this week with Stanford visiting Oregon. The Ducks are 3-0, but those wins are over Bowling Green, Portland State, and San Jose State. Stanford’s schedule includes wins over USC, and San Diego State (as a note, the Aztecs are 2-1 and upset Arizona State last week). More important than the difference in strength of schedule between the two teams, is that Stanford is getting star running back Bryce Love back this week. Love sat out last week due to an undisclosed injury. Ultimately, Love and the Cardinal will be too much for the Ducks to handle, even in Autzen. Stanford 31, Oregon 21
Dave: Stanford 28 Oregon 21
Gregg: For those that think this is an important game for the Pac-12, they are wrong. The playoff committee is not going to worry about getting in a team from this conference when they have SEC teams to worry about. These schools just need to focus on having a great season and showing the committee how wrong they were during bowl season. They should go 1-9 in bowl games again like last year, yes that really helps! For some reason, the Cardinal has been hold back their star running back Bryce Love, but this week he goes wild. Stanford wins on the legs of Love. Stanford 33 Oregon 28
Jason: The Cardinal have had the Ducks number in recent years, winning 4 of the last 6 meetings including the last 2 which the Cardinal dominated. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is the star of this game and may very well be the first QB taken in the 2019 NFL draft, however, he is coming off a game in which he struggled, throwing a pair of interceptions against a very poor San Jose State squad. He is about to face possibly the best defense he will see all season in the Cardinal who have allowed just 7.7 points per game on the season, including forcing 7 turnovers in their first 3 games. he best mark in college football—and Stanford has already forced seven turnovers through three games. For Stanford, Running back Bryce Love, an early Heisman candidate, but those hopes diminished after a poor first game and an injury caused him to miss last week’s game. He is expected to be ready to roll this week and a year ago, he ran for 147 yards on just 17 carries including to totes to the end zone. If he struggles at all to find a rhythm on the ground, Stanford has the luxury of a solid quarterback of their own in K.J. Costello who has thrown seven touchdowns and only three picks on the year. If Oregon focuses too much on stopping love, Costello will hit them over the top. Ultimately, a porous Oregon defense will cost them against the explosive Cardinal offense. Stanford continues their dominance of the series, getting a big road win in Eugene. Stanford 38 Oregon 24
Joe-S-U: Stanford over Oregon – OSU/TCU was ABC’s highest-rated game of the season thus far…this one won’t be.
John: Stanford looks legit, at least for a Pac-12 team. When you start thinking that about a Pac-12 team, that’s usually when the team in question usually fails to show up. Orgaon just isn’t all that special. Even though this one is at Eugene, I like Stanford, big. Stanford 31 Oregon 10
Josh: Being honest, I feel like both of these teams still have question marks to them, and recent history has this being a good Pac-12 North rivalry which typically decided the winner of the North, but Oregon hasn’t been the same since Mariota left. They are undefeated currently. and have their offense rolling, but have not really been challenged. Bryce Love sat out last week to rest up for this game, so that might be the added edge for the Cardinal. College GameDay is heading out west for this game of the week, and it should be an interesting one. With the PAC-12 wide open, the winner has a clearer shot to the PAC-12 championship and potential playoff. I think with Stanford having some battle experience, they will win this game in Autzen Stadium. Stanford 24 – Oregon 21
Dr. Mark: Stanford 38-24. I don’t know that much about Oregon except that Chip Kelly doesn’t work there anymore and UCLA is not that happy he works there right now.
Pia Pete: Stanford over Oregon
PJSBuck: Will the Ducks start getting a bit of home field karma going again? This is likely to be a closer game than it should be. I say Stanford by 6 or less.
Coach Rick: I feel Stanford wins because of Oregon’s lack of defense. Oregon has played easy teams and allowed way too make scores. I have Stanford winning by 24 points.
Steven: Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Since Chip Kelly left the Oregon program, the Ducks have been on a slow dive back to reality. With Kelly now roaming the sidelines in LA, it may be a while before we see a dominant Duck team. Much of the rankings nowadays are based upon the perception of past glory. The reality is that the Ducks haven’t been dominant on the both sides of the ball since the national title game in 2014, (and even then they were chewed up by a much better Ohio State team). Expect Stanford to bring back Bryce Love after one week off with an undisclosed injury. Love’s return should provide a major boost by improving the Cardinal running game. He made as many yards two weeks ago against USC as the entire team did without him against San Diego State. Sanford has enough balance to may you pay if you load the box on the run. The Cardinal won’t win a scoring title or any beauty contests, but they should still be able to win on the road. Drunken Trees 28 – Duck a L ‘orange 24
Trout: This game is a bit of a toss up. I don’t think either team has been impressive. If I had to pick one to win, it would be the Stanford Cardinal. They have been more consistent the past few season. Oregon can score some points, but they are not the team they once were under Chip Kelly. Stanford wins in a close game. Stanford, 26-19
Vaughn: Stanford has surprise me several times over the years. I refused to be surprised again as I think Oregon is not quite back to their former glory. Stanford wins and offensively challenged game 24-17 over Oregon.
Final Score: Stanford 0 Oregon 0
UPSET SPECIAL PICKS!
#14 Mississippi State (-9.5) @ Kentucky
Steven: Kentucky over Mississippi State
#18 Wisconsin (-3.5) @ Iowa
Bbaver: Pick: Iowa over Wisconsin. Logic tells me the Badgers bounce back, but Iowa at night in Kinnick? Will go with the Iowa to beat the ranked Badgers.
Cory: I admit, it is a bit risky to pick Iowa to upset a Wisconsin team that’s coming off an upset loss to BYU, and has nothing to lose. The Hawkeyes are 3-0 but haven’t exactly wowed in any of their wins. Iowa’s best win, arguably, came over Iowa State and the final score of that game was 13-3. That said, the Hawkeyes are very stout defensively as they’re giving up just 8 points per game. Wisconsin doesn’t exactly feature the most prolific offense. Running back Jonathan Taylor is a legit NFL talent, but quarterback Alex Hornibrook is inconsistent at best, and turnover prone at worst. Additionally, Buckeye fans should know how tough the Hawkeyes can be when the game is in Iowa. Expect an ugly, defensive battle with Iowa edging past the Badgers late. Iowa 21, Wisconsin 14
John: If Martinez is able to play, I like Nebraska to get Scott Frost his first win as Husker’s head coach. As of the pick deadline, his status is still questionable, so I’m going to pass on this being my official pick. Even though they got upset last week, I’m picking Wisconsin to spit the bit again and lose to Iowa. The Hawkeyes always seem to win one of these types of games each year, and the Badger’s just look incredibly one dimensional on offense and very average on both sides of the ball. Iowa 28 Wisconsin 21
Josh: Iowa over Wisconsin – I have not been very good at these this year, but I feel like this week there are a lot of good options for the upset special. Wisconsin lost after failing to tie at home against BYU. Iowa had not had a real challenge, but they have been impressive defensively this season. With this game being at home for the Hawkeyes, and a night game, you know Kinnick will be rocking. The Wave beats the Jump Around in a close typical Big Ten fashion game. Iowa 17 – Wisconsin 14
Coach Rick: After Iowa wins, they are heading into a bye week, so they will play to win and leave it all in the field.
Trout: I can see the Hawkeyes pulling off an upset on the ailing Badgers. We all know that Kinnick Stadium can be a tough place to play. Not to mention, the Badgers are coming off an embarrassing lose against BYU. I will be a slogfest however. Both teams play a slow methodical type of football. I also see the game being a low scoring, defensive game. However, I see Iowa getting a few plays to go their way, and that will be enough to get by Wisconsin. Iowa, 17-14
Nebraska @ #19 Michigan (-18.5)
Gregg: I have decided that as highly rated as the Big Ten was in the preseason, the fate of getting a team in the playoffs may come down to the winner in Happy Valley next week. Therefore, whether or not the Wolverines are a factor is a lost point. Michigan still has a solid defense but has not been able to get the offense going against a quality team. It remains to be seen if the Huskers are a quality team or not, but they are hungry. This may be an ugly game but I think Coach Frost will finally get the offensive output they need and pull the big upset in Ann Arbor.
#23 Boston College (-6.5) @ Purdue
Jason: Purdue comes in as one of the most disappointing teams in college football, struggling to finish three winnable home games and now stare at a potential 0-4 start. The defense has struggled immensely, primarily against the run. BC has looked good, but their wins are against UMass, Holy Cross and Wake Forest. Boilermaker QB will have to come up big for Purdue to pull the upset and he’s certainly capable, throwing for nearly 600 yards and 3 TD’s a week ago, but still wasn’t quite enough to get the win. Eagle star RB AJ Dillon has been nothing short of outstanding, averaging 7.3 yards per carry, good for 432 yards to go along with 4 TD’s. Purdue will need to make adjustments up front and slow the ground game. BC struggles in their secondary and Blough will exploit that early and often. It will turn into a bit of a shootout, but the Boilers will get it done through the air and make enough stops to get their first victory in front of their home crowd. Purdue 38 BC 28
#24 Michigan State (-4.5) @ Indiana
Joe-S-U: If I recall right, the criteria was an unranked team beating a ranked team? If so, I’ll get in on this finally and take Indiana to knock off Michigan State
Dr. Mark: Indiana over Michigan State