NCAA Big Ten Roundup: Michigan, Ohio State Expected to Keep on Keeping On
Purdue-Maryland and Iowa-Illinois Game Could Steal the Thunder in Week 6
Four Visiting Teams Favored in Six Big Ten Games, Week 6
Consider this the opening act of the Big Ten seasons as none of the heavyweights are set to square off in Week 6 of the college football season. When looking at the NCAA Big Ten Roundup, this could be an interesting week to say the least.
Indiana is coming off a loss to a struggling Nebraska team and that reward is a home game against undefeated Michigan. Ohio State will look to keep rolling against Michigan State while the two most compelling games could be the showdowns between Purdue and Maryland as well as the Iowa-Illinois matchup.
Undefeated Penn State gets the week off after a tough matchup against Northwestern.
When looking at the odd to win the Big Ten, Ohio State (+225) is third and Michigan (+2200) sixth in the odds to
win the national title.
When looking at the odd to win big ten, Ohio State (+225) is third and Michigan (+2200) sixth in the odds to
win the national title.
Game of the Week
Michigan Wolverines vs Indiana Hoosiers
- Date, Time (TV): (FOX)
If Indiana struggled against Nebraska, what will things look like when Michigan comes to town?
Blake Corum only had one carry in last year’s win. Considering that he had 59 carries in the last two weeks, he should be much busier in this one.
Indiana is 12th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten with 142.6 rushing yards allowed per game. However, the 3.3 yards per rushing attempt allowed ranks eighth.
Auburn transfer Shaun Shivers leads Indiana with 345 rushing yards.
Michigan is second in the conference with 15 sacks so protecting the quarterback will be crucial for the Hoosiers.
The Wolverines are 19-1 in the last 20 games against Indiana and will look to make it 20-1 on Saturday.
Other Games to Watch
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Date, Time (TV): (FS1)
Nebraska is coming off its first conference win of the season and can the Huskers do it again?
Rutgers (3-2) won its first three games, but it has been a different story since stepping into conference play as the Scarlet Knights have been outscored 76-20 in losses to Iowa and Ohio State.
Nebraska (2-3) is last in the Big Ten in total defense while Rutgers is second to last in total offense, so who wins that game within the game?
Rutgers is 1-4 against the spread in its last five games against teams from the Big Ten West Division while Nebraska has covered in just one of its last seven contests.
Purdue Boilermakers vs Maryland Terrapins
- Date, Time (TV): (BTN)
This is not going to be a fun day for the defensive backs for both teams when 3-2 Purdue squares off with 4-1 Maryland in one of the more interesting games in the NCAA Big Ten Roundup.
While the styles couldn’t be more different, there will be plenty of passes filling the air.
Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell leads the Big Ten with an average of 299.8 passing yards per game while Maryland’s
Taulia Tagovailoa is the conference leader with a 75.5 completion percentage.
Purdue and Maryland are ninth and 10th in the conference in passing yards per game so this could be a pretty entertaining affair.
Maryland has covered in six of its last seven games; however, the Wolverines have covered in just four of the last seven games when listed as a 20-point favorite.
Wisconsin Badgers vs Northwestern Wildcats
- Date, Time (TV): (Big Ten Network)
When it comes to job security, being blown out by a team coached by one of your predecessors is not the way to proceed.
After Bret Bielema’s Illinois’ team rolled to a 34-10 win just a week after Wisconsin suffered a humbling 31-point loss at Ohio State, the clock struck midnight on Paul Chrysts’ time at Wisconsin.
Northwestern (1-4) has already upset Nebraska and covered as 25.5-point underdogs last week against Penn State so perhaps the Wildcats could add to the Badgers’ misery. When looking at the NCAA Big Ten roundup, this game will draw more attention than it would have a week ago.
Northwestern (1-4) has already upset Nebraska and covered as 25.5-point underdogs last week against Penn State so perhaps the Wildcats could add to the Badgers’ misery.
Only Nebraska allows more rushing yards per game than Northwestern and that could be a problem with Braelon Allen, the fifth-leading rusher in the Big Ten on the other side of the ball.
Wisconsin (2-3) has covered in just one of its last 10 games at Northwestern. When looking at the Big Ten West football standings, who would have had Wisconsin as the lone team in the division without a conference win?
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Michigan State Spartans
- Date, Time (TV): (ABC)
A year ago this would have been one of the games of the season in the Big Ten. In 2022, the hope is that the game is still competitive heading into the second half. Ohio State is currently favored by 25.5 points against the 2-3 Spartans.
The presence of star running back Kenneth Walker helped overcome the defensive issues at Michigan State a season ago. Walker is now in the NFL and the offense isn’t able to fix all the issues.
Third-ranked Ohio State (5-0) is rolling through the schedule even with running back TreVeyon Henderson and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba missing time.
According to the college football odds, quarterback C.J. Stroud has even odds to win the Heisman Trophy.
Michigan State is allowing quarterbacks to complete 67% of its passes with eight touchdowns and no interceptions so this could be a long day for the Spartans’ secondary.
The Buckeyes have covered in each of the last five matchup’s with Michigan State.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini
- Date, Time (TV): (Big Ten Network)
Could the Big Ten be saving the best for last in Week 6?
Iowa’s offense is abysmal, but the defense leads the Big Ten allowing just 3.7 yards per play helping the Hawkeyes get off to a 3-2 start. Illinois (4-1) is second on that list at 3.8 yards a play so this game will not be for the faint of heart.
Keep an eye on defensive linemen Keith Randolph of Illinois and Lukas Van Ness of Iowa as they are among the conference leaders in tackles for loss.
The total has gone under in five of Iowa’s last six games and in 11 of the last 15 games for Illinois.
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- Michigan vs Iowa Betting Odds: Wolverines Hit the Road for 2021 Big Ten Title Game Rematch
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