Oct 117 min read

Week 7 Picks: 5 Most Important Games in the Big Ten

Week 7 is here and with it comes one of the most anticipated games in college football. No. 2 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten Conference) travels to Autzen Stadium for a night game against No.3 Oregon (5-0, 2-0 B1G). No. 4 Penn State (5-0, 2-0 B1G) goes to the West Coast for the first time for a Big Ten Conference game. Washington (4-2, 2-1 B1G) and Minnesota (3-3, 1-2 B1G) beat Top 25 teams a week ago and will look to continue building momentum. At the same time, Iowa (3-2, 1-1 B1G) and Rutgers (4-1, 1-1 B1G) are looking to get back on track with wins this week.

The Ohio State-Oregon game has plenty riding on it with the winner making themselves the front-runner to play in the B1G championship game. The Buckeyes will look to show just how good they are, while the Ducks can prove they can beat the B1G's best. The winner will not only be the favorite to win the B1G, but one of the top two teams to win the national championship.

Before Week 6 started, Penn State going against USC (3-2, 1-2 B1G) looked like it was going to be another matchup of top 15 teams. Minnesota changed all that after it beat USC 24-17. USC stopped Minnesota on the goal line with a minute left in a tie game, only for it to be overturned and ruled a touchdown. USC now finds itself unranked after losing 2 of 3 games and needs a big win to get things back on track. On the other hand, Penn State is coming off a win but didn’t look great beating UCLA. Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton missed the UCLA game, but should be back for USC. He will be a player that USC's defense wil need to focus on in the game.

Huskies Eye Key Big Ten Matchup

Washington is coming off a top 10 win from a week ago after beating Michigan 24-17, who was ranked o. 10 at the time. Washington could easily be 5-1 if it didn’t have problems kicking field goals. This week, the Huskies play Iowa. The Hawkeyes are coming off a loss to Ohio State, 35-7. That final score doesn’t tell the whole story since the Buckeyes only led 7-0 at halftime. Iowa's conservative offensive play calling kept giving the ball back to Ohio State. Once the Buckeyes' offense got going, the game was over.

College Football Dawgs B1G reporters will look to pick the winners of the 5 biggest games this week inside the B1G against the spread.

No. 4 Penn State (5-0, 2-0 B1G) at USC (3-2, 1-2 B1G) (Penn State -5)

CBS, 3:30 p.m. EST, Oct. 12, Los Angeles

Penn State is returning a healthy Nick Singleton in the backfield and Dom DeLuca at linebacker. If Miller Moss has time, he will be able to test a Penn State secondary that still has question marks missing KJ Winston. Unfortunately, Moss has tackles who look to have a promising future as a subway turnstile. Penn State has two of the most dynamic EDGE rushers in Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton. Take Penn State. — Kyle Golik

I like USC to keep it close at home. Last week's loss was unacceptable and I don’t see Lincoln Riley losing by more than 5. Penn State has yet to play anyone and are know for losing against real teams. Take USC +5. —Brett Fine Jr.

USC has not looked good in three straight games and continues in this one. Following the loss to Minnesota, USC fans complained about a call with a minute left, but should have been complaining about their team not making plays the 49 minutes before that. Penn State is good at getting to the QB and will make Miller Moss’s day very long. Penn State wins and covers in this one. — Mike Germanese

My pick: PSU - 5: Penn State will be tested in Los Angeles this weekend, but if they can control the ground game, they'll pull through with the win. — Jay Holahan

USC is coming off of two very tough losses. The consolation is that they don't have to go to Penn State. The Nittany Lions are looking very sharp under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. I believe they win, but only by a field goal. Take USC and the points. —Rodney Potts

Washington (4-2, 2-1 B1G) at Iowa (3-2, 1-2 B1G) (Iowa -2.5)

FOX, Noon EST, Oct. 12, Iowa City, Iowa

Washington looks to build off of its Michigan win. I don't like where the Washington offense is, not sure Will Rogers was the answer to begin with. While this is a matchup of two stout defenses that are near the top in the nation in scoring defense, Iowa's is a proven commodity. Take Iowa at home. —Kyle Golik

After watching Iowa this season, I’m pretty low on them so far. They looked awful against Ohio State. I like the Huskies to pull this off. Take Washington +2.5. —Brett Fine Jr.

Washington just got revenge for the national championship game. They will use that momentum to get the win in this one. Washington's defense allows only 13.2 points a game and with Iowa's very conservated play calling they won’t be able to score. This game will look like the OSU game a week ago where Iowa's defense keeps it close early, but Washington will pull away late. Take Washington with the points. — Mike Germanese

My pick: Iowa -2.5: Washington and the Pac-12 teams this year seem to be struggling when they go up against the Big Ten teams on the road. It's almost like they are trying too hard to impress or make a statement win. — Jay Holahan

Iowa has shown an ability to move the ball through the air slightly more than they have in recent years. That aspect, combined with star running back Kaleb Johnson's play this year, makes me believe they win and cover at home. — Rodney Potts

Wisconsin (3-2, 1-1 B1G) at Rutgers (4-1, 1-1 B1G) (Rutgers -2.5)

BTN, Noon EST, Oct. 12, Piscataway, N.J.

Wisconsin will keep it close on the ground and a disciplined defense. However, Tyler Van Dyke's injury showed how thin the Badgers are at quarterback and with no vertical threats. I really like Rutgers to hold court. — Kyle Golik

I’m low on Wisconsin’s new offensive scheme especially with their quarterback situation after the Van Dyke injury. I’ve been high on Rutgers all year so I’ll stick with them at home. Rutgers covers. — Brett Fine Jr.

Wisconsin beat a bad Purdue (1-4, 0-2 B1G) team 52-6 a week ago, but I still don’t believe in the offensive system Luke Fickell is running. Rutgers didn’t look good in their 14-7 loss to Nebraska, but believe more in Greg Schiano than Fickell. I’ll take Rutgers to cover. — Mike Germanese

My pick: Rutgers -2.5: I've been pretty high on the Scarlet Knights all year and with the way Wisconsin has been playing, I do not doubt that Greg Schiano's team will brush off that loss last week with a home win. — Jay Holahan

This should be a nice matchup for two middle-of-the-pack teams in the conference. I have Rutgers bouncing back after their first loss, winning by a field goal. — Rodney Potts

Minnesota (3-3, 1-2 B1G) at UCLA (1-4, 0-3 B1G) (Minnesota -5)

BTN, 9:00 p.m. EST, Oct. 12, Pasadena, Calif.

UCLA is awful, there is no sugar-coating it. For Minnesota fans, it will be a foreign place to be in the Rose Bowl. Ironically, the last time Minnesota played in the Rose Bowl was in 1962, when it beat UCLA 21-3. Don't be surprised if history repeats itself. Take Minnesota. —Kyle Golik

This is a tough road trip after a big game last week. I feel like UCLA can keep this one close at home. Take UCLA and the points. — Brett Fine Jr.

Minnesota should have beaten Michigan two weeks ago. This past week, it beat USC and, like Washington, will look to carry the momentum into this one. Minnesota running back Darius Taylor will have a big game on a defense that gives up 102.8 rushing yards a game. When it comes down to it, UCLA is just not very good. Minnesota wins and covers. — Mike Germanese

Minn. -5: Coming off the big upset against USC, which again made Trojans fans cry in their beer, Minnesota gets an easier opponent this week in the Bruins. As long as PJ Fleck keeps his guys focused, they'll pull through. — Jay Holahan

Minnesota is proving to be a challenge for anyone they face. They have played two tight games in a row against two tough teams. I think they will, however, win this one convincingly as they cover the spread, winning by a touchdown. — Rodney Potts

No. 2 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 B1G) at No. 3 Oregon (5-0, 2-0 B1G) (OSU-3)

NBC, 7:30 pm EST, Sept. 12, Eugene, Ore.

The early Game of the Year in the Big Ten. I expect this will smash the Autzen Stadium attendance record and challenge the 1993 Indy Race at the Portland Motor Speedway that is the state attendance record. On the field, I expect this to be a shootout. I like Ohio State's ability to run better than Oregon. This is one Oregon fans wished they had Bucky Irving back for another game. Ohio State wins the shootout. —Kyle Golik

This could be the game of the year and I think it comes down to a game-winning field goal. I’m gonna ride this one out with my Ducks because I believe they’re better in the trenches and will win at the line of scrimmage. Ohio State has insane talent at the playmaker positions, but I trust Dillon Gabriel in the fourth quarter more than I do Howard. Despite the schedules, we’ve seen Gabriel perform well late in close games this season. We still don’t know about Howard. Take Oregon with the points. — Brett Fine Jr.

One name: Chip Kelly. Ohio State pays him $2 million to be here so the offense performs in games like this. Oregon has the 11th-ranked defense in the country. But the Ducks have only played one team with an offensive pulse, Boise State, who put up 369 total yards (221 coming on the ground). Unfortunately for Oregon, Kelly has two possible future NFL running backs at his disposal in Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. This season, OSU's rushing game is averaging 222.2 yards per game and will prove to be the difference in this game. Ohio State wins and shows they're not just good but elite this season. OSU covers. —Mike Germanese

My pick: OSU -3: I hate having to go with Ohio State this week but they're the best team in the Big Ten and have proved it every week. This should be a classic matchup, but I'm not too sold on Oregon's offense just yet. — Jay Holahan

This is lining up to be the biggest Big Ten game of the year and it should stay close. I think Ohio State's revamped rushing attack helps give them the win as they barely cover. — Rodney Potts