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@SFBadger96 , 15 voters.
Not a lot of change this week:
- Illinois was up 1/2 a spot from tied for 9th/10th to alone in 9th.
- Purdue was up a spot from 11th to 10th.
- Nebraska was done a spot and a half from tied for 9th/10th to 11th alone.
- Maryland was up a spot from 13th to 12th.
- Northwestern was down a spot from 12th to 13th.
We are probably primed for a big weekend of upsets because a lot of teams have settled into their spot:
- Rutgers has been last all year.
- Ohio State has been first since breaking a 1/2 preseason tie in week 1.
- Michigan has been fourth since week 6.
- Minnesota has been fifth since week 7.
- Iowa has been sixth since week 7.
- Michigan State has been seventh since week 7.
- Indiana has been eighth since week 7.
This week's games:
- #1 Ohio State vs #12 Maryland
- #2 Penn State at #5 Minnesota
- #3 Wisconsin vs #6 Iowa
- #4 Michigan is off
- #7 Michigan State vs #9 Illinois
- #8 Indiana is off
- #10 Purdue at #13 Northwestern
- #11 Nebraska is off
- #14 Rutgers is off
As an Ohio State fan I'm obviously interested in the game in Columbus but that shouldn't be too dramatic. The other four are all pretty good matchups:
Penn State/Minnesota:
Either team would still control their own destiny to the B1GCG with a loss and this game could end up being a B1GCG preview but this game is important nonetheless. I think the big question to be answered here is just how good are the Gophers?
Wisconsin/Iowa:
The loser is practically eliminated from the race for the B1GCG while the winner will control their own destiny provided that Penn State takes out Minnesota.
MSU/Illinois:
The Spartans are coming off of a brutal stretch in which they got shellacked by the #1, #2, and #3 teams over the past month while Illinois is looking great with three straight wins. The Illini had the big upset of Wisconsin but other than that their B1G wins have come against #10 and #14 while their losses were to #4, #5, and #11. That isn't great. Can MSU rebound from that brutal stretch?
Purdue/Northwestern:
The Boilermakers need to win out to get to 6-6 and ensure bowl eligibility. To even have a chance they need to go 5-7 and that is REALLY unlikely if they lose this because this is their easiest remaining game. They REALLY need a win here.