Big Ten football picks: Will Iowa respond or does USC continue its path towards the CFP?

Three with intrigue

• The Hawkeyes suffered a heartbreaker last week in an 18-16 home loss to Oregon, which severely damaged their College Football Playoff hopes. They must recover quickly with a road trip to Los Angeles to face a Trojans team that’s unbeaten at home. Iowa gets it done with its run game. Iowa 23, USC 20

• The Bruins followed up their three-game Big Ten win streak with a two-game skid against Nebraska and Indiana. Now they face the defending national champions with Julian Sayin slinging the ball to Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State 45, UCLA 10

• A stout defensive effort last week enabled the Badgers to end a six-game skid with a 13-10 win over visiting Washington. Will that be enough to push a Hoosiers team that seems destined to play for the Big Ten title and even more? Likely not. Indiana 31, Wisconsin 10

Keep an eye on

• Before the Wolverines can think about the regular-season finale against top-ranked Ohio State, they first must take care of business against the Wildcats this week and Maryland next week. Michigan takes Northwestern’s best punch. Michigan 27, Northwestern 21

• The Nittany Lions and Spartans play for the Land Grant Trophy, which has been described as resembling a birdhouse on steroids. That’s fitting for a couple of teams that are a combined 0-12 in Big Ten play. Penn State, which pushed Indiana to the limit, keeps its bowl hopes alive. Penn State 24, Michigan State 20

And the rest

• By losing five consecutive games, the 4-5 Terrapins need to win two of their final three to reach bowl eligibility. They’ll get no help from the Fighting Illini, who are on track for a 9-3 season and a shot at the Reliaquest Bowl in Tampa. Illinois 34, Maryland 20

• The Boilermakers have lost eight consecutive games, though they’ve shown bursts of competitiveness. The Huskies, coming off an upset loss at Wisconsin, return home, where they’re 6-1 as a Big Ten member. Washington 38, Purdue 16

Season record

• Week 1: 18-0
• Week 2: 18-0
• Week 3: 13-2
• Week 4: 5-3
• Week 5: 5-1
• Week 6: 4-2
• Week 7: 5-3
• Week 8: 7-2
• Week 9: 5-2
• Week 10: 4-1
• Week 11: 3-4