A week after Oregon’s thrilling double-overtime win at Penn State and Illinois’ late dramatics to beat USC, the Big Ten schedule has no ranked vs. ranked matchups this weekend. Instead, Michigan, Nebraska and Maryland will have a chance to solidify strong starts.
(Note: All games Saturday. The Gophers-Ohio State prediction will run in the GameDay preview package.)
Three with intrigue
Wisconsin at No. 20 Michigan | 11 a.m. | FOX
- The Wolverines are poised to make a run with a manageable schedule stretch that starts with a visit from the Badgers. Wisconsin has lost two in a row and could see the skid grow to at least six because of its brutal schedule. Michigan 31, Wisconsin 13
No. 22 Illinois at Purdue | 11 a.m. | BTN
- The Fighting Illini must resist the urge to look ahead to next week’s visit from No. 1 Ohio State. They’ll remember that they escaped with a 50-49 home win over the Boilermakers last year. Illinois 30, Purdue 21
Michigan State at Nebraska | 3 p.m. | FS1
- Both the Spartans and Cornhuskers are 3-1 overall and dropped their conference openers two weeks ago. State has won the past two in the series, but Nebraska is a little further along in its rebuilding. Nebraska 27, Michigan State 17
Keep an eye on
No. 7 Penn State at UCLA | 2:30 p.m. | CBS
- The Nittany Lions hope this is their first of two visits to Pasadena this season, though the double-overtime loss to Oregon leaves a big hill to climb to reach the College Football Playoff. Still, they’ll toy with the lowly Bruins. Penn State 42, UCLA 7
Washington at Maryland | 2:30 p.m. | BTN
- These programs have met only once — in a 21-20 Huskies victory in the inaugural Aloha Bowl in 1982. Revenge is 43 years coming as the Terrapins edge the favored Huskies to improve to 5-0. Maryland 27, Washington 24
Louisiana-Monroe at Northwestern | 2:30 p.m. | BTN
