Big Ten football staff picks for Week 3
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Week 3 of the college football season will usher in the start of Big Ten play from coast to coast, see a big-time upset alert opportunity against a national title contender, and see an old friend return to Big Ten territory. This weekend has some definite highlights on the Big Ten schedule, but the majority of the weekend should be a relative snoozefest.
Michigan State heading to South Bend, Indiana, to take on Notre Dame in prime time, and Maryland hosting James Franklin and Virginia Tech are easily on our collective radar this weekend on the Big Ten schedule. So will USC's road game at Rutgers to officially open Big Ten play on Saturday afternoon. But this is the final weekend of non-conference play for the majority of the Big Ten, and the matchups across the board are very favorable, with a number of FCS opponents scattered throughout the schedule.
Here are our picks for games involving Big Ten teams this weekend. Be sure to check out our Penn State picks for final score and player of the game predictions.
| Game | Kevin | Paul | Chris |
| Oregon vs.Portland St | Oregon | Oregon | Oregon |
| Ohio State vs.Kent State | Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Minnesotavs. Akron | Minnesota | Minnesota | Minnesota |
| Wisconsin vs.Eastern Mich. | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wisconsin |
| Illinois vs. Southern Ill. | Illinois | Illinois | Illinois |
| Rutgersvs. USC | USC | USC | USC |
| Michigan vs.UTEP | Michigan | Michigan | Michigan |
| Indiana vs.Western Kentucky | Indiana | Indiana | Indiana |
| Iowa vs.Northern Iowa | Iowa | Iowa | Iowa |
| Nebraska vs.North Dakota | Nebraska | Nebraska | Nebraska |
| Washington vs.Eastern Wash. | Washington | Washington | Washington |
| Michigan St. atNotre Dame | Notre Dame | Notre Dame | Notre Dame |
| Northwesternvs. Colorado | Colorado | Colorado | Colorado |
| Maryland vs.Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech |
| UCLA vs.Purdue | UCLA | UCLA | UCLA |
Kevin on Michigan State at Notre Dame: Michigan State has had a very encouraging start to the season wiht a couple of comfortable victories. But now the degree of difficulty ramps up significantly with a road trip to Notre Dame. I think the Spartans hang with the Irish for a while, but I am most interested to see how they fare in the second half, which is when Wisconsin struggled to keep up against Notre Dame in Week 1.
Paul on Oregon vs. Portland State: We should be able to see who the Ducks truly are this week. They absolutely blasted inferior teams last year, so if they struggle in this game then they really may have taken a step back from last season.
Chris on Maryland vs. Virginia Tech: In his quasi-“return” to the Big Ten, James Franklin takes on a highly underrated Maryland squad with a highly talented quarterback leading the way. Malik Washington has started out hot, throwing for 533 yards with 3 TDs and no interceptions. However, in Franklin’s system, Ethan Grunkemeyer has looked as confident as ever, coming off a career-high 327 yards. Give me the Hokies at home for James Franklin’s “return” to the conference.
Paul on Maryland vs. Virginia Tech: I’m excited to see what James Franklin’s first game against the Big Ten looks since leaving Penn State. We should get a good look at whether he’s an exceptional coach or if he was slightly aided by all the resources in the conference.
Chris on Rutgers vs. USC: This game is interesting for one reason and one reason alone: the implications for Penn State. The bottom line is that this matchup could be between the best and worst opponents that Penn State will face this season. USC has looked like a sleeper Big Ten title contender, while it looks like Rutgers is just sleepwalking through the season. Still, Penn State fans should keep an eye on this game to see if USC really are that good…and also, if Rutgers is really that bad.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Big Ten football staff picks for Week 3
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