Week 5 Big Ten football staff picks
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The big game of the weekend in the Big Ten will see Ohio State venture into Kinnick Stadium for what could be a dangerous game against Iowa. Both teams are undefeated, and Iowa has some history of notable upsets in Kinnick Stadium. Just ask the Buckeyes! There are some other notable games on the Big Ten slate this weekend, including Michigan visiting Minnesota and Washington traveling to Los Angeles to face USC.
Here are our staff picks for Week 5 around the Big Ten. For our Penn State picks, including final score guesses and player of the game, check out our staff picks for Penn State vs. Northwestern. Oregon and UCLA are not in action this weekend.
| Game | Kevin | Paul | Christopher |
| Michigan atMinnesota | Minnesota | Minnesota | Minnesota |
| Michigan Stat Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Wisconsin |
| Ohio Stateat Iowa | Ohio State | Ohio State | Ohio State |
| Maryland atNebraska | Nebraska | Maryland | Nebraska |
| Purdue atIllinois | Illinois | Illinois | Illinois |
| Washingtonat USC | USC | USC | USC |
| Indiana atRutgers | Indiana | Indiana | Indiana |
Paul on Michigan at Minnesota: This game will most likely determine Michigan’s fate for the season. They’ve looked promising during certain portions of their games, but they can’t seem to string together a complete game. It’ll be interesting to see if Minnesota puts a fork in them.
Christopher on Michigan at Minnesota: This could be a shockingly tricky test for a Wolverines team that hasn't looked all that convincing. Minnesota just got a nice win last week against Washington, and sophomore QB Drake Lindsey has shown signs of progress. I think the Golden Gophers can steal this one and send Michigan fans reeling.
Kevin on Maryland at Nebraska:Nebraska has been off to a pretty hot start that should probably be getting a little more attention. Matt Rhule has the Cornhuskers building some confidence and that should continue behind a strong outing from quarterback Anthony Colandrea and running back Jamal Rule against a Maryland team that was torched last week by UCLA.
Paul on Ohio State at Iowa: I’m picking Ohio State just because of their offensive firepower. But if Iowa figures out a way to keep this a low-scoring game, then I could absolutely see them pulling off the upset.
Christopher on Ohio State at Iowa: This is perhaps the biggest game that Kinnick Stadium has hosted in recent memory. The Hawkeyes have proved to be a sneaky dark horse contender early in the Big Ten with the same old formula: a gritty, yet mostly average offense and one of the nation’s best defenses. We all know that defense can play. But can they limit the best receiver in college football? That may be the difference in a low-scoring game. I was very close to picking the shock upset, but the Hawkeyes may have to show more balance to convince me they can hang in the Big Ten for a full season.
Kevin on Washington at USC: For obvious reasons, I am incredibly interested in this game as USC will be coming to Penn State next week. Like Penn State, USC is looking for a rebound. So is Washington! The defense of the Trojans is a major concern right now, but that may not be as much of an issue this weekend against the Huskies. USC should get out of this one with a win on the strength of its offense.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Week 5 Big Ten football staff picks
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