CFP contender most likely to lose:
Tommy Valtin-Erwin: Amazingly, after talking all year about how absurdly good this Alabama team is, they have the best chance to lose this weekend. LSU has looked fantastic of late, and Leonard Fournette will be the toughest test the Tide have had to date. I still think they’ll win, but this one could get interesting. Prediction: No. 1 Alabama
Ethan Levy: Although Ohio State is only a fringe contender, they are still only a one-loss team with a tough schedule. Ohio State is in the discussion for the College Football Playoff, but a loss this week to a good Nebraska team is entirely plausible. I think Ohio State will win, but I think Nebraska will be ready to battle after a tough overtime loss to Wisconsin. Prediction: No. 6 Ohio State
Ben Pickman: Syracuse coach Dino Babers said Monday morning that fans shouldn’t “bet the house on” Syracuse knocking off Clemson this week. Thank god Babers isn’t my landlord because Clemson should be on upset alert this week. Clemson hasn’t played as well of late and the Orange can potentially break new ground in their first ever trip to Death Valley. Prediction: No. 3 Clemson
Wisconsin score prediction:
Tommy: The Wildcats will have a lot of trouble finding the end zone against the Badgers. UW should win comfortably—but of course, this game is in Evanston, the Bermuda Triangle’s even more-mysterious cousin. Prediction: Wisconsin 23, Northwestern 10
Ethan: Even though Northwestern has played well over the past few weeks, Wisconsin is still the far superior football team. The Wildcats will struggle to move the ball against this stout Badger defence, and the UW rushing attack will have another good week. Prediction: Wisconsin 27, Northwestern 9
Ben: The Badgers haven’t won a game in Evanston since 1999 when the song of the year was “Believe” by Cher. It’s fitting as UW looks poised to break their losing ways at Ryan Field this weekend as, to quote Cher, I really don’t think Northwestern’s strong enough. Prediction Wisconsin: 20, Northwestern 10
Lowest-scoring game of the week:
Tommy: Northwestern’s offense is no slouch, but this Badgers’ defense is playing out of its mind. Even without Olive Sagapolu, Chris Orr and Jack Cichy, teams have struggled to move the ball past the line of scrimmage. On the other hand, the UW offense can’t do much either. This game has 10-3 written all over it. Prediction: Northwestern vs. No. 7 Wisconsin
Ethan: Iowa is fighting to regain their prominence in the Big Ten West and Penn State is trying to prove that they are truly a Top-25 team in the nation. This should be a hard fought game, as both defenses will look to create turnovers and make big plays. Prediction: Iowa vs. No. 20 Penn State
Ben: In Rutgers’ first three Big Ten home games, the Scarlet Knights scored a combined 14 points. That means their offense was stuck almost as much as Jersey Turnpike traffic. Expect long delays in this game with potential accidents on both sides of the field. Indiana’s engine is not clicking much either, so remember to buckle up cause this game is gonna be sloppy. Prediction: Indiana at Rutgers
