Illinois regained their starting quarterback off coronavirus quarantine and gained their second victory. Michigan was threatened with the loss of their coach and gained their second victory. Maryland cancelled their second game due to COVID. And previously COVID-ravaged Wisconsin lost their first game. Interesting week we had.
Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]
1. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-0) [1] : Indiana gave them a scare, but the strong Buckeyes offense prevailed.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (4-1) [2] : They couldn't get past the Buckeyes but they made it exciting! I don't think any other team could do that this season.
3. Northwestern Wildcats (5-0) [4] : The Wildcats beat Wisconsin to be the first Big Ten team to five wins this season, and take the lead in the West division.
4. Iowa Hawkeyes (3-2) [5] : After a slow start in the first two weeks of the season, Iowa just seems to get stronger each week.
5. Wisconsin Badgers (2-1) [3] : The Wildcats defense completely stifled the Badgers
6. Maryland Terrapins (2-1) [6]
7. Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-3) [9] : The Gophers squeezed out a victory against Purdue in an offensive showcase.
8. Purdue Boilermakers (2-2) [7] : Purdue's offense was rolling, but their defense couldn't keep pace with the Gophers
9. Illinois Fighting Illini (2-3) [10] : Brandon Peters returns to spark the Illini offense, who score over 40 points against Nebraska
10. Michigan Wolverines (2-3) [12] : "Tweak us, do we not bleed?" They get feisty, too, as the Wolverines respond to calls to fire Coach Harbough with an offensive behemoth against Rutgers. Their defense is still lacking, though, as it took 3 overtimes for them to topple the Scarlet Knights!
11. Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-3) [8] : Illinois pounded Nebraska and tore through their defense like it was tissue paper
12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-4) [11] : The Scarlet Knights couldn't quite keep up with the marathon multi-overtime game against Michigan
13. Michigan State Spartans (1-3) [13]
14. Penn State Nittany Lions (0-5) [14] : Every week just gets worse for the Lions
Week 6 picks
Friday
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Iowa Hawkeyes : The Hawkeyes have found their mojo and are starting to tear through the conference. Nebraska might have the offense to keep pace for two or three quarters, but their porous defense will prove their undoing. IOWA by eleven
Saturday
Ohio State Buckeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini : I don't care how well Brandon Peters plays, the Illini will not be able to keep pace with the high-powered offense of Ohio State. OHIO STATE by 16
Maryland Terrapins at Indiana Hoosiers : The Terrapins come off coronavirus quarantine, and promptly have to face the surging Hoosiers. I'll bet they would have preferred to cancel this game, too! INDIANA by 18
Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Wolverines : This is a crucial game for both squads. Although no word has come from the Penn State athletic department, it's possible (and likely) that both teams are playing for the job security of their respective coaches. However, someone has to win this game. I think this one may go into overtime also, and that will hurt Penn State, who seems to fade late in the game. MICHIGAN by three
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Wisconsin Badgers : It is rare for the Badgers to lose two games in a row, so I think they'll be fired up for this one. WISCONSIN by six
Northwestern Wildcats at Michigan State Spartans : Normally perview of the Spartans, the stiffest defense in the conference resides in Evanston, and the Wildcats will bring that smothering squad to East Lansing. The Spartans offense is sputtering, as they have scored a total of seven points in their last two games. NORTHWESTERN by 12
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Purdue Boilermakers : Normally this game would be a contest between two cellar dwellers, but Purdue has had a decent season. They are the masters of close games, as all of their games this season have been decided by a single score. Rutgers has lost all of their close games this season, so Purdue has the edge. PURDUE by six
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