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There is a chance the Big Ten’s game of the year will take place this weekend.
It’s certainly the expectation when the No. 13 team in the country hosts No. 2, which will be the case when Ohio State visits Penn State on Saturday.
The Nittany Lions haven’t beaten the Buckeyes since 2016. That’s also the last time James Franklin’s team knocked off a Top 10 opponent. But Penn State has a habit of keeping it close against Ohio State.
Last year, Ohio State was only up a field goal midway through the fourth quarter. None of Ohio State’s 5 straight wins has been by more than 13 points. The 2017 and ’18 games were both decided by a single point.
The Nittany Lions haven’t been finishers, but 2020 is the only recent year where you can look at this rivalry and say Penn State didn’t bring its A-game. A potential classic is brewing.
Which makes it funny that this matchup will be immediately followed by what should be the Big Ten’s worst game of the year: Northwestern at Iowa.
Best horror movies to watch this Halloween weekend, ranked:
1. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
2. Scream (1996)
3. Northwestern vs. Iowa (2022)
4. Poltergeist (1982)
5. Halloween (1978)— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) October 24, 2022
Really, we aren’t even being haters here. Even Pat Fitzgerald knows our children should be protected from witnessing this display.
Fitz on this week's game with Iowa: "I requested to the Big Ten that we played this game at 6 a.m."
— Inside NU (@insidenu) October 24, 2022
And if it turns out that Ohio State-Penn State is a blowout and Northwestern-Iowa a multi-overtime shootout? Perhaps that would be the most beautiful outcome of them all.
No. 2 Ohio State (7-0, 4-0) at No. 13 Penn State (6-1, 3-1)
When: Noon ET, FOX
B1G thought: This season has thus far been a waste of Gus Johnson’s excitement. With the exception of Maryland at Michigan, FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff games have largely been snoozefests in the second half. Here’s hoping that changes on Saturday. And I think it might.
I have a theory, albeit untested, that Penn State will play Ohio State closer than Michigan does.
It starts with Penn State’s secondary, which is third in the country in opposing completion percentage. If any team can compete with Ohio State’s receiving corps, this may be the one.
And there’s one other key element here: Penn State has the best receiving corps the Buckeyes have faced this season. The Bucks are third nationally in pass defense, but haven’t faced a passing offense ranked better than 65th.
Ohio State hasn’t played a competitive football game since Sept. 3. If Penn State doesn’t change that, nobody will before the season finale.
Rutgers (4-3, 1-3) at Minnesota (4-3, 1-3)
When: 2:30 p.m. ET, BTN
B1G thought: There’s an expectation that Iowa-Northwestern will be the lowest-scoring Big Ten game this week. Or maybe even the entire season, if it’s possible to get under Illinois’ 9-6 win over the Hawkeyes.
But what if this is the game that features more punts than points?
Minnesota is averaging 18.8 points per conference game, and Rutgers is at 14.3 per conference game. This is going to be a grind.
No. 17 Illinois (6-1, 3-1) at Nebraska (3-4, 2-2)
When: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
B1G thought: This is Illinois’ first appearance on national TV as a ranked team since playing Ohio State on Oct. 15, 2011. A loss here could pave the path to another lengthy drought, while a win likely assures the Illini of remaining ranked for looming matchups with Purdue and Michigan.
Illinois is averaging 199 rushing yards per game, while Nebraska is allowing 190 per game. So that doesn’t bode well for a Nebraska upset. Nor does the fact Nebraska is tied for the B1G lead in interceptions thrown while Illinois is second nationally with 12 passes picked off.
Northwestern (1-6, 1-3) at Iowa (3-4, 1-3)
When: 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
B1G thought: It’s a darn shame Fitz’s 6:30 a.m. kick proposal didn’t pick up any momentum. Farmers wake up early, so Iowa fans would still pack the stadium. And Northwestern’s body clocks are apparently still stuck on Irish time, so the Wildcats might be better suited for a game that would begin around noon in Dublin.
Jokes aside, this could be exceptionally painful to watch. Northwestern is 118th nationally in scoring, and Iowa 128th. On top of that, the total has gone under 30 points 4 of the past 5 times these teams have played.
Michigan State (3-4, 1-3) at No. 4 Michigan (7-0, 4-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
B1G thought: At Big Ten Media Days, Jim Harbaugh stated that Michigan had 4 goals this season:
- Beat Michigan State
- Beat Ohio State
- Win the Big Ten
- Win a national championship
The first of those quests becomes attainable against the Spartans on Saturday night.
For Michigan State, a win would salvage what has otherwise been a disappointing season. Unfortunately, Michigan’s strengths are perfectly attuned to exploiting Michigan State’s weaknesses — which is why the point spread opened at 23 points.
The Spartans are 10-4 in this rivalry since 2008, but a win here would be the program’s most unlikely since beating No. 1 Ohio State in 1998.
Alex Hickey is an award-winning writer who has watched Big Ten sports since it was a numerically accurate description of league membership. Alex has covered college football and basketball since 2008, with stops on the McNeese State, LSU and West Virginia beats before being hired as Saturday Tradition's Big Ten columnist in 2021. He is an Illinois native and 2004 Indiana University graduate.