4 Big Ten football teams with something to prove in Week 7

This is a big week for the Big Ten. Ohio State is on bye, but its three other undefeated teams face significant challenges – perhaps their greatest ones to date.

Week 7 could have a monster impact on the narrative surrounding the Big Ten and its bid to return to the College Football Playoff after a two-year hiatus.

That said, here are four teams with something to prove in Week 7:

1. Penn State

Penn State has looked very good the last few weeks in handling Maryland and then Purdue. But the No. 10 Nittany Lions (5-0) will face their stiffest test to date at No. 17 Iowa (4-1), which should come in hungry after a loss at Michigan last week.

The Nittany Lions have been incredibly explosive this season as they are tied for seventh in the country with 12 plays of 40 or more yards. Sean Clifford has been very good, as have his receivers. Iowa, however, ranks among the nation’s best in most defensive categories, including points per game (8.8, T-3rd), yards allowed per game (254.2, 5th), rushing yards allowed per game (85.6, 11th) and passing yards allowed per game (168.6, 12th).

Penn State just a few weeks ago when into a raucous environment at Maryland and quickly quieted the crowd. Let’s see if it can draw on that experience and start off a tough four-game stretch that also includes Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota. It’s going to be tough for Penn State to make it to its Nov. 23 showdown with Ohio State unbeaten, but it has shown it has a well-balanced, skilled etam.

If nothing else, hopefully we get the same sort of drama that we saw last time Penn State visited Iowa, when Trace McSorley found Juwan Johnson for a touchdown on the game’s final play.

2. Iowa

It’s gut-check time for Iowa’s highly touted offensive line, which was thoroughly out-played by Michigan last week. Supposedly one of the best units in the country with two potential first-round NFL draft picks in Tristan Wirfs and Alaric Jackson, the Hawkeyes surrendered eight sacks – the most since they allowed nine against Indiana in 2007.

For Iowa fans, it has to be very concerning that Penn State has a better defense than Michigan and leads the nation in sacks per game (5) and is coming off an 11-sack performance against Purdue. Yetur Gross-Matos (5.5 sacks) and Shaka Toney (5) are the ones to watch for the Nittany Lions.

As we saw last week, Nate Stanley needs a clean pocket because he is not very mobile. This is just a hunch, but I think Iowa will fare much better in that regard this week because it is at home. Communicating shouldn’t be as much of an issue at Kinnick like it was at the Big House.

It’s also a huge game for Stanley, who is coming off a three-interception performance at Michigan. In his last three games against ranked opponents, he has just one touchdown pass and five interceptions. He has eight touchdowns and no interceptions at home this season, but that has come against Middle Tennessee State, Rutgers and Miami (Ohio). Stanley threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns two years ago when Penn State visited.

3. Wisconsin

No. 8 Wisconsin (5-0) has done exactly what it needs to through five games. And save for the Northwestern game, it has been downright dominant. The Badgers lead the country in allowing just 5.8 points per game, 131 passing yards and 178.6 total yards per game. They are also second in allowing 47.6 rushing yards per game. Such slackers in run defense, right?

All kidding aside, the Badgers have been stingy. That presents an interesting matchup as Michigan State (4-2) comes to town. Brian Lewerke, though a bit inefficient, is second in the Big Ten with 257.2 passing yards per game.

On the other side of the ball, will Wisconsin be able to run all over Michigan State the way Ohio State did last week? The Buckeyes piled up 335 rushing yards last week, which is the most Michigan State has let up this decade. The Spartans have allowed 200 or more rushing yards just five times since 2010. As we know, Heisman candidate Jonathan Taylor is always a threat to go for 200.

If the Badgers can pull this one out, that highly anticipated game in Columbus in Week 9 looks mighty appetizing. It will also give us the first common opponent between Wisconsin and Ohio State and thus a better metric to judge the Badgers. If Ohio State can beat Michigan State by 24, how much can Wisconsin win by?

4. Minnesota

There are 16 undefeated teams left in FBS, and Minnesota (5-0) is one of them. There doesn’t seem to be too many people talking about that, and I don’t blame them. The Golden Gophers haven’t given casual fans or media much to talk about. They limped through three non-conference games against non-Power Five programs, then beat Purdue and Illinois.

Saturday’s game against visiting Nebraska (4-2) will be Minnesota’s best chance at showing it is a legitimate threat in the Big Ten West Division. While the Cornhuskers have fallen short of expectations, they are still a talented team that is capable of beating (or competing with) non-Ohio State teams in the Big Ten on any given night. While far from the biggest game of the day, it’s a night game that could potentially be a second- or third-screen option for casual fans. AP voters will surely be monitoring this one as the Golden Gophers received the largest amount of points in the poll without actually getting ranked. With No. 24 Texas A&M likely to drop out this week, assuming it loses to No. 1 Alabama, Minnesota will likely be ranked if it can win.

Tanner Morgan has been very good this season, completing 70.3 percent of his passes. Can he keep that up against a Nebraska defense that has held the opposing quarterback to 60 percent or worse in nine of the 18 games of the Scott Frost era?