This won’t be the most exciting of weeks in college football. Coming off one of the most important weekends this season, the second-to-last Saturday might seem like a bit of a ho-hum schedule.

A Top 25 clash between No. 24 Michigan and No. 5 Wisconsin highlights the slate in the B1G, with that being really the only marquee matchup in the conference. Several teams — Purdue, Indiana, Rutgers, Nebraska and Maryland — are all fighting to keep bowl eligibility hopes alive heading into the final week of the year.

Maybe the week won’t be wildly entertaining from a rankings standpoint, but this is college football and there’s always something at stake.

Here are five bold predictions for the B1G in Week 12.

Despite Ohio State blowing out Illinois, Ricky Smalling still has a big day

The freshman receiver has been one of the few bright spots for the Illini this fall. He’s served as the best weapon in the passing attack and has already proven he’ll be a star further down the road. He’s caught 28 passes for 488 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games this season.

Illinois won’t be able to move the football much against the Buckeyes defense. But that doesn’t mean the freshman sensation won’t make a few nice plays in the game. Smalling has caught at least one pass in each of the last nine games. Look for him to make a couple snags against Ohio State.

Saquon Barkley eclipses 1,000 rushing yards for the season vs. Nebraska

Barkley needs just 101 yards to hit that 1,000-yard milestone for the third time in as many seasons. And he’s got a really good shot to surpass that mark on Saturday against a Nebraska defense that ranks dead last in the B1G against the run, allowing 200 yards per game.

Nearly a month has passed since the last time Barkley rushed for triple digits in a single game. He should hit that marker and add another 1,000-yard rushing season to his impressive résumé.

 

Indiana goes 0-2 vs. New Jersey this week

The Hoosiers’ basketball team traveled to New Jersey earlier this week and dropped a game to Seton Hall. Now, Indiana’s football team hosts Rutgers in Bloomington this Saturday. I don’t like the chances for Indiana.

The Scarlet Knights could easily end IU’s bowl chances this Saturday. Rutgers has shown significant signs of improvement as the season has progressed. Indiana has not. Believe it or not, Chris Ash might have his team fighting for bowl eligibility in the final week of the season.

Brandon Peters has a better game than Alex Hornibrook

Peters just has a certain demeanor about him that makes you believe he’s ready for any situation and any circumstance. The freshman quarterback is far from being a finished product, but he’s played mistake-free football in his first three games. Alex Hornibrook has not.

Of course, Peters hasn’t played in a setting like Camp Randall Stadium against a defense as robust as Wisconsin. But Jim Harbaugh and Tim Drevno seem to know how to utilize Peters. Plus, the freshman has a pretty high football IQ based on what we’ve seen over the last three weeks.

Hornibrook has been careless at times this season and has made some major mistakes. Michigan may not win the game, but Peters will look like the more polished quarterback on the field.

Minnesota and Rutgers are the only teams fighting for bowl eligibility in rivalry week

The Gophers have two weeks to win one game and guarantee a bowl bid this postseason. Nebraska, Rutgers, Indiana, Maryland and Purdue would all need to win out in order to get to that all-important six-win mark. But I think postseason hopes are dashed for all but two teams this weekend — Minnesota and Rutgers.

I don’t see Purdue beating Iowa, Maryland topping Michigan State or Nebraska stunning Penn State. And a Rutgers win on Saturday would eliminate the Hoosiers from postseason play, too.

Maybe we’ll have one final week of chaos and the bowl picture will remain alive for a few more teams heading into the final week of the season, but that just doesn’t seem very likely.