Clearly, finding this upset special every week has turned into a fruitless exercise. Last week, I complained that I was having a hard time finding any Big Ten favorite who was capable of getting beat.

And then this happened:

  • Nebraska was an 11-point favorite in a home game against Troy, but lost outright 24-19.
  • Northwestern was a 6-point favorite in a home game against Akron, a team that hadn’t beaten a Big Ten opponent since 1894, but lost outright 39-34.
  • Unbeaten Maryland was a 16-point favorite in a home game against Temple, but lost outright 35-14.
  • Wisconsin, then No. 6-ranked, was a 24-point favorite in a home game against BYU, but lost 24-21.

I missed all of those and reached out and picked Indiana as someone who should be concerned, but the Hoosiers trounced a decent Ball State team that took No. 8 Notre Dame to the wire a week earlier. I was wrong, and fell to 1-2 now in my (under)dog-picking.

Sports Betting in Big Ten Country

There is big news coming to the upcoming 2022-23 Big Ten football season (and NFL season). Ohio online sports betting and Maryland sports betting are on the way.

21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

So this week, do I have any hope? Here are the lines for the Week 4 games:

  • No. 10 Penn State (-28) at Illinois (Friday night)
  • No. 24 Michigan State (-5) at Indiana
  • Minnesota at Maryland (-3)
  • No. 23 Boston College (-7) at Purdue
  • Tulane at No. 4 Ohio State (-37.5)
  • Nebraska at No. 19 Michigan (-19)
  • No. 18 Wisconsin (-3) at Iowa

There are some candidates this week for sure. My colleagues here at Saturday Tradition are all over the Indiana upset of Michigan State, and I’m thinking that might happen, too. But I can’t go there, after thinking I was leaning that way all week. Why? Because they all like it! Those clowns were 10 games under .500 in their picks last week alone! So I have to look elsewhere.

Ohio State and Penn State are rolling toward their showdown next week, so they’re safe (but I’m locked in on my game for next week!). I do think Wisconsin bounces back from last week’s disaster to handle the Hawkeyes too, though it should be a tight defensive bloodbath. I have leans toward Indiana at home getting 5 points against MSU and I think Minnesota might be able to win on the road at Maryland as a 3-point dog.

Those are options, but be bold or go home is how I roll. So let’s go here:

The 0-3 Purdue Boilermakers will beat No. 23-ranked and unbeaten Boston College. Purdue has been the league’s biggest disappointment so far this year, but I’ve just got a feeling they turn it around Saturday against a very good BC team. Not only will they cover the 7-point spread — which isn’t what this is about anyway — but they will win this game outright.

The Boilers have been close, but they have closed out, and that’s going to change. This time it happens.