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Let’s call it for what it is, shall we?
Week 8 in the B1G doesn’t exactly present the most attractive slate of games, but there are still a few intriguing matchups. It really just sets the table for Week 9, which provides us with one of the best college football weekends of the season.
But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. This college football season is moving fast enough as it is. Let’s take a look at the Week 8 games and make some bold predictions.
Ohio State’s defensive TD streak continues
In case you’ve missed it, Ohio State has scored a defensive touchdown in each of its last four games. Indiana, on the other hand, has tossed three pick-sixes in three B1G contests — and scored just one touchdown. The Hoosiers still don’t have things figured out at the quarterback position, or on the offensive side of the ball at all. Ohio State is getting better defensively and is fresh off an idle week. The Buckeyes make it five straight games with a defensive score.
Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins both hit 100 rushing yards
Rarely does Northwestern’s run defense perform poorly over the course of a season. Right now, though, the Wildcats rank dead last in the B1G in rush defense, allowing more than 206 yards per game on the ground. Michigan is at the top of the conference in ground production, churning out 246 yards per contest. Jim Harbaugh is content on running the football — quite a bit. Both Corum and Haskins have hit the 100-yard mark multiple times this season, and they’ll both do it again on Saturday against the Wildcats.
Tanner Morgan has his best passing performance since 2019
As ineffective as Minnesota’s pass game was early in the season, it seems to be finding its groove, at least on some level. That’s probably because Chris Autman-Bell and Dylan Wright are both back in the lineup, providing Morgan with two really good options on the perimeter. Morgan was outstanding in the first half of last week’s game against a good Nebraska defense. Now, he’ll line up against a Maryland unit that is allowing nearly 261 yards per game through the air and hasn’t intercepted a pass in its last four three contests. Morgan may not hit 300 yards, but he’ll have a big outing against the Terrapins.
Purdue rushes for 25 yards or less but still beats Wisconsin
Wisconsin is really good at defending the run. Purdue really has no interest in running the football. It’s not common for a team to rush for such a low total and be on the right side of the scoreboard, but the Boilermakers have won three of their four games while rushing for under 100 yards, including a 38-yard output against Illinois. Plus, the Badgers are so bad offensively that the Purdue defense should be able to cause some chaos. This will be another low-scoring game, but the Boilers snap a 14-game losing streak to Wisconsin.
Illinois is held scoreless for a second straight game
Both Illinois and Penn State are coming off a bye week, which means two things: Illinois had an additional week to prepare for one of the toughest opponents on the schedule, and Penn State had to sit and think about that loss to Iowa for seven more days. The Illini may have a decent game plan, but they’ve not been able to move the football consistently. Penn State’s defense is playing outstanding right now and is capable of keeping another team off the scoreboard (defeated Indiana 24-0). I think Illinois goes a second straight game without a point (lost 24-0 to Wisconsin).
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB