By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports activities
The penultimate week of the common season within the Large Ten has 16 of the 18 groups taking part in throughout eight convention matchups.
The 2 groups from the Hoosier state have the bye as Indiana and Purdue get an additional week to organize for one another.
The 4 West Coast groups won’t have to go away the Pacific Time zone once more within the common season because the Trojans head to Oregon and Washington visits Pasadena this weekend forward of the rivalry video games subsequent week.
Every week, we have a look at the convention matchups that includes these 4 regional colleges plus just a few different intriguing convention tussles.
This week, the 2 video games we skip are Michigan State at Iowa and Rutgers at Ohio State.
The Hawkeyes will wave goodbye to the Spartans and ship MSU again to East Lansing with their ninth straight convention loss.
Ohio State won’t have any letdown forward of Michigan subsequent week and can make quick work of the Scarlet Knights.
And with that, here’s a have a look at the six Large Ten video games we’re highlighting.
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats
Saturday, November 22
9:00 AM PT, Large Ten Community
Line: Minnesota -3.5
Over/Below: 40.5
This one has all the makings of a defensive slugfest. Each groups will need to set up their physicality on protection and get the operating sport occurring the offensive aspect of the soccer.
The house finale for the Wildcats will probably be on the Pleasant Confines of Wrigley Area.
Northwestern wants a win on this one, or the regular-season ender at Illinois subsequent week, to go bowling. The Gophers have reached the six-win mark and can enterprise into the postseason, however can enhance their vacation spot with a robust end to the season.
The Cats have performed robust over the previous couple of weeks and gave Michigan a scare final week, largely by creating takeaways. NU was +5 within the turnover division and nonetheless misplaced the sport.
This week, the Wildcat should drive miscues once more, and they should capitalize on them.
The benefit for the Gophers lies with the play of redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey.
The QB has achieved an excellent job of directing the offense and never making errors. He has solely thrown three interceptions this season and that would be the distinction on Saturday.
The rating stays very low with the Gophers getting the win.
Towards the unfold: Minnesota
Factors Complete: Below
Outright winner: Minnesota
No. 15 USC Trojans at No. 7 Oregon Geese
Saturday, November 22
12:30 PM PT, CBS
Line: Oregon -9.5
Over/Below: 59.5
This is a big one between the West Coast rivals. The sport has potential Large Ten Championship sport ramifications and looms massive in Playoff concerns.
This one might effectively be an elimination sport with the winner in fine condition and the loser on the surface trying in.
For the Trojans to search out success in Eugene, they might want to get stress on Dante Moore. Trojan D-line could cause issues, notably if Eric Gentry creates havoc, and it’ll gradual the Oregon assault.
The Trojans might want to hold the Geese off schedule and create lengthy third downs. The Geese rank 14th within the nation on third downs, changing 49.2%, however that determine falls to 26.7% on third and seven+ yards to realize.
For the Geese to search out success, they might want to restrict the explosive performs from the Trojan offense, which ranks sixth within the nation in chunk performs with 177 protecting at the least 10 yards.
The Oregon protection excels at limiting such performs, because the Geese are third nationally, permitting simply 70 scrimmage performs gaining 10+ yards.
The Duck protection is coming off of a few bodily video games through which they restricted a pair of excellent operating groups to simply 81 yards per sport on the bottom. That physicality might be the distinction.
SC retains it tight, however the Geese defend their house turf.
Towards the unfold: USC
Factors Complete: Below
Outright winner: Oregon
No. 18 Michigan Wolverines at Maryland Terrapins
Saturday, November 22
1:00 PM PT, FS1
Line: Michigan -13.5
Over/Below: 45.5
For the second straight season, the Terps opened on hearth solely to stumble by means of convention play.
After a 4-0 begin, Maryland faces the duty of needing to win their ultimate two video games to make a bowl amid a six-game slide. Making that job much more daunting is the truth that Michigan will probably be visiting this weekend.
The Wolverines are approaching robust and have an opportunity to work their method into the Large Ten Championship sport by successful out, offered they get some assist from Oregon this weekend.
U-M is the twelfth greatest crew within the nation at operating the soccer, going for 223.0 yards per sport and averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Maryland has not been good in opposition to the run all season lengthy. The Terps are permitting 171.8 yards per sport. And during the last 5, they’ve allowed opponents to run for 246.8 yards per sport.
Michigan’s floor assault ought to have a subject day.
Malik Washington goes to have a ton of stress on him all sport. The freshman QB will probably be pressured within the pocket and pressed to reply the Wolverine offense if his protection can’t decelerate the Michigan assault.
Michigan is averaging over 2.5 sacks per sport and owns the nation’s twenty seventh most sacks. Derrick Moore is second within the Large Ten and tenth within the nation with 8.5 sacks this season. He may be capable to pin his ears again and play the move on each down.
Michigan wins by a few scores.
Towards the unfold: Michigan
Factors Complete: Below
Outright winner: Michigan
Nebraska Cornhuskers at Penn State Nittany Lions
Saturday, November 22
4:00 PM PT, NBC
Line: Penn State -9.5
Over/Below: 44.5
The expectations had been ultra-high in August for the Nittany Lions. Now, James Franklin is the top man at Virginia Tech, and PSU has an opportunity to salvage this misplaced season.
A few wins—this week over Nebraska and subsequent week at Rutgers—and the Lions will discover themselves taking part in in a bowl sport.
It’s a far cry from the nationwide championship aspirations that they started the season with, however given how the previous couple of months performed out, a welcome reward for these nonetheless in this system.
This sport performs proper into the Nittany Lions’ favor. Nebraska owns the most effective passing defenses within the nation, however has been actually dangerous at stopping the run.
The Huskers are 91st in opposition to the run, and within the final 4 video games, opponents have run for 179.3 yards per outing in opposition to them. In Nebraska’s three losses this season, they’ve yielded 224.7 yards on the bottom.
Penn State runs the soccer extraordinarily effectively.
Kaytron Allen is coming off an 181-yard efficiency in opposition to Michigan State. Regardless of their struggles this season, the backfield duo of Allen and Nicholas Singleton nonetheless is perhaps the most effective RB tandems within the nation.
Nebraska might want to discover a strategy to decelerate the run as a result of PSU will grind it out with lengthy possessions if they’ll.
Stopping the run will probably be a complete crew effort for Nebraska, and that features the offense. The Husker offense can’t afford many three-and-outs, or the protection will get taxed.
Nebraska goes to want to maintain drives, and the Huskers have an All-American of their very own within the backfield in Emmett Johnson. The junior again is third within the nation with a Large Ten-best 113.1 speeding yards per sport.
Penn State is permitting 80 fewer speeding yards in its wins this season than in its losses.
Merely put, whichever crew runs the ball extra successfully will get the win. That’s going to be the house crew.
Penn State will get the victory in a sport that stays beneath 45 complete factors, however the Huskers hold it a one rating affair.
Towards the unfold: Nebraska
Factors Complete: Below
Outright winner: Penn State
No. 21 Illinois Combating Illini at Wisconsin Badgers
Saturday, November 22
4:30 PM PT, Large Ten Community
Line: Illinois -7.5
Over/Below: 40.5
Wisconsin has made a dedication to Luke Fickell, and the top man actually deserves at the least another season in Madison to get issues going.
Throughout his tenure with Wisconsin, Fickell has had his No. 1 QB on the sphere and wholesome about 30% of the time. It’s arduous to win like that, and the Badgers have struggled.
They’re now on to their fourth QB of the season, with Carter Smith stepping in.
The offensive manufacturing has actually been missing for Wisconsin, however the effort from this crew has not. The Badgers proceed to play arduous, and it has proven the final two weeks with an upset of Washington and a really tight half-hour at Indiana.
Illinois is the higher crew, and the Illini offense could also be stymied by the Badgers for a bit, however Luke Altmyer is taking part in too good in the intervening time to be fully shut down.
And the Illini protection ought to be capable to hold the Badgers off the board for essentially the most half. Illinois may not want a lot offense to get the win, and the one factor that can do them in is turnovers.
A veteran group isn’t going to provide the ball up on this one. The Illini win by 10.
Towards the unfold: Illinois
Factors Complete: Below
Outright winner: Illinois
Washington Huskies at UCLA Bruins
Saturday, November 22
7:30 PM PT, NBC
Line: Washington -10.5
Over/Below: 51.5
One factor is for positive, this would be the ultimate sport of this season for the Bruins on the Rose Bowl. However what number of extra regular-season video games will they play within the famed stadium?
We’ll see how that state of affairs performs out within the courts, however this prime-time matchup with Washington would be the house finale for this yr’s Bruins.
The most important issue is perhaps the standing of Nico Iamaleava. The sophomore QB remains to be unsure with concussion signs, and the Bruins may as soon as once more have to show to Luke Duncan beneath middle.
Making your first begin in Ohio Stadium is rarely straightforward, however Duncan appeared to calm down and get fairly comfy within the second half final week.
If Duncan is compelled to start out once more this week, as Tim Skipper put it earlier this week, “He’d be per week higher, you realize what I imply?”
UCLA will want him to be higher in opposition to a Washington protection that can pounce on errors within the passing sport.
The Huskies have picked off 9 passes this season however have to get extra stress on the QB. The Huskies’ DBs have been good, however they want extra manufacturing from the defensive entrance.
If Washington goes to win this sport, it is going to be with their offensive floor assault. UCLA is likely one of the worst groups within the nation at stopping the run.
Jonah Coleman has an excellent probability to return on this one and if he is able to go, he ought to discover loads of room to run.
With or with out the star again I believe the Huskies win and doubtless get the duvet. If Coleman performs, I like UW by a few TDs.
Towards the unfold: Washington
Factors Complete: Below
Outright winner: Washington
writes about varied matters for SuperWest sports activities, together with stats and information, faculty sports activities, and motorsports. He additionally based and runs the Sports activities and Leisure Analysis Middle (SERC).
