By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports activities
We have a six-game slate within the Massive Ten this week, all of them convention matchups. The large one is the prime-time matchup on NBC as Oregon heads to Penn State.
And as soon as once more, the questions come up over James Franklin’s means to win in huge video games. Hopefully, this marquee sport is extra aggressive than the one in the identical slot final week, which noticed Indiana run roughshod throughout Illinois.
The Illini will get a crack at redemption this week with one other High 25 showdown, as USC heads to Champaign. Their vanquishers, Hoosiers, will attempt to keep scorching in Iowa Metropolis in opposition to the always-tough Hawkeyes in Kinnick.
Talking of adverse locations to play, Ohio State heads to Seattle as Washington appears to increase the nation’s second-longest home-field win streak.
Minnesota will attempt to get again heading in the right direction as they welcome again an previous pal, as Rutgers is led by their previous QB.
After which there may be the matchup in Evanston. When you can’t get fired up for UCLA at Northwestern, then what are you able to get fired up for? However hey, if you’re making the journey to Evanston, be sure you get pleasure from a canine at Mustard’s Final Stand!
With that, here’s a look the the six Massive Ten video games for Week 5.
No. 21 USC at No. 23 Illinois 
Saturday, September 27
9:00 AM PT, FOX
Line: USC –6.5
Over/Beneath: 59.5
Last week, the Illini performed within the convention’s marquee sport and obtained throttled by Indiana 63-10. Within the loss, Illinois allowed seven QB sacks, and so they now rank third-to-last within the nation in sacks allowed per sport at 4.0.
This was a difficulty for the Illini final season as they allowed 32 on the season. All 5 O-line starters have intensive expertise, however the sacks preserve mounting up.
USC enters the sport with an NCAA-leading 16 sacks on the season and 4.0 per sport.
Luke Altmyer could possibly be in for one more lengthy afternoon in a shrinking pocket. The senior QB is likely one of the finest within the nation at his place, however he must have a while to function.
D’Anton Lynn’s defenses are nothing if not opportunistic. Search for the Trojans to create a ton of strain and power Altmyer into poor selections or sacks. Braylan Shelby and Eric Gentry might have a discipline day speeding the QB on this one.
I feel USC will win, for positive. The Trojans are simply 1-5 in opposition to the unfold of their final six street video games, whereas the Illini are 7-1 ATS of their earlier eight video games at dwelling.
Each of these developments go by the wayside as USC wins by at the very least a TD.
Towards the unfold: USC
Factors Whole: Beneath
Outright winner: USC
Rutgers at Minnesota
Saturday, September 27
9:00 AM PT, BTN
Line: Minnesota –5.5
Over/Beneath: 51.5
This week, former Gopher QB Athan Kaliakmanis brings his Scarlet Knights to his previous stomping grounds in Minneapolis.
Minnesota final took the sector a few weeks in the past when Cal shut them down, a loss that appears quite a bit worse immediately than it seemed to be on the time.
Kaliakmanis and the Rutgers offense obtained off to a quick begin vs Iowa earlier than stalling out. For the Knights to win this one, they’ll want the offense to strike early and sometimes and get the Gophers out of their consolation zone.
The Minnesota offense is able to scoring factors, however they prefer to grind it out on the bottom. Taking part in from behind is just not their sturdy swimsuit.
Now, transferring the ball on Minnesota is an issue because the Gophers have the No. 1 protection within the nation, permitting simply 177.7 yards per sport.
The Gophers ought to be capable of management the tempo of this sport, and if the RU offense stalls out once more this week, they are going to be in hassle.
I just like the Gophers on this one as a result of their protection will management issues. Search for a low-scoring one-possession contest.
Towards the unfold: Rutgers
Factors Whole: Beneath
Outright winner: Minnesota
No. 1 Ohio State at Washington
Saturday, September 27
12:30 PM PT, CBS
Line: Ohio State –8.5
Over/Beneath: 51.5
Well, the one factor we all know is {that a} streak is coming to an finish in Seattle this weekend.
Ohio State enters the sport driving a seven-game profitable streak, tied for the second-longest streak within the nation. Washington enters this one having received their final 22 dwelling video games, the second-longest lively streak within the nation.
However which streak will come to an finish?
The reply to that may lie in how nicely Julian Sayin fares within the first street sport of his faculty profession. Husky Stadium, with 70,000 sturdy in purple and gold, may not be essentially the most optimum for that first street begin.
Sayin already has huge sport expertise at this degree with the week one win over Texas, and in that one, the freshman was good with the soccer and didn’t flip it over.
The Huskies might want to power errors; he’s thrown three interceptions within the different two video games. It is a excellent UW secondary, and the Huskies rank twentieth nationally with 1.33 interceptions per sport.
For Washington, the run sport might want to click on prefer it has all season. Jonah Coleman is a beast and leads the nation with 9 speeding TDs, and is eighth within the nation with 115.7 yards per sport.
UW’s multifaceted speeding assault is averaging 260 yards per outing, the ninth-best within the nation.
Ohio State is strong in opposition to the run, however did permit Texas 166 yards on the bottom. The Huskies not solely have gifted RBs however a QB who’s a menace to run the ball. Search for Demond Williams Jr. to make some performs together with his legs.
OSU will load up the field, and the entrance seven might want to have a spy on Williams, which might open issues up within the passing sport. Williams might make the Buckeyes pay in the event that they power him to throw the ball.
OSU is sixth nationally in opposition to the go, so this can be a key to observe on this one.
Ryan Day is 6-0 when coming off a regular-season bye week, and the common margin in these six wins is 41 factors. Will we see a blowout of that magnitude?
I don’t suppose so, however I do suppose the Buckeyes go this huge street take a look at.
Towards the unfold: Ohio State
Factors Whole: Beneath
Outright winner: Ohio State
UCLA at Northwestern
Saturday, September 27
12:30 PM PT, BTN
Line: Northwestern –6.5
Over/Beneath: 44.5
Someone has to win this sport, proper? Each groups want a win within the worst potential manner.
Northwestern at the very least has one win beneath its belt, albeit in opposition to Western Illinois, however a win is a win at this level. The Wildcats additionally confirmed some combat the final outing of their loss to Oregon two weeks in the past.
UCLA has but to get a win, and so they confirmed no combat in any respect of their loss two weeks in the past to New Mexico, which finally ended the DeShaun Foster period in Westwood.
So, how do the Bruins reply, and may Tim Skipper get them to play with some hearth for the rest of the season? This week ought to give us a solution.
Let’s be trustworthy, the Bruins don’t have a ton of potential wins left on the schedule, however this needs to be one in every of them and maybe the one one. If they arrive out flat in Evanston, then October and November are going to be very lengthy months for UCLA.
The Wildcats have given the ball away this season. So much. UCLA has solely pressured two turnovers, and each had been within the loss to UNM. This sport affords an opportunity for UCLA to power miscues.
Northwestern has ULM coming to city subsequent week, and with a win over the Bruins, could possibly be taking a look at a 3-2 begin. That might give the Cats some hope earlier than the tough stretch of the schedule.
I don’t see UCLA matching the depth of Northwestern on this contest.
Towards the unfold: Northwestern
Factors Whole: Beneath
Outright winner: Northwestern
No. 11 Indiana at Iowa
Saturday, September 27
12:30 PM PT, Peacock
Line: Indiana –7.5
Over/Beneath: 48.5
Indiana heads to Iowa after an enormous win over Illinois and forward of a visit to Eugene for a date with the Geese.
Kinnick Stadium is not any place to get caught in a lure sport. It’s usually the location the place ranked foes falter. Can the Hoosiers keep away from such a lure?
Sure, I feel they’ll.
The Hawkeyes are 3-1 with the lone loss coming on the buzzer to Iowa State. The Iowa protection continues to be an elite unit, and I don’t suppose Indiana can be overlooking them in any respect.
Nearly as good as that protection is, permitting simply 233.5 yards per sport, they did get shredded by Athan Kaliakmanis and Rutgers final week to the tune of 330 passing yards and a completion proportion of 60%.
So, if the Rutgers offense might try this, what can Fernando Mendoza and the IU offense accomplish?
Mendoza is taking part in at a Heisman degree, and the Hoosier offensive line opened up holes large enough for automobiles to drive by means of in opposition to a great Illini entrance. Indiana’s offense will rating greater than sufficient on this one.
Defensively, the Hoosiers have been lights out and final week held Illinois in verify with simply two yards on the bottom. The IU line was dominant in that one, however the again finish of the protection had a number of breakdowns, one ensuing within the lone Illini TD.
Offensively, Iowa appears like a juggernaut this season in comparison with previous Iowa squads. The Hawkeyes are nonetheless a run-first and run-heavy crew. They might have a tough time discovering area on the bottom in opposition to Indiana.
Mark Gronowski might want to make some performs he has not but made this season.
This one is not going to be 63-10, however Indiana will get the win and canopy.
Towards the unfold: Indiana
Factors Whole: Beneath
Outright winner: Indiana
No. 6 Oregon at No. 3 Penn State
Saturday, September 27
4:30 PM PT, NBC
Line: Penn State –3.5
Over/Beneath: 51.5
A whiteout in Completely happy Valley beneath the lights can solely imply three issues: It’s a sight to behold, it’s a huge sport, and the guests could have a tricky time profitable.
It additionally means we writers will deliver up the 4-20 mark that James Franklin at the moment holds in opposition to High 10 opponents throughout his 12-year tenure at Penn State.
A kind of losses got here final December to Oregon within the Massive Ten Championship sport. A Duck win at Penn State would most likely punch their ticket to the playoffs, barring any main sudden stumbles.
The identical could possibly be mentioned of PSU, however the street win could be gigantic for UO. The loser nonetheless most definitely results in the playoffs, however a loss actually narrows the margin for error.
Dan Lanning is 3-4 in opposition to prime 10 opponents throughout his time with the Geese, and Oregon has appeared about as sharp as they presumably might have to this point this season.
Dante Moore has been on one other degree, and the QB has barely been touched because the Geese have allowed only one sack in 4 video games. Whereas the opposition has not precisely been murders row for Oregon, it has been stiffer then what Penn State has confronted.
Penn State allowed FIU to run for 141 yards in opposition to them, and that could be a trigger for concern forward of this one. The Panthers solely mustered 3.6 yards per carry, however this UO line can be far simpler.
We should always study fairly a bit about each of those groups, and I feel we’ll most likely see a second assembly this season.
As for the primary one, I feel it performs out equally to the Massive Ten title sport and the prior 24 video games for Franklin in opposition to High 10 opponents.
The Geese run their common season win streak to 23 video games.
Towards the unfold: Oregon
Factors Whole: Over
Outright winner: Oregon
writes about varied subjects for SuperWest sports activities, together with stats and data, faculty sports activities, and motorsports. He additionally based and runs the Sports activities and Leisure Analysis Heart (SERC).
