College Football Week 7; Big Ten Preview and Predictions

October 5, 2025

Well, it’s Monday morning, and the week is just beginning, but we have an excellent weekend of college football to look forward to. There are nine games this week featuring teams from the Big Ten Conference, and if you do the math knowing the Big Ten actually has eighteen teams and not ten anymore, then you’ll realize that all the games are interconference games and no one has a bye. Several games standout to me as a potential “Big Ten Game of the Week,” but I had to go with the game between Indiana and Oregon. I’m sure most people would agree. So, without any further ado, let’s get into this week’s preview and predictions

Friday, October 10th

9:00 P.M.

Rutgers (3-2) @ Washington (4-1)

Rutgers had a bye last week, but before going into hibernation, they lost to Minnesota 31-28. Actually, Rutgers lost their last two games and haven’t been in the win column since a week three victory against Norfolk State. That’s not a good sign. Washington got a reality check during their week five loss to the Buckeyes, but they came back strong by dealing Maryland their first loss of the season during week six. With Ohio State, Oregon, and now Indiana, is easy for Washington to get lost in the mix, but don’t sleep on the Huskies. They have a very good football team.

Saturday, October 11^th

12:00 Noon

UCLA (1-4) @ Michigan State (3-2)

UCLA was 0-3 when they lost to Northwestern, and with that defeat, the Bruins became who we thought they were, but just when we wrote UCLA off for the season, something incredible happened. They beat the seventh ranked Nittany Lions last week and got win number one. Against Penn State, UCLA held on to the ball for almost forty minutes and didn’t turn the ball over. Michigan State lost their second game of the season during week six against a very good Nebraska team, and they haven’t had any success in conference play. They need a win this week, badly. This game is a total mystery. Which UCLA team is going to show up? Will we see the 0-4 Bruins, or will we see the inspired and perseverant UCLA team that just beat Penn State?

1 Ohio State (5-0) @ 17 Illinois (5-1)

This game was a potential Big Ten Game of the Week for obvious reasons. Illinois is 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the conference, and they responded brilliantly after that embarrassing week four loss to Indiana with back-to-back wins against USC and Purdue. The Fighting Illini regained their confidence and little momentum to go along with it, and they’re going to need both this week. Ohio State, well, I think Minnesota’s Head Coach, P.J. Fleck, gave us a very informative and brutally honest press conference concerning the Golden Gopher’s loss to Ohio State. The Buckeyes are just that damn good, they can do whatever they want offensively, so if you commit to the run, they’ll pass. If you guard the pass, they can run the ball, and they have at least four guys that can do it. Julian Sayin completed 23 of 27 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, and he was the question mark coming into this season. I’m just sayin..

3:30 P.M.

Northwestern (3-2) @ Penn State (3-2)

Bing, bang, boom! After back-to-back losses to Oregon and UCLA, Penn State fell right out of the AP Top 25. Just like that! And, hey, who can blame the pollsters? We waited years for the 2025 Drew Allar to come into being, and I think we’re a little disappointed. Against Nevada, he completed 22 of 26 passes for 217 yards and 1 touchdown, and that was arguably his best performance of the season! In the last four games, he’s completing 60% of his passes for 741 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. That’s not good, but hey, we win as team, and we lose as a team. Where was the Penn State defense against UCLA? Ah, let me stop. Northwestern, I would have to think, feels pretty good about this game after seeing what UCLA just pulled off. The Wildcats are a scrappy bunch of alley cats, and even against the Ducks, they balled until the final whistle blew. That’s the mark of a team with potential. I think we’re all a little lost when it comes to Penn State now, but we know one thing for sure. The Wildcats are going to play to win, and they won’t give up.

7 Indiana (5-0) @ 3 Oregon (5-0)

Okay, so this is the Big Ten Game of the Week (in my opinion). We have the seventh ranked Hoosiers against the third ranked Ducks. Both teams are 5-0, but this is football. Someone will walk away with a loss after this one, but who will it be? Indiana had a bye last week, so that means extra rest and more preparation time. Perfect timing for the bye week. Quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, had a mediocre performance against Iowa on September 27^th, but he’s having an amazing season in general. Offensively, the Hoosiers have weapons, and statistically, they’re defense is pretty good, but do we really know the Hoosiers? I mean, they beat Iowa by 5. That’s a red flag in my opinion, and then when you look at their schedule, Illinois was really the only test they had.

In the Big Ten, in my opinion, it’s Ohio State then Oregon. Oregon is a good football team. Quarterback, Dante Moore, completed 29 passes for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns against Penn State, running back, Dierre Hill Jr., averaged 8.2 yards per carry, and the Ducks amassed 424 yards of total offense for 30 points. Defensively, Oregon, as of October 3^rd, was ranked 5^th best nationally by Sports Illustrated, but stats can be deceiving. Indiana’s offense will present a real challenge for Oregon’s defense this weekend. As a matter of fact, Oregon hasn’t seen an offensive unit yet this season that compares to Indiana’s. I think this game will be close, but when it’s all said and done, Oregon walks away with win number six.

Nebraska (4-1) @ Maryland (4-1)

Nebraska is now 4-1 after beating Michigan State last week 38-27, and Maryland is now 4-1 after losing a heart breaker to Washington 24-20. Both are 4-1, and both are 1-1 in the conference. Nebraska and Maryland are what I call, middle of the pack teams. You have Ohio State and Oregon at the top, and then there’s this large group of 1-loss teams that are jockeying for position. Maryland is good this year and tough to beat at home, and Nebraska’s only blemish was a three-point loss to Michigan, who right now, is ranked fifteenth nationally. Maryland was actually beating Washington last week 20-0 and 20-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, then Washington exploded and put twenty-one on the board to win. Maryland just ran out gas, and Wahington wore them out. This weekend, the Terrapins will need to bring their fuel reserves because Nebraska will attempt to do the same thing.

7:00 P.M.

Iowa (3-2) @ Wisconsin (2-3)

After a week off, the Iowa Hawkeyes return to action looking to avenge a 5-point loss to Indiana during week 5. Wisconsin is 2-3 overall and in a real tough position. After three straight losses to Alabama, Maryland, and Michigan, the badgers are suddenly standing with their backs against the wall. They can still salvage their season with a win this week against Iowa, but that’s not going to be easy.

7:30 P.M.

Purdue (2-3) @ Minnesota (3-2)

Head Coach, P.J. Fleck, would like nothing more than to grab a win this week because a win over Purdue can cure a lot of pain and suffering emanating from the Ohio State debacle. Purdue is 2-3 overall and struggling against Big Ten opponents, so he might actually get his wish.

15 Michigan (4-1) @ USC (4-1)

So, the Wolverines are ranked #15 nationally, they’re 2-0 in their conference, and they’re on a three-game-winning streak. Quarterback, Bryce Underwood, is the talk of the town, and running back Justice Haynes, rushed for 117 yards on 19 carries against Wisconsin. Michigan, who was somewhat overlooked in the beginning of the season because of the big three (Ohio State, Penn State, and Oregon), suddenly seems to be emerging as a real contender, but if anyone is going to take them seriously, they will need to beat the Trojans this weekend. USC took their first defeat last week against Illinois, and it was by two damn points. Jayden Maiava threw 43 passes and completed 30 of them for 364 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also threw a pick, but overall, not bad. Wide receiver, Makai Lemon, caught 11 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The Trojan’s defense needs to show up this week, and if they do, USC can win a close one at home.

Week 7 Picks Straight Up

Washington, Ohio State, UCLA, Oregon, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, USC, Minnesota

Week 7 Picks Versus the Point Spread

Email me directly at, noonooz@noozbuffet.com, for the week 7 pick sheet. This week, the Big Ten pick sheet is $4.50, and it contains my winning picks versus the point spread from all nine games previewed above. We’ve been winning every week, so don’t miss out.

College Football Week 7; Big Ten Schedule

October 5, 2025

It’s only Sunday, but here’s an early look at the college football week 7 schedule for games featuring teams from the Big Ten Conference. Yes, it’s a full lineup, and that’s because no one has a bye. All eighteen teams are in play, so we have nine interconference games.

My personal selection for Big Ten Game of the Week is the game between Indiana and Oregon. Both teams are 5-0 overall, both teams are undefeated in the conference, and both teams are ranked within the top ten nationally.

Friday, October 10^th

9:00 P.M.

Rutgers (3-2) @ Washington (4-1)

Saturday, October 11^th

12:00 Noon

UCLA (1-4) @ Michigan State (3-2)

1 Ohio State (5-0) @ 17 Illinois (5-1)

3:30 P.M.

Northwestern (3-2) @ Penn State (3-2)

7 Indiana (5-0) @ 3 Oregon (5-0)

Nebraska (4-1) @ Maryland (4-1)

7:00 P.M.

Iowa (3-2) @ Wisconsin (2-3)

7:30 P.M.

Purdue (2-3) @ Minnesota (3-2)

15 Michigan (4-1) @ USC (4-1)

College Football Week 6; Big Ten Results

October 4, 2025

Hello everyone, thank you for visiting Nooz Buffet. Another weekend of college football has come and gone, and it was a crazy one. UCLA got their first win of the season, and it was against Penn State! Wow! Michigan pretty much put the nail in Wisconsin’s coffin, and Washington bounced back from their week 5 loss to Ohio State in a big way by beating a Maryland team, that up to this point, was unbeaten. Let’s take a look at the results below and see how we did with our picks.

Big Ten Week 6 Results

(22) Illinois (4-1) @ Purdue (2-2)
Illinois 43 Purdue 27

Wisconsin (2-2) @ (20) Michigan (3-1)
Wisconsin 10 Michigan 24

(7) Penn State (3-1) @ UCLA (0-4)
Penn State 37 UCLA 42

LA Monroe (3-1) @ Northwestern (2-2)
LA-Monroe 7 Northwestern 42

Washington (3-1) @ Maryland (4-0)
Washington 24 Maryland 20

Michigan State (3-1) @ Nebraska (3-1)
Michigan State 27 Nebraska 38

Minnesota (3-1) @ (1) Ohio State (4-0)
Minnesota 3 Ohio State 42

Week 6 Pick Results Straight Up

Ohio State, Washington, Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern, Nebraska, Penn State

Win: 6

Loss: 1

Week 6 Pick Results Verses the Point Spread

Wisconsin +17.5, Illinois -7.5, Penn State -24.5, Washington -6, Michigan State +12.5

Win: 3

Loss: 2

Overall Records Since Week 3

Straight Up: 27-6
Versus the Point Spread: 15-12-1

My bet pick of this week was a 3-Team-Teaser bet. We won! Again!

College Football Week 6, Big Ten Preview & Predictions

September 29, 2025

Hello everyone, and thank you for visiting N.B. This is the College Football Week 6 Preview for all seven games featuring teams from the Big Ten Conference. There aren’t any games being played on Friday night this week. Enjoy!

Saturday, October 4^th

12:00 P.M.

(22)Illinois (4-1) at Purdue (2-2)

The Purdue Boilermakers had a week 5 bye, and that’s probably a good thing after back-to-back losses to USC and Notre Dame, but Illinois isn’t about to throw them a welcome-back-party. Nope, for Purdue, the schedule is relentless and this week they host a 4-1 Illinois team that’s ranked #22 nationally and feeling pretty darn good about themselves after a week 5 victory over the USC Trojans. Hey, maybe Illinois just had an off week against Indiana. It happens.

Wisconsin (2-2) at (20)Michigan (3-1)

Wisconsin and Michigan both had week 5 off, so I’m sure they’re also both well rested and mentally prepared for this game, which is a good thing. Michigan improved to 3-1 after beating Nebraska during week 4, and Wisconsin fell to 2-2 after a 17-point loss to Maryland. One team seems on their way up, and the other on their way down, but I see both of these teams as “middle of the pack” type. Michigan’s only loss was to Oklahoma, and Wisconsin lost to Alabama and the undefeated Terrapins. Wisconsin could not run the ball against Maryland (61 yards of total offense), and they couldn’t convert on 3rd downs (3/17). If the Badgers can beat the Wolverines, Michigan will fall from the AP Top 25, and they’ll both be 3-2 overall, but Michigan is always tough to beat at home. Slight edge to Michigan here.

3:30 P.M.

(7)Penn State (3-1) at UCLA (0-4)

Last week, UCLA lost to Northwestern, and with that loss, the Bruins are who we thought they were. I was rooting for UCLA to get their first win of the season, but that didn’t happen, so now they’re going to have to try to steal one from Penn State. Believe you me, the Nittany Lions are out for blood this week after losing in Happy Valley to Oregon. I expect Penn State to win this game by at least two or three touchdowns.

LA Monroe (3-1) at Northwestern (2-2)

Wow, I thought all the tune-up games ended after week 2, but I guess not. The funny thing is that LA-Monroe is actually in first place in the SBC West, so I don’t think the Wildcats are taking this game lightly. I expect Northwestern to build off of their week 5 victory against UCLA and improve to 3-2. The Wildcats are a scrappy bunch this season, and they play a lot harder than their 2-2 record might suggest.

Washington (3-1) at Maryland (4-0)

Okay, so this is my pick for Big Ten Game of the Week. Washington was just beat by Ohio State so they’re looking for some get back. Maryland crushed Wisconsin 27-10 during week 4 and then had week 5 off. Maryland is hard to beat at home, and I would think after having an extra week of rest and preparation, they have to be feeling good about their chances. The Huskies aren’t ready to throw in the towel, but if they haven’t mentally rebounded from their loss to the Buckeyes, they could end up going into week 7 at 3-2. My point is if they think Maryland is going to be an easy win, they’re sadly mistaking.

4:00 P.M.

Michigan State (3-1) at Nebraska (3-1)

Michigan State and Nebraska are both 3-1 overall, and they’re both winless in Big Ten play. This is a very important inter-conference game because the winner not only improves to 4-1, but they’ll also improve to .500 in the Big Ten as well. During week 4, I thought Nebraska was going to beat Michigan, but they ended up losing by three. Damn! So close! The Spartans lost also to USC, so both teams lost their last game before the bye. See, they have a lot in common. I like Dylan Raiola and the Cornhuskers at home this week, but Nebraska is going to have to do better than the 43 yards of total rushing offense Michigan held them to.

7:30 P.M.

Minnesota (3-1) at (1)Ohio State (4-0)

Well, the Buckeyes are rolling once again. They handled the Huskies on the road last week after scoring 17 points in the second half to win 24-6. Right now, Ohio State appears to be an unstoppable force, but Minnesota isn’t going to lay down for the Buckeyes. After losing to Cal, Minnesota rebounded with a 31-28 win against Rutgers. Minnesota plays hard, but do they really have enough to compete with Ohio State? We shall see.

Week 6 Picks Straight Up

Ohio State, Washington, Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern, Nebraska, Penn State

Week 6 Picks Against the Point Spread

Again, if you like to bet on college football and you’re interested in my expert picks, then you’re going to have to email me at, noonooz@noozbuffet.com, and type Big Ten Week 6 Pick Sheet in the subject line. This week, the Pick Sheet is $3.50, and you’ll receive my picks for all seven games featured in this preview against the Vegas odds.

College Football Week 6, Big Ten Schedule

September 28, 2025

Here’s a look at the college football Week 6 schedule involving games featuring teams from the Big Ten Conference. This week, there are seven games, and all of them are inter-conference games with the exception of the game between LA-Monroe and Northwestern. The Big Ten Game of the Week is Washington against Maryland. Maryland is still undefeated, and Washington was just handed their first lost by Ohio State during Week 5. Washington, after starting the season 3-0, finds themselves in a must win situation now, but Maryland isn’t easy to beat in “The Shell.”

Saturday, October 4^th

12:00 P.M.

(22)Illinois (4-1) at Purdue (2-2)

Wisconsin (2-2) at (20)Michigan (3-1)

3:30 P.M.

(7)Penn State (3-1) at UCLA (0-4)

LA Monroe (3-1) at Northwestern (2-2)

Washington (3-1) at Maryland (4-0)

4:00 P.M.

Michigan State (3-1) at Nebraska (3-1)

7:30 P.M.

Minnesota (3-1) at (1)Ohio State (4-0)

Bye Week

College Football Week 5, Big Ten Results

Friends, Fans, and Followers, good morning! Well, I told you it was going to be a wild weekend of college football, and that’s exactly what it was. Wild! Check out the results below, and let’s see how we did with our picks.

I want to remind you guys that you could win money with me this college football season. All you have to do is email me, noonoo@noozbuffet.com, and ask for the Big Ten Pick Sheet. This year, I’m selling my Big Ten picks versus the spread separately.

Rutgers at Minnesota
Rutgers 28 Minnesota 31

(21)USC at (23)Illinois
USC 32 Illinois 34

UCLA at Northwestern
UCLA 14 Northwestern 17

(1)Ohio State at Washington
Ohio State 24 Washington 6

(11)Indiana at Iowa
Indiana 20 Iowa 15

(6)Oregon at (3)Penn State
Oregon 30 Penn State 24

Week 5 Picks Straight Up
Minnesota, USC, Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, UCLA
Win: 5
Loss: 1

Week 5 Picks Versus the Points
Oregon +3.5, USC -6.5, Iowa +7.5, Washington +8.5, Minnesota -4.5, UCLA +6
Win: 3
Loss:3

Records Overall (Since Week 3)

Straight Up: 21-5

Versus the Points: 13-10-1

Big Ten Game of the Week; Oregon at Penn State

September 24, 2025

This weekend’s game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions is scheduled for Saturday, September 27^th at 7:30 pm. As a matter of fact, there aren’t any games featuring Big Ten teams scheduled for Friday night. All six games will be played on Saturday.

Third ranked, Penn State, is home again for their fourth straight game, and so far at home, they’ve put wins together against Nevada, Florida International, and Villanova. That’s not that impressive, however, Florida International did seem decent. Penn State was leading 10-0 at halftime, and I guess most fans expected to see a 35-0 halftime score.

Oregon is sitting steady at number six in the AP Top 25, and the Ducks actually have four games under their belt. Oregon won twice at home against Montana State and Oklahoma State and twice on the road against Northwestern and Oregon State. Northwestern was somewhat successful running the football against the Ducks. Even if you take away Dashun Reeder’s 79-yard run in the fourth quarter, Joseph Himon and Caleb Komolafe combined for 28 carries and 112 yards. Northwestern had 178 yards of total rushing offense when it was all said and done.

When I look at this game between Oregon and Penn State, from a prediction standpoint, I’m looking at it like it’s the first game of the season for both teams because both teams came into this season with such high expectations, and neither has faced an opponent of equal caliber. In a sense, it’s like it’s all practice leading up to this point, and Oregon got a little bit more practice in.

Up to this point, Penn State quarterback, Drew Allar, hasn’t really been that impressive. In three games, he’s completing 65% of his passes for an average of 208 yards and 4 touchdowns. I mean, wow, that hardly sounds like the numbers of a quarterback who’s running the offense of a team ranked third in the country, but they must have something going for them.

Penn State has an excellent backfield with senior running backs, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Their offensive line is very good too. Luke Reynolds, their tight end, has 13 catches for 142 yards, and the wide receiver transfer from USC, Kyron Hudson, caught 14 balls for 156 yards and 1 touchdown. The point is that they do have guys who catch the ball, and when you add everything up, Drew Allar, seems to be getting the job done.

I expect Oregon to commit to stopping the run this weekend even though stopping the run hasn’t exactly been their greatest strength so far. If the Duck defense is effective against the run, then maybe they can put the pressure on Allar, and we’ll finally get to see what he’s made of.

How good is Penn State’s defense? We’ll find out this weekend.

Oregon’s quarterback, Dante Moore, is their leader, and he just played his best game of the season in Week 4 against Oregon State. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Their running back situation isn’t as stable as Penn State’s. Tulane transfer, Makhi Huges, was supposed to be the starter, but the job was won by Noah Whittington. Then, Whittington got hurt and missed the Northwestern game. He’s expected to return this week for Penn State, but if he’s limited or can’t go at all, we’ll probably see a lot of Jayden Limar.

Oregon’s tight end, Kenyon Sadiq, is athletic with good hands. Senior wide receiver, Evan Stewart, is still recovering from an offseason knee injury, but Gary Bryant Jr. and Dakorian Moore are stepping up.

You know what, I feel really good about Oregon going to Happy Valley and stealing a win this weekend. Penn State has definitely been flying under the radar, but there’s no holding back this week. The Nittany Lions will have to show up on both sides of the ball for this one because we’re not talking about Villanova anymore.

I expect Penn State to play a Big Ten style game, which is ball control, clock control, and hard defense, but the Penn State defense hasn’t faced an offense like Oregon yet. So, while I’m sure they’ll be capable of executing their plans offensively, it all goes out the window if Penn State’s defense can’t stop Dante Moore and the Duck’s offense.

I haven’t seen enough yet, so I’m going with Ducks.

College Football Week 5, Preview & Picks

September 22, 2025

Welcome, and thank you for visiting N.B. This weekend, there are six college football games featuring teams from the Big Ten Conference. Oregon and Penn State is the big one this weekend, but we also have the undefeated Buckeyes against the undefeated Huskies, and #21 USC against #23 Illinois. It’s going to be another great week of college football.

Saturday, September 27^th

12:00 Noon

Rutgers (3-1) @ Minnesota (2-1)

Most recently, Minnesota had a Week 4 bye, and a Week 3 loss to Cal 27-14. The Golden Gophers are 2-1 overall, and this is a game they think they can win at home. We saw Rutgers lose a heart breaker to Iowa at home last week 38-28. It was their first loss of the season and definitely something the Scarlett Knights don’t want to make a habit of doing. Rutgers is explosive on offense, and Kaliakmanis to Ian Strong is one of the most dangerous QB/WR duos in the country, but Rutgers has a lot to overcome this week. Rutgers is banged up on both sides of the ball, they’re on the road, and Minnesota’s defense is pretty good.

(21) USC (4-0) @ (23) Illinois (3-1)

The Trojans are 4-0 overall, and 2-0 in Big Ten play. Last week, they beat Michigan State 45-31, and Purdue the previous week 33-17. USC is rolling, and they moved up four spots to #21 in the AP Top 25. Wide receiver, Makai Lemon is fun to watch. Lemon racked up 127 receiving yards against the Spartans.

Illinois is now 3-1 after getting abused and embarrassed by the Indiana Hoosiers. If you go back to last week’s preview, I called the game between Indiana and Illinois a “rubber-meets-the-road” game because both teams were unbeaten/unproven. Illinois was ranked #9 in the country last week before that game, and now they’ve fallen to #23 after losing 63-10. If they don’t watch out, USC is going to knock them right out of the national scene. Last week, Illinois was held to just 2 rushing yards! As a matter of fact, they could barely put a drive together (1/10 on 3rd downs). Defensively, it’s gut check time for the Fighting Illini.

3:30 P.M.

(11) Indiana (4-0) @ Iowa (3-1)

Indiana is now 4-0, and they’re riding high off of a huge win against Big Ten foe, Illinois. With that win, the Hoosiers moved up to #11 from #19! Quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, is hot. He completed 21 of 23 passes last week without an interception, and he threw 5 touchdown passes. Running back, Khobie Martin, carried the rock 12 times for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. Offensively, the Hoosiers amassed 579 total yards, but the real story is their defense. They held Illinois to 2 yards rushing and 161 yards of total offense!

Luckily for the Iowa Hawkeyes, they were able to rediscover their defense last week against Rutgers before it was too late. They won on the road in New Jersey 38-28 and improved to 3-1 overall. This week against Indiana, they’re going to need their defense to continue right where it left off against Rutgers, and I can’t wait to see defensive ends, Hurkett and Llewellyn.

Running back, Kamari Moulton is real treat to watch. He’s an explosive-downhill type of guy. A feel lot better about Mark Gronowski as well. That guy doesn’t look like anything special, but he’s a winner. With Wetjen and Dayton Howard, that Hawkeye offense has life, but their defense will have to show up to stop an Indiana offense that put up over 500 total yards and 63 points last week.

I don’t know what happened to Indiana’s quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, but he has been playing on another level since his second game. Mendoza completed 18 passes out of 31 attempts for 193 yards in his first game of the season. In his last three games, Mendoza has been as close to perfect as you can get. His completion percentage is 85%, and he has thrown for 782 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions!

(1) Ohio State (3-0) @ Washington (3-0)

Ohio State had a bye last week, and now they’re on the road against Washington. The Buckeyes are the number one team in the country and 3-0 overall. Don’t forget, one of their three wins came against a Texas team who at that time, was ranked #1.

The Washington Huskies are 3-0 after defeating Washington State 59-24 during Week 4. Offensively, the Huskies look good. They’re led by their quarterback, Demond Williams. Williams is fast, he can definitely run the football, and he has good arm. Against the Cougars, Williams completed 16 of 19 passes for 298 yards and 4 touchdowns. He has one-hell-of-a receiver to throw to in Denzel Boston. Boston is 6’4″, and he’s a gamechanger.

Wow, so the Huskies are going to challenge the Buckeyes in ways they haven’t been challenged so far this season. Williams to Boston is a dangerous connection, but if Washington can establish a ground game early with their physical back, Jonah Coleman, who rushed for 107 yards on 6 carries last week, the Ohio State defense will be forced to show up. Not that they have a problem doing that, but this game has upset written all over it.

UCLA (0-3) at Northwestern (1-2)

Northwestern fell to 1-2 overall after losing to Oregon 34-14. The Wildcats were kind of capable of running the football against the Ducks, well, they had more rushing yards than passing yards. They just didn’t do very well on 3rd down and they turned the ball over twice. Those are two things you must do well if you want to win football games, but UCLA offers Northwestern a chance at redemption.

UCLA is the only Big Ten team that hasn’t won a game all season, and I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about sophomore quarterback, Nico Lamaleava, hitting the transfer portal. Lamaleava said, “I’m a leave ya!” LOL, well, no not really, but that’s funny.

Any-who, the Bruins are winless, but in their defense, Utah, UNLV, and New Mexico turned out to be a tougher three-game stretch than anyone would’ve imagined. Utah is 3-1, UNLV is 4-0, and New Mexico is 2-1. So, maybe the Bruins aren’t that bad? Maybe they just seriously underestimated their competition? We’ll see this week. If they lose to Northwestern, then the Bruins are who we thought they were.

7:30 P.M.

(6) Oregon (4-0) @ (3) Penn State (3-0)

Here it is, the Big Ten game of the week. The Oregon Ducks are sixth in the nation, and the Nittany Lions are number three. Oregon returns undefeated at 4-0 this week after crushing Oregon State in Week 4. Duck’s quarterback, Dante Moore, is steadily improving and getting better each week. He looked like a team leader against Oregon State, and that’s important. Also, he threw for 305 yards and 4 touchdowns with zero interceptions, and well, that’s important too.

Penn State had a Week 4 bye, which I’m sure they enjoyed after beating Villanova 52-6. The Nittany Lions haven’t faced anyone yet worth mentioning, but they’re still undefeated and ranked nationally. Personally, I have to be honest. I’m not a believer in Penn State yet. I feel like this is going to be another season where they get all hype and all the accolades before they play, but once the season starts, it’s mediocracy. We know about Drew Allar, and we know running back, Kaytron Allen, is a work horse, but what do we really know?

Week 5 Picks Strait Up

Minnesota, USC, Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, UCLA

Week 5 Picks Versus the Point Spread

This week, the Big Ten Pick Sheet versus the point spread is $3.00. Please, email me at noonooz@noozbuffet.com, if you’re interested.

Overall Record

Straight Up: 16-4

Versus the Points: 10-7-1

College Football Week 5, Big Ten Schedule

September 21, 2025

Good morning, everyone! Here’s a look at the College Football Week 5 schedule for games involving Big Ten teams. I know, I know, there are only six games this weekend, but this is going to be an interesting week of football for the Big Ten.

First of all, we have the game between Oregon and Penn State, which really needs no introduction, but how about the game between Ohio State and Washington? Both teams are undefeated, but how good is this Washington team? Can you imagine if the Huskies beat the Buckeyes and go 4-0?

Then, we have USC and Illinois. The Fighting Illini are looking to avenge last week’s embarrassing loss to Indiana, and USC is looking to extend their winning streak to five games. If Illinois loses this one, it might be a fall from grace right out of the AP Top 25.

The situation is similar for Rutgers. After suffering a heart-breaking loss to Iowa at home, the Scarlett Knights are looking to get back on track, but Minnesota isn’t going to be easy, and, finally, will UCLA get their first win of the 2025 season against Northwestern?

College Football Week 5
Big Ten Conference Schedule 

Oregon (4-0) @ Penn State (3-0)

USC (4-0) @ Illinois (3-1)

Indiana (4-0) @ Iowa (3-1)

Ohio State (3-0) @ Washington (3-0)

Rutgers (3-1) @ Minnesota (2-1)

UCLA (0-3) @ Northwestern (1-2)

Bye Week

College Football Big Ten Conference Results Versus the Point Spread

September 21, 2025

Week 4 of the college football season is complete, and it was a wild one. If you emailed me for the Big Ten Conference Pick Sheet, thank you for your business. The results are in, and here’s how we did:

Big Ten Conference
Week 4 Predictions Versus the Point Spread

Iowa (-2.5) @ Rutgers
Iowa 38 Rutgers 28
WIN

Maryland (+10) @ Wisconsin 
Maryland 27 Wisconsin 10
WIN

Oregon State (+35.5) @ Oregon
Oregon State 7 Oregon 41
WIN 

Michigan @ Nebraska (+2.5)
Michigan 30 Nebraska 27
LOSS

Purdue (+24.5) @ Notre Dame
Purdue 30 Notre Dame 56
LOSS

Illinois (+5.5) @ Indiana 
Illinois 10 Indiana 63
LOSS

Michigan State (+18.5) @ USC
Michigan State 31 USC 45
WIN

Week 4 Record Versus the Point Spread: 4-3
Overall Record Versus the Point Spread: 10-7-1

It was another winning week here at Nooz Buffet! Thank you again for your business, and I look forward to picking your winners for Week 5.