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 27th 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.

Turned Up to the Max

September 23, 2025

It was an early slugfest when the Iowa Hawkeyes met Rutgers during Week 4 of the college football season. Kaden Wetjen returned the opening kickoff, and then Rutgers marched down the field and scored on the ensuing drive. Basically, it was blow for blow, and at halftime, it was all knotted up at 21.

Hawkeye fans couldn’t argue with the tie, but I think there was a little concern growing about their defense. Where are they? Are they going to show up tonight? Defensively, Iowa seemed to have no answer for what Rutgers was doing offensively, and Scarlett Knight receiver, Ian Strong, looked unstoppable.

After making some adjustments, however, we saw a completely different Iowa defense take the field in the third quarter, and the shoe was on the other foot. It was the Scarlett Knight’s offense who was now scrambling for answers.

So, what changed? Well, Iowa sent a fifth guy to rush the quarterback and that was enough to disrupt things and get pressure on Rutger’s quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis. They turned it up to the max.

In addition, there was a huge momentum change when Iowa held Rutgers on a drive late in the third quarter and then blocked their field goal attempt. Iowa’s defense, at that point, finally woke up.

After scoring 21 points in the first half, Rutgers scored their first and only touchdown of the second half with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. Rutgers was winning 28-24, but Iowa responded quickly to regain the lead, 31-28.

When the Scarlett Knights got the ball back, Kaliakmanis was pressured again, this time from defensive end, Max Llewellyn, and he threw an interception. Iowa scored on their next drive and put the game away.

It was the pressure from senior defensive end, Max Llewellyn, that helped Iowa get their third win of the season. Llewellyn is 6’5″ and 265 pounds. He’s a big strong guy with good speed, but he’s not alone. With Ethan Hurkett on the other side and Aaron Graves in the middle, that’s a strong defensive line belonging to a unit that returned nine seniors.

This weekend, Iowa is at home for their game against Indiana, and the Hawkeye’s defense is going to have to continue playing the way they did in the second half of the Rutgers game. Indiana is for real. They’re 4-0 and ranked 11th nationally. Quarterback, Fernando Mendoza threw 14 touchdowns in the last three games, and he has options with Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr.

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 USC against Illinois. It’s going to be another great week of college football.

Saturday, September 27th

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 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 in the country last week before that game, and now they’ve fallen to 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 ! 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 .

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.

Iowa, Victorious in New Jersey Last Night

September 20, 2025

We learned a lot about the Scarlett Knights last night during their game against Iowa, and I’m going to be fair about this. It seems to me, Head Coach, Greg Schiano and his Scarlett Knights, are back to where they were when Rutgers first made their change from the Big East College Football Conference to the Big Ten, and that my friends, is proving that they belong. In my opinion, there’s still a little bit of that old energy or aura lingering. Just a little bit. 

Okay, let’s put the mental and psychological stuff aside. Rutgers took their first loss of the season last night against the Iowa Hawkeyes, 38-28. Rutgers is now 3-1 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play, and Iowa improved their overall record to 3-1. By the way, this was the first inter-conference game for both teams.  

Rutgers took injuries on both sides of the ball, which is never good this early in the season. I don’t know the extent of their injuries so I’m not even going to mention them specifically, but definitely saw one offensive lineman, one defensive end, and one linebacker limp off. We’ll get the injury report later this week I assume.

Both teams started this game with a lot of energy, and the score at halftime was 21-21, but this is now the second time Rutgers started off a game fast and explosive only to run out of gas and break down in the second half (their game against Ohio).

Well, we learned last night that Rutgers wide receiver, Ian Strong, is not only a great player and a game-changing player, but he is the center piece of that entire Rutgers team. Having said that, Rutgers has an excellent group of receivers (KJ Duff and DT Sheffield).

We learned that if you give quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis, time to sit in the pocket and throw the ball, he can burn you at any time. Kaliakmanis to Strong is probably one of the most dangerous connections in the country.

The entire game changed in the second half. Iowa went back to their ground and pound style of offense, and their defense, after making some adjustments, started to get pressure on the quarterback. As a matter of fact, Rutgers couldn’t get anything going offensively in the second half. Iowa’s defense started rushing five guys and they really turned up the pressure.

Iowa quarterback, Mark Gronowski, completed 12 of 18 passes for 186 yards, but he was able to escape the pocket and do damage on the ground. Gronowski rushed 55 yards and 3 touchdowns. He did it to Rutgers just like Parker Navarro did it to Rutgers.

Running back, Kamari Moulton, looked good last night. He ran hard, downhill, and violently. Statistically, he finished with 68 yards on 14 carries for 1 touchdown. That’s 4.9 yards per touch.

Let’s not forget about wide receiver, Dayton Howard, who made a huge play late in the fourth quarter that set up Iowa’s go-ahead touchdown.

Iowa 38 Rutgers 28

Moon Scope

September 21, 2025

The summer comes to an end, the fall season begins, it’s the 8-year anniversary of Nooz Buffet, the Sun is changing signs from Virgo to Libra, and a brand-new lunar cycle is beginning-it all goes down on September 21st.

At approximately 3:54 p.m. on Sunday, September 21st, there will be a new moon, and once again, a new lunar cycle begins. Both the Moon and the Sun will be on the 29th degree of Virgo. This is interesting because Virgo and the Sixth House is the gateway to Seventh House, the upper half of the chart, and the night. In the grand scheme, as kind of like an overlay of energy, there might be a general trend of new love affairs and new friendships.

You and your single friends have been enjoying the company of one another since the summer began, but suddenly, you’re looking around realizing that you’re the only one who’s still alone. Whoa!? When did everyone fall in love?

LOL 🤣, Hey, tis the season. People don’t want to go through the holidays alone, well, most people don’t. Some of us haven’t had much of a choice as eternal loneliness seems to be our karmic calling card. 🤷‍♂️ Anyway, that’s just an overall energetic trend that you might start seeing, and I thought it would be worth mentioning so you’re not left out.

When you actually look at the chart for September 21st at 3:54 p.m., you can see that the Moon will be in Virgo in the Eighth House.

There’s something going on this chart that’s literally manifesting and being acted right now by humanity like as if we were the actors on the stage of life and astrology was the script.

It’s the Eighth House conjunction between the Sun and Moon in Virgo and Mercury in Libra, opposite Saturn in Pisces in the Second House.

If you’re a follower of my astrology, then you’re lucky because this is like a behind scenes look.  How real is astrology?  How accurate is astrology?  How true is astrology?  Those questions are being answered right now in real time.

The opposition is an aspect of 180 degrees that’s like a tug of war between opposite forces.  If we can’t bring both sides into balance, then we must pick one or the other.

Let’s talk about the forces at play.  On one side, you have the conjunction between the Sun, the Moon, and Mercury.  Mercury is the Messenger God of Communication and Commerce, the Sun represents our will and vitality, and the Moon represents our subconscious, our mood, and how we react or respond to things.

The Eight House is the House of Death.

On the other side, Saturn is in the Second House in Pisces, and Saturn represents limitations, restrictions, structure, and order.

Okay, so, around the time of the full moon, a public figure named Charlie Kirk was assassinated.  He was shot by a sniper while speaking to college students on the campus of Utah Valley University.  This is very much an Eighth House issue. As a matter of fact, any type of unnatural or untimely death is an Eighth House matter.

Moving forward, we’re going to leave our personal opinions towards kirk aside and just stick to the facts.  Charlie Kirk was 31.  He was a young man with a lot of life left in him.  He was married and he was a father of two children. We know that kirk was not a violent man.  He was exercising his First Amendment rights to assemble peacefully and speak freely about issues that were a concern of his.

Since the murder, during this past week, we’ve seen people celebrating his death publicly.  On the internet and in the news, we’ve seen people expressing how happy they were that Charlie Kirk was murdered, and we’ve even seen young women destroying his public memorials.  All of this is represented by the conjunction (Sun and Moon in Virgo, Mercury in Libra/Eighth House).

These people have been getting arrested and losing their jobs (Saturn side), so the question is starting to become an issue of who’s right and who’s wrong.

Well, what do Charlie Kirk and the people celebrating his death have in common?  All of them were punished for self-expression, which reveals a deeper problem interwoven into the fabric of American freedom, but even that for the time being, we’ll set aside.

What this comes down to is the position of the Moon’s Nodal Axis.  The South Node is the past, it’s where we came from, and it represents all the lessons we’ve learned already.  The South Node is in the Eighth House on the conjunction side.

The North Node represents the mission and the destiny for this current life.  The North Node is where we’re going.  It’s the work of our higher self in the now moment. The North Node is in Pisces on the Second House side with Saturn.

So, there it is.  Pisces is the sign of deep love, empathy, and compassion.  The people celebrating his death are not showing compassion or empathy. Publicly, they’re showing the world that they’re stuck on past lessons most of humanity has already learned and moved on from. Are they wrong for what they’re doing? No, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but in the public eye, it’s really insensitive because most humans have matured and evolved past that point.

It’s really interesting to see the evolution gap between human souls.

I always tell you guys that the full moon is a time of culmination and revelation, and I want all of you who are awake, who are astrologically inclined, and those who are mature and evolved to think about what was revealed to us.

A female gets off of work, and she gets on a train to go home. While she’s on the train, she gets stabbed in the neck for no reason and dies. Charlie Kirk, a nonviolent man, goes to a college campus to speak to young men and women and he’s shot and killed by a sniper.

Have the people we put in power to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness done their job? No, they’re clearly no longer working for the benefit of the people who put them in power. What else was revealed? We got to see a glimpse of old human behavior, which was a public celebration concerning the murder of a fellow American citizen.

We got to see that a real problem exists in this country. We’re being murdered, arrested, and our jobs are being taken away because we’re expressing ourselves. We got to see a similar lesson during covid, but people we’re too blind to see it then.

A new lunar cycle is beginning now, and the universe is such an amazing place. I sure hope that we as a species learned something from the previous lunar cycle, and I hope we’re able to move on with a little more respect, a little more consideration, and a little more compassion for one another.

College Football Week 4 Big Ten; Be a Winner for Just $3.50!

September 17, 2025

Good afternoon!  It’s Wednesday, and we’re two days away from the official start to Week 4 of the college football season.  The Iowa Hawkeyes and the  Rutgers Scarlett Knights play Friday night at 8 o’clock, and the rest of the games will be played throughout the day and night on Saturday.

The Big Ten Week 4 Preview has already been posted, and at the end of the preview, I gave you my predictions  for who will win each game, but a lot of people are wondering about my predictions when it comes to the points.

This year, I’m doing it differently.  The Week 4 Big Ten Predictions versus the point spread is separate.  If you’re interested in my predictions for the games featured in the Big Ten Week 4 Preview, then you have to email me.

Noonooz@noozbuffet.com

The cost this week is $3.50, and my Week 4 picks versus the points will be available Friday morning, September 19th. 

Last week, I was 12-1 picking winners straight up and 6-4-1 picking winners against the points.

I’m a winner, and now you can be too for just $3.50.

It’s Our Annual Anniversary Celebration!

September 16, 2025

Well, we’re five days early, but what the hell. The staff here at Nooz Buffet works so darn hard, and we only celebrate twice per year, the New Year and our anniversary.

On September 20th in 2018, I was sitting on my couch watching daytime television with my laptop next to me. As I was surfing the internet, I saw something called WordPress, and that was pretty much it. Nooz Buffet was born the following day on September 21, 2018.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

In five days on Sunday, September 21st, we reach a time of transition. It’s an ending and a bright new beginning for us as year seven comes to a close and year eight begins, and I would personally like to thank all of you.

Specifically, I would like to thank everyone who purchased my Astrological Analysis, I would like to thank everyone who made donations, my loyal followers, fans, friends, and yes, even the haters. In seven years, I’ve written and published 1,500 articles totaling 592,000 words!

Just to put that in perspective, that’s a yearly average of 84,571 words, which is equivalent to writing like one 400-page book per year for seven years, and I could’ve never done without all of you. Thank you. I appreciate you, and I love you.

Photo by Boys in Bristol Photography on Pexels.com

College Football Week 4; Big Ten Preview & Predictions

September 16, 2025

Friday, September 19th

8:00 P.M.

Iowa (2-1) at Rutgers (3-0)

This is the moment the Scarlett Knights have been waiting for. Their plan was to blow through the first three games of the season (although Ohio made it interesting) and be 3-0 for the Week 4 Big Ten match up at home against the Hawkeyes. So far so good-everything has played out exactly the way they hoped it would. Rutgers capped off that three-game-run with a 60-10 win over Norfolk State last week. Quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis completed 18 of 26 passes for 309 yards and 1 touchdown. Sophomore running back, Antwan Raymond, carried the rock 16 times for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. Norfolk State was forced to punt the ball 7 times, and they were 2 of 10 on third downs. It was an impressive and a dominant win over an opponent they were supposed to dominate.

Iowa is 2-1 overall right now after crushing Umass last week, 47-7. The Hawkeyes only loss so far was a 3-point game against a very good and nationally ranked Iowa State team. Iowa was tested, and they fell short, but they’re a better team now because of it. Last week, Umass wasn’t able to convert a single third down, and the Hawkeye defense held them to just 119 yards of total offense.

This week, the Rutgers offense will be challenged. Iowa has always been known for tough defense, and this season is no different. Iowa’s quarterback, Mark Gronowski, still hasn’t reached a level of play Iowa fans are comfortable with, and the Hawkeyes are banged up at running back. With questionable quarterback play and an injury riddled backfield, it appears as if the Hawkeyes are going to have to dig deep to get some points on the board this week. Rutgers, on the other hand, hasn’t had any problems scoring, but they haven’t met an Iowa caliber defense. This is going to be a close game.

Saturday, September 20th

12:00 Noon

Maryland (3-0) at Wisconsin (2-1)

Wins against Florida Atlantic, Northern Illinois, and Towson have the Terrapins quietly sitting at 3-0, but if they want to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to win this weekend in Camp Randall Stadium. Last week, Maryland’s offense scored 44 points, and their defense held Towson to just 51 rushing yards.

After starting this season with two consecutive wins, the Badgers lost on the road to nationally ranked Alabama, 38-14. Quarterback, Danny O’Neill, threw two interceptions while three running backs combined failed to rush for 100 yards.

Wisconsin is home this weekend, and Camp Randall has always been a difficult place for opposing teams to steal a win. The Badgers, hopefully, learned a thing or two about themselves during last week’s humbling loss to Bama. Mayland is hot, and they’re playing with confidence, but Maryland is another one of those undefeated/untested teams. I expect Wisconsin to get more production out of their offense this week and cut Maryland’s winning streak short at three games.

3:00 P.M.

Oregon State (0-3) at (6) Oregon (3-0)

The Oregon State Beavers are only one of two teams left in the PAC-12, but right now, they’re 0-3 in nonconference games. The goal this week is to stop the bleeding, but who knows if that’s even going to be possible on the road against sixth ranked Oregon. Hey, at least we know where the Beavers stand, and you can’t say they haven’t been tested. If anyone has been tested, it’s Oregon State. They opened their season against Cal, who by the way is still undefeated and getting better every week, then it was Fresno State, and last week, they played Texas Tech who was undefeated and nationally ranked. The Beavers are 0-3, but they have nothing to lose.

The Oregon Ducks are 3-0, but I think they actually fell two places in the AP Top 25 rankings after a 34-14 win against conference foe, Northwestern. Oregon has yet to be tested, and honestly, Northwestern was probably the toughest team they faced all season.

THIS IS A TRAP GAME for the Ducks. They’re 3-0, and believe me, with a road game next week against Penn State, it’s going to be way too easy for them to overlook and underestimate the winless Beavers. I think Oregon will pick up their fourth win, but this game could end up being closer than anyone predicted.

3:30 P.M.

(21) Michigan (2-1) at Nebraska (3-0)

Nebraska is 3-0, and if they can beat Michigan this week, we might see them in the Top 25 next week. Last week, the Cornhuskers beat Houston Christian 59-7, but who is Houston Christian?

Michigan rebounded with a 63-3 win over Central Michigan last week. The Wolverines opened up at home with a win against New Mexico, and then, they lost on the road to nationally ranked Oklahoma, 24-13. Michigan needs this win bad. Two loses by the fourth week of the season is hard to come back from.

Nebraska quarterback, Dylan Raiola, is only a sophomore, but he’s having a good season so far. In three games; he’s completing 76% of his passes, that’s 72 completions out of 94 attempts, and he has thrown for 830 yards and 8 touchdowns with zero interceptions! Not bad. Do you want to hear a crazy stat? Nebraska’s defense held each team they played to just 69 or fewer total passing yards. On paper, Nebraska looks unbelievable, but we’ll see how Michigan feels about all that this week.

Purdue (2-1) at (24) Notre Dame (0-2)

Man, I swear to God, college football loves and favors Notre Dame. How is Notre Dame ranked #24 nationally without any wins? Will this be the week? That’s the big question here. Will Notre Dame finally win a game in 2025? In their first game, the Fighting Irish lost to Miami, 27-24, and they lost to Texas A&M last week, 41-40. Texas A&M and Miami are both undefeated, and they’re both ranked nationally.

Purdue is 2-1, and I know they lost to USC last week, but they’re not that bad. Their defense looked good last week against the Trojans. If Purdue expects to beat Notre Dame this week, two things need to happen. They need another great effort from their defense, and their offense needs to cut down on mistakes. I don’t know if that will be enough, but it will definitely put them in position to win this game. Notre Dame is still dangerous, but Purdue has a shot.

7:30 P.M.

(9) Illinois (3-0) at (19) Indiana (3-0)

Well, this is the Big Ten game of the week. The Fighting Illini are 3-0 and ranked ninth nationally. Illinois beat Western Illinois, Duke, and Western Michigan University. Duke was the toughest of the three, and quarterback, Luke Altmyer, completed 22 of 31 for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns. There’s no doubt, wide receiver, Hank Beatty, is turning into Altmyer’s favorite target.

After beating Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State by 73 points, the Hoosiers are also 3-0. Running backs, Roman Hemby and Lee Beebe Jr., are both legit. Quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, started this season slow, but he’s on fire now. He has 9 touchdowns passes in his last two games. Indiana’s defense is stingy, allowing an average of 7.3 points per game.

I think we all know that Illinois has a pretty good football team, but I’m not so sure how we all feel about Indiana. Both teams are undefeated, both are ranked nationally, and both teams have compiled a crap load of stats during the first three weeks, but this is where the rubber meets the road. I don’t know why, but Illinois seems a little overconfident-almost arrogant. Indiana appears to be going about their business in more humble and professional manner. I think the Hoosiers might have what it takes to upset the Fighting Illini. We shall see.

11:00 P.M.

Michigan State (3-0) at (25) USC (3-0)

It’s the Michigan State Spartans and the USC Trojans who will be playing in the last game of the day. The kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 P.M.

Michigan State beat Youngstown State 41-21 last week for their third straight win. Quarterback, Aiden Chiles, completed 22 of 29 passes for 270 yards and 1 touchdown. He also rushed for 76 yards. The Spartans have three capable running backs, and the group is led by redshirt senior, Elijah Tau-Tolliver, who rushed for 37 yards and 1 touchdown against Youngstown.

USC handed Purdue their first loss of the season. It was a 33-17 win for the Trojans, but boy oh boy, Purdue played them tough.

Quarterback, Jayden Maiava, was 17 for 28 with 282 yards, and wide receiver, Ja’ Kobi Lane caught three of those passes for 115 yards. Running back, Waymond Jordan, carried the ball 18 times for 77 yards and 1 touchdown. I know USC’s offense gets a lot of attention, but they owe last week’s win over Purdue to their defense. As a unit, they picked off 3 passes and held Purdue to just 52 rushing yards.

It’s a Big Ten showdown this week and both teams would like nothing more than to extend their winning streak to four games. If USC’s defense shows up and plays the way they did against Purdue, the Spartans are going to have an extremely difficult time.

Week 4 Big Ten Picks Straight Up

Iowa, Wisconsin, Oregon, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Illinois, USC

Week 4 Big Ten Picks Versus the Point Spread

If you would like my expert picks for all seven games featured in this week’s preview, then please email me at noonooz@noozbuffet.com.

The pick sheet is $8.00, and it will be available Friday morning. Last week, I was 6-4-1 versus the point spread. I’m a winner, and you can win too!