Tag: College Football

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 4th

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 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 4th

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 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 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!

College Football Week 4; Big Ten Conference Schedule

September 15, 2025

After you factor in who has a bye and who’s playing an interconference game, Week 4 of the 2025 college football season has seven games scheduled featuring teams from the Big Ten Conference.

Friday, September 19th

8:00 P.M.

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

Saturday, September 20th

12:00 P.M.

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

3:00 P.M.

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

3:30 P.M.

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

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

7:30 P.M.

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

11:00 P.M.

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

Bye week: Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Washington, UCLA, North Western