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.