No. 21 Iowa (2-1) at No. 8 Ohio State (2-1)
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Columbus, Ohio
Line: Ohio State by 7
TV: ABC
What’s at stake: In the marquee matchup of the week, a loss for the Buckeyes or the Hawkeyes would all but end either team’s national championship hopes.
Overview: It’s not often that a game this early in the season could mean the end of a team’s title hopes, but in a conference with four teams that are undefeated and five teams that are ranked, losing two games will usually cut the chase for the conference title short. For the Hawkeyes to win, they’ll need an improvement by their defense, which gave up 21 points to I-AA Northern Iowa last week. In BCS terms the matchup is more vital for Iowa who’s loss came to unranked Iowa State, while Ohio State fell to No. 2 Texas. Ohio State’s Troy Smith will also look to cement his standing as the starting quarterback.
No. 11 Purdue (2-0) at Minnesota (3-0)
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Minneapolis
Line: Minnesota by 4
TV: ESPN
What’s at stake: Minnesota gets to prove it belongs against one of the top teams in the conference, while Purdue is trying to avoid an early season stumble.
Overview: After playing a non-conference schedule that was about as rigorous as a weekend spa retreat, Minnesota finally has a challenge in the 11th-ranked Boilermakers. Gophers running back Laurence Maroney has rushed for 481 yards in his first three games, but Purdue only allowed Arizona to rush for nine yards last week. Purdue also needs to get its passing game back in sync. Jarod Void showed the Boilermakers can win on the ground in Tuscon with three touchdowns. But this team wants to throw the ball, and last week was its first game without a touchdown pass in almost two years.
No. 17 Michigan State (3-0) at Illinois (2-1)
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Champaign, Ill.
Line: Michigan State by 10
TV: ESPN Gameplan
What’s at stake: The Spartans have to avoid a let down after last week’s big win at Notre Dame. Illinois has to prove its 2-0 start wasn’t a fluke after losing to No. 13 California last week.
Overview: Michigan State began the season with lopsided wins against Kent State and Hawaii, but the Spartans made a statement defeating the Irish in overtime last week. Now they must keep the momentum against Illinois. The Illini are better than usual, and if the Spartans are to win, they must be more focused than last week when they blew a 21-point lead. Illinois almost made headlines themselves last week as they led the Golden Bears in the third quarter. But their second-half collapse instead may have shown Ron Zook’s boys are still not among the Big Ten’s elite.
No. 14 Michigan (2-1) at Wisconsin (3-0)
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Place: Madison, Wisc.
Line: Michigan by 2.5
TV: ESPN2
What’s at stake: Wisconsin gets its first real challenge of the year. The Wolverines, like Iowa and Ohio State, could be knocked out of the BCS picture with another loss.
Overview: The Wolverines bounced back from their loss to Notre Dame by pummeling Eastern Michigan, 55-0. The Badgers represent a larger challenge, especially with running back Mike Hart still injured. To stay in the hunt for a BCS game and not have an early set back in the run for the conference title, Michigan’s offense must keep rolling. Quarterback Chad Henne looked like himself last week after a poor outing against the Irish, but Wisconsin has a stingy defense that only yielded a field goal last week at North Carolina. As for Wisconsin, its offense has looked unbeatable against the likes of Temple, but the Badgers managed only 14 points against the Tar Heels. Wisconsin might be in for a harsh wake up call, but it is still in the friendly confines of Camp Randall Stadium.
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