No. 17 MICHIGAN STATE (9-2, 6-1) at No. 7 PENN STATE (10-1, 6-1)
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Place: State College, Pa.
Line: Nittany Lions by 14.5
TV: ABC

What’s at stake: Two teams enter, one leaves as Big Ten champion. Or co-champion. Penn State is the only team that controls its destiny in the conference. If they win, they go the Rose Bowl. If Michigan State wins, Ohio State will have to lose to Michigan to win the Big Ten title.

Neither head coach Mark Dantonio, who even in this circumstance can’t bring himself to root for the in-state rival Wolverines, nor the rest of America expects Michigan to pull off the upset. If both Ohio State and Michigan State win, they’ll share the title, and the team tha to the Rose Bowl will likely be determined by the BCS rankings. Joe Paterno, a longtime critic of the muddled BCS system, will clean up the situation by beating the Spartans and booking his team’s tickets to Pasadena.

Prediction: Penn State 31, Michigan State 27

IOWA (7-4, 4-3) AT MINNESOTA (7-4, 3-4)
Time: 6 p.m.
Place: Minneapolis
Line: Hawkeyes by 6
TV: BTN

What’s at stake: Both the Hawkeyes and the Gophers have already pretty much guaranteed themselves bowl berths, so this game simply comes down to final posturing in the conference standings. Currently, Iowa is a game ahead of Minnesota with the better conference record. If the Gophers win, both teams will have equal 4-4 Big Ten records, but Minnesota will have the tie-breaker.

This game is also the last chance for Iowa running back Shonn Greene to garner some national attention. The primetime start time helps, but playing on the Big Ten Network does not. The final standings don’t mean much to either team, so it seems Greene and the Hawkeyes have more motivation to win this one.

Prediction: Iowa 27, Minnesota 21

MICHIGAN (3-8, 2-5) at No. 10 OHIO STATE (9-2, 6-1)
Time: 11 a.m.
Place: Columbus, Ohio
Line: Buckeyes by 21
TV: ABC

What’s at stake: Ohio State must win this one if they even want to think about going to the Rose Bowl. Even if they do win, they’ll need Michigan State to beat Penn State.

The worst thing the Buckeyes could possibly do in this situation is underestimate the Wolverines. Each of the past six Michigan coaches have beaten Ohio State in their first season in Ann Arbor. That by no means suggests that Rich Rodriguez has fortune on his side. But that tidbit should cause Ohio State pause when it comes to taking Michigan lightly. The Buckeyes shouldn’t have that problem at home.

Prediction: Ohio State 38, Michigan 13

INDIANA (3-8, 1-6) at PURDUE (3-8, 1-6)
Time: 11 a.m.
Place: West Lafayette, Ind.
Line: Boilermakers by 12
TV: ESPN2

What’s at stake: Neither the Hoosiers nor the Boilermakers will be bowling this year. Neither will have a winning season. After this game, one will be the worst team in the Big Ten.

Purdue, in head coach Joe Tiller’s final game after 12 seasons, would like to avoid that dubious distinction so as not to taint Tiller’s farewell. The Boilermakers will have extra motivation to win this game, whereas the Hoosiers probably have nothing left to play for. In what will be an emotional game for Purdue fans and players, Tiller goes out a winner.

Prediction: Purdue 23, Indiana 15

CAL POLY (8-1) at WISCONSIN (6-5)
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Place: Madison, Wis.
Line: N/A
TV: BTN

What’s at stake: Wisconsin is already bowl-eligible. But after failing hideously to meet expectations at the beginning of the season, it’s unlikely they’ll get a bowl berth with a 6-6 record, especially if they lose to a non-conference opponent like Cal Poly. Badgers coach Bret Bielema can talk all he wants about how Cal Poly is a really good team that deserves to be taken seriously.

But the Mustangs have played a bunch of nobodies all season. Cal Poly has not even played a close game since the beginning of September. The Badgers on the other hand, are battle-tested and hungry and have the benefit of playing tough games that don’t end up with video game scores.

Prediction: Wisconsin 25, Cal Poly 22

zacharybuchanan2007@u.northwestern.edu

Tags: Big Ten Picks, Gameday, Illinois, Michigan State, Penn State