B1G Week 6 Preview

It is time for week 6 B1G predictions.  The first week went mostly as I planned, with the exception of Nebraska beating Wisconsin.  Like every week in conference play, there are a couple of intriguing games that will have a big effect on the final conference standings.

Michigan State @ Indiana Saturday 12:00pm

The Spartans are looking to get back on track this week after blowing a few opportunities to beat Ohio State at home.  Indiana should be a good bounce back team for Maxwell and company.  The Hoosier defense is one of the worst in the B1G, so Michigan State should be able to get the offense rolling and have some time to work on that horrible passing attack.  Freshman Burbidge is finally listed as a starter at receiver, and should be able keep it over Fowler.  Will Le’Veon Bell be able to get running again?  I think Maxwell has a big day through the air, as the Hoosiers use 8 or 9 guys to focus on Bell all game.  Look for Indiana to score a couple of touchdowns though with their improved pass game.

Northwestern @ Penn State Saturday 12:00pm

I have already put this in my upset alert post.  In case you haven’t been following this season so far, the upset here is for Penn State to beat Northwestern at Happy Valley.  Yes, this might seem a little backwards.  Northwestern is one of 2 remaining undefeated teams, and are trying to emerge as a legitimate contender in the Legends Division.  Meanwhile, Penn State has won 3 games in a row and are currently the conference’s hottest team.  I think the Nittany Lion defense slows down the Wildcat run first offense enough to give Penn State their 4^th win in a row. 

Illinois @ Wisconsin Saturday 3:30pm

The Badgers showed some improvement last weekend in Lincoln, and they will need to continue this trend this weekend against the worst team in the B1G.  Wisconsin should be able to get their first blowout win of the season.  Look for Montee Ball to go over 150 yards and find the end zone at least twice.

Nebraska @ Ohio State Saturday 8:00pm

The Cornhuskers open conference play with 2 major matchups against Leader’s Division teams in primetime.  The winner of this game will be the regarded as the best team in the B1G, hands down.  I am interested to see how both defenses are able to stop the mobile quarterbacks across the line.  The Buckeye defense tackled very well last week against Michigan State, but they weren’t tested downfield like they will be this week.  I think both signal callers will put up some big stats.  This game will likely come down to the turnover battle.  In the end, I think Braxton Miller is better than Taylor Martinez and the Ohio State defense is better than Nebraska’s.  Look for the Buckeyes to help out Michigan for the 2^nd straight week.