B1G Week 7 Preview

Week 7 of the college football season is upon us.  It is amazing how quickly it goes.  The B1G standings are shaping up like most predicted: Ohio State in the Leaders and a mess in the Legends.  Although it is another light week around the conference, there is one matchup that will have a major impact on who plays in Indianapolis.

Indiana @ Michigan State 12:00pm
The Spartans had their most impressive offensive showing last week in Iowa City.  They should be expected to take another step forward this week at home against the Hoosiers. Indiana likely has the worst defense in the conference, and the Spartans should feel more comfortable in East Lansing.  Indiana also has one of the best offenses in the conference, and should test Michigan State.  At this point the Spartans have one of the best defenses in the nation. It will be interesting to see how they hold up against the high tempo passing attack of the Hoosiers. MSU defensive backs are known for their aggressive play, and Notre Dame was able to use that against the Spartans in their earlier matchup.  Look for Coach Wilson to try a similar game plan.  I don’t think Indiana can hold many teams under 20 points, especially on the road, but can Michigan State hold Nate Sudfield and company under 25?  The Spartans can reveal themselves as another Legends contender tomorrow.

Nebraska @ Purdue 12:00pm
Nebraska has one of the best offenses in the conference, even without Taylor Martinez.  Purdue is one of the worst teams in the nation.  I know the Husker defense makes more teams look like champions, but it shouldn’t matter in this one. The Boilers might score 28, but Nebraska should push 50.

Northwestern @ Wisconsin 3:30pm
This game was covered some in the upset alert post, so you know that I think Wisconsin will win this game. Northwestern is coming off of their toughest game of the season, and it was a game that they fully expected to win.  The Wildcats pushed Ohio State to the brink, but ultimately did not have enough playmakers on defense hold on for the win.  Even though their Rose Bowl hopes have not been eliminated yet, I still think Northwestern will have a hangover in this game.  The Wildcats are good enough to beat most conference teams when they don’t play their best, but the Badgers are not one of them.  The Northwestern defense really struggled to contain Carlos Hyde last week, and they will likely have even more problems against James White and Melvin Gordon.  I doubt the Badgers will even have to go to the air much to pick up first downs, which is their weakness.  I think Wisconsin will average at least 6 yards per carry for the game, and that will keep the high powered Northwestern offense off the field enough to give the Badgers a huge win at home.