Big Ten staff picks for Week 9

The race to the Big Ten championship game is about to hit the final stretch as the calendar flips from October to November, but first there will be some tricks or treats to hand out in conference play on Halloween weekend. The game of the week may be Ohio State visiting USC without star quarterback Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely due to injury. Can Jayden Maiava and Lincoln Riley rebound from a brutal road loss at Wisconsin last week to send Ohio State home with a loss in Big Ten play?

Here are our picks for this weekend's Big Ten slate of games. Be sure to check out our final score predictions for the Penn State vs. Purdue game, with some quick thoughts and player-of-the-game picks.

Paul on Indiana vs. Minnesota: Indiana has been looking shaky for a few weeks now and I think this could be the week where everything finally crumbles.

Christopher on Indiana vs. Minnesota: Could it be two straight weeks of struggle for Curt Cignetti’s guys? I think so. Minnesota has always been one of the pluckiest teams in the conference and they've been no different this year. Coming off the high of a rivalry win, they could be fired up early. Still, for a second straight week, I don't think it will be quite enough as Cignetti’s men will continue to find ways to win.

Kevin on Oregon vs. Northwestern: Who would have thought the script would have been flipped on this game when this season started? The Ducks are in trouble as quarterback Dante Moore has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, and this season is falling well short of preseason expectations. Meanwhile, Northwestern has been one of the more pleasant surprises this season, and they are proving to be a difficult team playing wiht growing confidence.

Christopher on Iowa vs. Wisconsin: In my upset of the week, I certainly don't think it's far-fetched to say that Wisconsin feels like more of the favorite here. They held one of the Big Ten’s most explosive offenses to 7 points at home without having to do too much offensively either. Meanwhile, Iowa got stunned by Minnesota in a game where their offense came back down to earth. Give me the Badgers in a defensive slugfest.

Paul on USC vs. Ohio State: I think this could be a sneaky contender for Game of the Week. It would take a miracle to win, but that offense can go toe to toe with anyone on its best day, so the Trojans could end up turning this game into a shootout.

Kevin on Nebraska vs. Washington: Penn State fans will be keeping an eye on this one with the Nittany Lions prepping for a trip out to Washington next week, but the story here may be Nebraska. This feels like a game the Cornhuskers need to continue taking steps forward as a program under Matt Rhule.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Big Ten staff picks for Week 9