The Big Ten is giving college football its biggest game of the season this week with Ohio State and Indiana. At the same time, the two worst teams in the conference are also playing each other. The top and bottom of the Big Ten will be decided this week, and the Trojans will be a big beneficiary no matter how things pan out.
Here are some central storylines to follow in the Big Ten in Week 7:
Washington vs Purdue will be the highest scoring game this week
The Washington Huskies' defense has been disappointing for the past few weeks. The Minnesota Gophers had one of their best offensive games against the Huskies. Last week, the Iowa Hawkeyes offense steamrolled the Huskies. The Purdue Boilermakers are going to have success offensively. Their defense is bad, however, so I expect Demond Williams and the Huskies' offense to have a great game. The Huskies have the most firepower, so they will come out on top, but it will take a final touchdown in the fourth quarter to win this shootout. This game will be the highest-scoring game in the Big Ten this week.
Who is the king of the Big Ten?
Ohio State gets its first test since the loss to the Texas Longhorns this week against the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana has not had it easy these past few weeks, with nothing but competitive games. This game will decide the real king of the Big Ten, and I think that will be Ohio State. OSU is the better football team. If anything, the Buckeyes' offense looks a lot better than it did versus Texas, a game it controlled for three quarters before collapsing in the fourth. For Indiana, teams have gotten the best out of them for the majority of the game in the last few weeks. Against Ohio State, Indiana needs to be on its A-game. The best bet is that Ohio State will get its signature win against a top opponent.
Battle of the worst team in the Big Ten
This game will be a battle of the worst teams in the Big Ten. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights will win. Both defenses have proven they cannot stop anybody. The Maryland Terrapins have less to fight for in this game, as they are coming off three straight blowout losses. The Scarlet Knights have more fire inside. KJ Duff and Antwan Raymond will both be stars in this game. Losing this game should mark Maryland as the worst team in the Big Ten and give Mike Locksley the final nail in his coffin.
Michigan's spiral will continue
Michigan got a much-needed week week off, but this team has not shown much to suggest it can beat Penn State. Bryce Underwood's struggles are continuing, and unfortunately, the coaches in charge of furthering his development have not been much better. Kyle Whittingham looks ready for retirement. Losing three games in a row will put him on a path closer to that. Indiana the following week could worsen the blow even more. Things can get really ugly in Michigan, likely quicker than they will get better.
Nebraska will get a signature win
The Nebraska Cornhuskers proved themselves last week against the Hoosiers. They are a quality Big Ten team. The Oregon Ducks do not have a clear-cut starting quarterback this week after Dante Moore was ruled out. Dylan Raiola gave no confidence that he can get the job done after being benched last week. The Cornhuskers will have the best quarterback on the field, and I think this underrated team will finally get its statement win this week. The experts and rankings have yet to take Nebraska seriously; the Cornhuskers this week will give them no choice.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Biggest storylines to watch in Week 7 of Big Ten football
Source: Yahoo Sports









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