Wisconsin is on a bye this week, but all the other teams in the conference are in action, setting up five Big Ten games for week eight.
Minnesota at No. 19 Ohio State
The Buckeyes can kiss any national title hopes goodbye after last week's meltdown at Purdue, but they still remain conference contenders. They'll need sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor to be steady after turning the ball over four times last weekend. Minnesota has wins over Purdue and Northwestern, but losses to Wisconsin and Penn State, proving it is still just a mediocre Big Ten team. This one shouldn't be a problem at home for Ohio State.
Indiana at Northwestern
Neither of these teams have conference title aspirations; instead, both are merely looking to improve year to year. The Wildcats have not done a good job building on their 5-3 2008 season, starting this year 1-2 in the conference. Northwestern senior quarterback Mike Kafka is second in the conference in passing yards, but needs to improve on his 4-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio to win games. Indiana's junior quarterback Ben Chappell is also racking up the yards. His 1,664 passing yards are third in the Big Ten, but he's also thrown more interceptions than touchdowns.
Illinois at Purdue
No Big Ten team has been more disappointing this year than Illinois. It's been a nightmare senior season for quarterback Juice Williams, who was benched two weekends ago against Michigan State. Williams is now back as a starter and should play this week. Purdue had a discouraging start to its season, opening up at 1-5. But the win over Ohio State has given the Boilermakers newfound confidence; they're looking to use the marquee victory as a springboard to a respectable season.
No. 13 Penn State at Michigan
Ohio State's defeat last week means the Nittany Lions are now back in the thick of the conference title race. Since its loss to Iowa, Penn State is 3-0, albeit against lesser competition. Michigan's season, meanwhile, has taken a downturn since its win over Notre Dame. At 1-2, Michigan may already be out of the title mix.
No. 6 Iowa at Michigan State
This is the Big Ten game of the week. Iowa is the only remaining Big Ten team with a chance at playing for the national championship. But it'll have its hands full against the Spartans. MSU could not have started the season any worse, but has won its last three games and now has its eyes on a Big Ten title. If Michigan State defeats Iowa at home, its only major challenge remaining will be its season-ender against Penn State.
