Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate State lays out for a touchdown pass as Northwestern defensive back Josh Fussell defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Wrigley Field on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference:
Game of the week
No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten, No. 5 CFP ) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1, No. 2 CFP), Saturday, noon ET (Fox)
This marks the 98th matchup between these two teams, but it’s only the fourth time both teams have been ranked.
Although Indiana is unbeaten, its soft schedule means the Hoosiers aren’t assured of making the 12-team field if they lose this game. The only team with a winning record that Indiana has beaten is Washington (6-5). Ohio State needs a win to have a realistic shot at a rematch with top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten championship game.
Ohio State has beaten Indiana 28 straight times since the Hoosiers posted back-to-back victories in 1987-88.
The undercard
No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1, No. 4 CFP) at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
This is likely Penn State’s biggest obstacle on its way to a potential playoff berth. The Nittany Lions’ lone remaining regular-season game is a Nov. 30 home matchup with Maryland (4-6, 1-6).
Minnesota has had an extra week to prepare this game since its 26-19 loss at Rutgers on Nov. 9, which snapped a four-game winning streak.
Penn State and Minnesota have split their last four meetings, with the home team winning each time.
Impact players
Penn State DE Abdul Carter has multiple tackles for loss in each of his last three games. He ranks second among all Bowl Subdivision players in tackles for loss (17 ½).
Southern California RB Woody Marks rushed for a career-high 146 yards in a 28-20 win over Nebraska. Marks has six 100-yard rushing performances this season.
Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai is the first Scarlet Knight to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons since Ray Rice did it three straight years from 2005-07. Monangai has run for 1,028 yards this season and rushed for 1,262 yards last year.
Oregon OLB Matayo Uiagalelei recorded a sack and had a game-clinching interception as the top-ranked Ducks won 16-13 at Wisconsin last week. He has 8 ½ sacks this season to rank second in the Big Ten.
Inside the numbers
Four of the top seven Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks in passer rating are from the Big Ten. Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke is second, Ohio State’s Will Howard is third, Penn State’s Drew Allar is fifth and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel is seventh. … Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has thrown 18 touchdown passes with only three interceptions. The only Power Four quarterback with a better touchdown/interception ratio while throwing at least 10 touchdown passes is Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, who has 26 touchdowns and four interceptions. … Rutgers’ three Big Ten wins matches its largest total since joining the league in 2014. Rutgers also had three conference wins in 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023. A victory Saturday over No. 24 Illinois would give Rutgers three straight Big Ten wins for the first time. … Washington’s 31-19 win over UCLA was its 20th straight home victory, representing its second-longest such streak in school history. The Huskies won 45 straight home games from 1908-17. … Wisconsin heads to Nebraska this week having won its last 10 matchups with the Cornhuskers.
Now don’t get upset
Penn State justifiably is favored on the road against Minnesota, but Bet MGM’s 12 ½-point spread seems way too big. Expect this game to have a single-digit margin.
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By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
