November is here and the homestretch of the regular season is officially upon us. We have developed a general idea of who the playoff/Big Ten contenders are, but who actually advances to the meaningful postseason competition will begin coming into focus starting this week.
In prime time, USC and Nebraska squad off in a true-to-form "winner advances, loser is out" game. Fresh off a thorough smacking at the hands of Notre Dame, can Lincoln Riley right the ship on the road two time zones away from LA to keep the Trojans' playoff hopes alive? On the other sideline, Nebraska has been living dangerously -- 3-2 their last five games with a pair of one score wins. Can Matt Rhule, fresh off his contract extension, keep the Huskers alive in the playoff race?
Elsewhere, one of the most anticipated games of the regular season has been reduced to an afterthought with a meek Penn State squad heading to Columbus to take on No. 1 Ohio State. Is there any magic for the Nittany Lions, or will the Buckeyes continue their unabated march to Indianapolis?
Minnesota hosts Michigan State in a contest between a squad coming off its second 35+ point loss in four games, and another that's lost five straight after a 3-0 start. Can the Gophers get to bowl-eligibility with a sixth win, or will the Spartans stop a skid and keep their own bowl hopes alive?
Much of the rest of the midwest slate features wide spreads. Illinois (-13.5) hosts a Rutgers squad in desperate need of a victory to push toward bowl eligibility. Indiana (-21.5) travels to College Park to take on a Maryland team that has been spunky but has lost its last three games each by four points or less. Michigan (-21.5) hosts a Purdue team seeking its first Big Ten win in 24 months, while Notre Dame (-28.5) travels to Boston College looking to continue to rack up style points for a playoff resume.
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