It is week 8 across the college football world and the top 25 are starting to take shape. In addition, the leaders in each conference are starting to make strides above the rest. That means that certain games are starting to hold more weight than others. While there aren’t many ranked vs ranked matches, the Big Ten does have some notable and important matchups on Saturday that hold a lot of weight when considering what the conference could look like later on in the season.
The Big Games
One of the biggest games inside the Big Ten this weekend is Nebraska at No. 16 Indiana. Indiana has looked great so far this season but has also not played the best competition. The two best teams the Hoosiers have squared off with this season are Northwestern and Maryland, who are both 3-3. Now they have to welcome in Nebraska who are 5-1, coming off of a bye week, and are pushing hard to be ranked. This is the week that Indiana has to prove whether or not they are a ranked team for real or if they have just benefitted from an easy schedule.
This is also a chance for Nebraska to show the conference just how successful its turnaround has been. A win here could be a huge recruiting boost for the Corn Huskers.
Another notable game and the only ranked one in the group is No.24 Michigan at Illinois. Both teams will likely be fighting for their ranked lives here, as a loss likely means they are knocked out of the top 25. Both schools are long shots for the Big Ten championship but will still have a little bit of life in them if they win here and the teams above them slip up. Michigan has taken a hard fall from being the national champions they were last year. Illinois is a surprising upstart team in the Big Ten.
A win here would mean a lot for both teams in two separate ways. For Michigan, it would mean that Sherron Moore can succeed at beating top 25 teams and is a talented enough coach to build the program around. For Illinois, it means that Bret Bielema’s turnaround of the struggling program is starting to bear fruit and all they need to do is stay the course.
The final big game of this weekend is USC at Maryland. USC is coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Penn State where they fell to the Nittany Lions 33-30 despite having a 20-6 halftime lead. This is the game that USC will try to prove that it can keep its composure despite a tough loss.
On the flip side, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley needs to prove that he can win games without the leading passer in school history. (Tualia Taugovailoa) With USC having to travel across the country, it could be a perfect opportunity for the Terrapins to show the Big Ten that they are more than just their quarterback. The postseason stakes are fairly low but both teams still have something to prove.
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