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USA Today Sports Media Group
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Phil Harrison

Big Ten and big game college football expert picks and predictions for Week 6

Every year (and every week of the season) we have a little friendly competition among our writers for world domination when it comes to picking the Big Ten football games and some of the bigger college football contests as the season goes on.

After one five weeks of play, it still looks like teams like Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State are still the class of the league and the East division — though watch out for Maryland. The West division looks like a mess, but someone — IowaWisconsin, or a surprise team, will sort it all out eventually.

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But how will Week 5 play out in the Big Ten? Our writers take turns picking all the games in the Big Ten straight up and against the spread. and since we’re in the full swing of conference play now, we’ll do the same drill on the top six contests in the nation outside of that (our “pick six”).

As a reminder, if there’s an asterisk next to the pick, that means the team will win, but not cover. If there is a tie, rather than have a cage match or old-fashioned duel, we’ll settle it with less violence and go with the tried, yet true, coin flip where George Washington has the say.

EXAMPLE:
– If you think Ohio State will win minus-3.5 over an opponent: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win outright: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win, but NOT cover: OSU*

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

Here are our expert picks for Week 6 as we also look for what type of separation and improvement we see in the upcoming weeks. But first, here’s what the standings look like with our writers after last week’s action.

Where things stand

Results of our picks and predictions so far

@PhilHarrisonBW: 50-10 (straight up), 33-27 (against the spread)
@MarkRussell1975: 50-10 SU, 33-27 ATS
@JoshKeatley16: 53-7 SU, 34-26 ATS
@MikeFChen: 53-7 SU, 33-27 ATS
@evanrbach: 54-6 SU, 35-25 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 52-8 SU, 33-27 ATS

Next … The Big Ten games and picks

Nebraska at Illinois

Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Friday, Oct. 6

8:00 p.m. ET | FS1 – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Illinois -3.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Illinois
@MarkRussell1975: Nebraska
@JoshKeatley16: Nebraska
@MikeFChen: Illinois
@evanrbach: Illinois

CONSENSUS PICK: Illinois

Maryland at Ohio State

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

Noon ET | Fox – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Ohio State -20.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Ohio State*
@MarkRussell1975: Ohio State
@JoshKeatley16: Ohio State
@MikeFChen: Ohio State*
@evanrbach: Ohio State

CONSENSUS PICK: Ohio State

Rutgers at Wisconsin

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

Noon ET | Peacock
BetMGM Line: Wisconsin -13.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Wisconsin*
@MarkRussell1975: Wisconsin*
@JoshKeatley16: Wisconsin
@MikeFChen: Wisconsin
@evanrbach: Wisconsin

CONSENSUS PICK: Wisconsin

Howard at Northwestern

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:00 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Off (just pick a winner straight-up)

@PhilHarrisonBW: Northwestern
@MarkRussell1975: Northwestern
@JoshKeatley16: Northwestern
@MikeFChen: Northwestern
@evanrbach: Northwestern

CONSENSUS PICK: Northwestern

Purdue at Iowa

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:30 p.m. ET | Peacock
BetMGM Line: Iowa -2.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Iowa
@MarkRussell1975: Iowa
@JoshKeatley16: Iowa
@MikeFChen: Purdue
@evanrbach: Iowa

CONSENSUS PICK: Iowa

Michigan at Minnesota

Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Saturday, Oct. 7

7:30 p.m. ET | NBC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Michigan -19.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Michigan
@MarkRussell1975: Michigan
@JoshKeatley16: Michigan
@MikeFChen: Michigan
@evanrbach: Michigan

CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan

NEXT … The “Pick Six” biggest non-Big Ten games

Oklahoma at Texas

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

Noon ET | ABC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Texas -6.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Texas
@MarkRussell1975: Texas
@JoshKeatley16: Texas
@MikeFChen: Texas
@evanrbach: Texas

CONSENSUS PICK: Texas

LSU at Missouri

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

Noon ET | ESPN – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: LSU -4.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: LSU
@MarkRussell1975: Missouri
@JoshKeatley16: LSU
@MikeFChen: Missouri
@evanrbach: LSU

CONSENSUS PICK: LSU

Washington State at UCLA

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:00 p.m. ET | Pac-12 Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: UCLA -3.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Washington State
@MarkRussell1975: UCLA
@JoshKeatley16: UCLA
@MikeFChen: Washington State
@evanrbach: UCLA

CONSENSUS PICK: UCLA

Alabama at Texas A&M

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:30 p.m. ET | CBS – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Alabama -1.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Alabama
@MarkRussell1975: Alabama
@JoshKeatley16: Alabama
@MikeFChen: Alabama
@evanrbach: Alabama

CONSENSUS PICK: Alabama

Kentucky at Georgia

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:30 p.m. ET | CBS – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Georgia -14.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Georgia
@MarkRussell1975: Georgia*
@JoshKeatley16: Georgia
@MikeFChen: Georgia*
@evanrbach: Georgia

CONSENSUS PICK: Georgia

Notre Dame at Louisville

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

7:30 p.m. ET | ABC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Notre Dame -6.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Notre Dame
@MarkRussell1975: Notre Dame*
@JoshKeatley16: Notre Dame
@MikeFChen: Notre Dame
@evanrbach: Notre Dame

CONSENSUS PICK: Notre Dame

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion.

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