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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
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Phil Harrison

Big Ten and big game college football expert picks and predictions for Week 7

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 six 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. The West still 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 7 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 7 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.

Results so far

Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Results of our picks and predictions so far

@PhilHarrisonBW: 58-14 (straight up), 41-31 (against the spread)
@MarkRussell1975: 59-13 SU, 41-31 ATS
@JoshKeatley16: 63-9 SU, 42-30 ATS
@MikeFChen: 59-13 SU, 37-35 ATS
@evanrbach: 63-9 SU, 42-30 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 61-11 SU, 40-32 ATS

Next … The Big Ten games and picks

Indiana at Michigan

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

Noon ET | Fox – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Michigan -33.5

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

CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan

Ohio State at Purdue

[Joshua A. Bickel/Dispatch]

Saturday, Oct. 7

Noon ET | Peacock
BetMGM Line: Ohio State -19.5

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

CONSENSUS PICK: Ohio State

Michigan State at Rutgers

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

Noon ET | Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Rutgers -5.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Rutgers
@MarkRussell1975: Rutgers
@JoshKeatley16: Michigan State
@MikeFChen: Rutgers
@evanrbach: Rutgers*

CONSENSUS PICK: Rutgers

UMass at Penn State

Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Penn State -41.5

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

CONSENSUS PICK: Penn State

Illinois at Maryland

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:30 p.m. ET | NBC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Maryland -14

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

CONSENSUS PICK: Maryland

Iowa at Wisconsin

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

4:00 p.m. ET | Fox – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Wisconsin -10

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

CONSENSUS PICK: Wisconsin*

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

Oregon at Washington

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:30 p.m. ET | ABC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Washington -3

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

CONSENSUS PICK: Washington

Texas A&M at Tennessee

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

3:30 p.m. ET | CBS – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Tennessee -3.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Tennessee
@MarkRussell1975: Tennessee
@JoshKeatley16: Texas A&M
@MikeFChen: Tennessee
@evanrbach: Tennessee

CONSENSUS PICK: Tennessee

USC at Notre Dame

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

7:30 p.m. ET | NBC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Notre Dame -2.5

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

CONSENSUS PICK: Notre Dame

Miami (FL) at North Carolina

Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

7:30 p.m. ET | ABC – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: North Carolina -3.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Miami (FL)
@MarkRussell1975: North Carolina
@JoshKeatley16: North Carolina
@MikeFChen: North Carolina
@evanrbach: North Carolina

CONSENSUS PICK: North Carolina

UCLA at Oregon State

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

8:00 p.m. ET | Fox – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Oregon State -3.5

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

CONSENSUS PICK: Oregon State

NC State at Duke

USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, Oct. 7

8:00 p.m. ET | ACC Network – Stream fuboTV (watch here)
BetMGM Line: Duke -3.5

@PhilHarrisonBW: Duke
@MarkRussell1975: Duke
@JoshKeatley16: Duke
@MikeFChen: Duke
@evanrbach: Duke

CONSENSUS PICK: Duke

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. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

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