Onward we go. Every year we have a little friendly competition among our writers for world domination when it comes to picking Big Ten and some of the bigger college football games.
We’ll bring you our expert picks and predictions on all the league games against the spread, and straight-up throughout the season. Also, as an added bonus you didn’t know you even craved, we’ll throw in six of the top games across the college football slate for the week. We’re the judge and jury on that one, and if there’s a tie, George Washington decides it via the old-fashioned coin flip.
So we soldier on through the early part of the 2021 season, one that looks like it will be much more normal than what we saw last year. The overall winner of our little pick competition gets an all-expenses-paid pat on the back, so let’s get to it.
As a reminder, if there’s an asterisk next to the pick, that means the team will win, but not cover.
EXAMPLE:
– If you think Ohio State will win minus-3.5 over Michigan: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win outright: OSU
– If you think Ohio State will win, but NOT cover: OSU*
Here are our expert picks for Week 4, but first, our results after an eventful Week 3.
RESULTS SO FAR
@PhilHarrisonBW: 38-17 SU, 27-28 ATS
@MarkRussell1975: 42-13 SU, 31-24 ATS
@JoshKeatley16: 37-18 SU, 27-28 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 39-16 SU, 25-30 ATS
First up … Big Ten early games
Saturday, Sept. 25
Bowling Green at Minnesota
Noon EDT | ESPNU
Tipico Line: Minnesota -31.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Minnesota*
@MarkRussell1975: Minnesota
@JoshKeatley16: Minnesota
CONSENSUS PICK: Minnesota
Ohio at Northwestern
Noon EDT | Big Ten Network
Tipico Line: Northwestern -14.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Northwestern*
@MarkRussell1975: Northwestern*
@JoshKeatley16: Northwestern
CONSENSUS PICK: Northwestern*
Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin
Noon EDT | Fox
Tipico Line: Wisconsin -6.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Notre Dame
@MarkRussell1975: Notre Dame
@JoshKeatley16: Wisconsin
CONSENSUS PICK: Notre Dame
Villanova at Penn State
Noon EDT | Big Ten Network
Line: Off
@PhilHarrisonBW: Penn State
@MarkRussell1975: Penn State
@JoshKeatley16: Penn State
CONSENSUS PICK: Penn State
NEXT … Big Ten later games
Saturday, Sept. 25
Illinois at Purdue
3:30 p.m. EDT | Big Ten Network
Tipico Line: Purdue -11.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Purdue*
@MarkRussell1975: Purdue
@JoshKeatley16: Purdue
CONSENSUS PICK: Purdue
Kent State at Maryland
3:30 p.m. EDT | Big Ten Network
Tipico Line: Maryland -14.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Maryland
@MarkRussell1975: Maryland
@JoshKeatley16: Maryland
CONSENSUS PICK: Maryland
Rutgers at Michigan
3:30 p.m. EDT | ABC
Line: Michigan -20
@PhilHarrisonBW: Michigan*
@MarkRussell1975: Michigan*
@JoshKeatley16: Michigan
CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan*
Colorado State at Iowa
3:30 p.m. EDT | FS1
Tipico Line: Iowa -23.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Iowa*
@MarkRussell1975: Iowa*
@JoshKeatley16: Iowa
CONSENSUS PICK: Iowa*
Nebraska at Michigan State
7 p.m. EDT | FS1
Tipico Line: Michigan State -4.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Michigan State
@MarkRussell1975: Michigan State
@JoshKeatley16: Nebraska
CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan State
Akron at Ohio State
7:30 p.m. EDT | Big Ten Network
Tipico Line: Ohio State -49.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Ohio State*
@MarkRussell1975: Ohio State*
@JoshKeatley16: Ohio State
CONSENSUS PICK: Ohio State*
Indiana at Western Kentucky
8 p.m. EDT | CBS Sports Network
Tipico Line: Indiana -9.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Indiana
@MarkRussell1975: Indiana
@JoshKeatley16: Indiana
CONSENSUS PICK: Indiana
Next … Pick Six (biggest non-Big Ten games)
Saturday, Sept. 25
Texas Tech at Texas
Noon EDT | ABC
Tipico Line: Texas -7.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Texas
@MarkRussell1975: Texas*
@JoshKeatley16: Texas
CONSENSUS PICK: Texas
Texas A&M vs. Arkansas
3:30 p.m. EDT | CBS
Tipico Line: Texas A&M -3.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Texas A&M
@MarkRussell1975: Arkansas
@JoshKeatley16: Texas A&M
CONSENSUS PICK: Texas A&M
Clemson at NC State
3:30 p.m. EDT | ESPN
Tipico Line: Clemson -9.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Clemson
@MarkRussell1975: Clemson
@JoshKeatley16: Clemson
CONSENSUS PICK: Clemson
Tennessee at Florida
7 p.m. EDT | ESPN
Tipico Line: Florida -19.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Florida*
@MarkRussell1975: Florida*
@JoshKeatley16: Florida
CONSENSUS PICK: Florida*
West Virginia at Oklahoma
7:30 p.m. EDT | ABC
Tipico Line: Oklahoma -17.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Oklahoma*
@MarkRussell1975: Oklahoma*
@JoshKeatley16: Oklahoma
CONSENSUS PICK: Oklahoma*
Arizona at Oregon
10:30 p.m. EDT | ESPN
Tipico Line: Oregon -28.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Oregon*
@MarkRussell1975: Oregon
@JoshKeatley16: Oregon
CONSENSUS PICK: Oregon
List
Five reasons Ohio State beats Akron big on Saturday
List
Updated ESPN game-by-game FPI win predictions for remainder of Ohio State’s schedule. One team now favored to beat Buckeyes.
All Betting Lines are courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.