A handful of teams have Week 8 off. However, the Big Ten will still deliver an exciting slate of games. USC football gets a chance to further prove itself as a contender. Both the Iowa Hawkeyes and the UCLA Bruins have great opportunities to keep their magical seasons going.
Here is exactly how Week 8 of the Big Ten football season will pan out:
Indiana at Michigan
Tommy Carr gave the Michigan Wolverines offense a whole new outlook last week when he came in the second half. The Wolverines' defense is elite, and they can get the best of struggling quarterback Josh Hoover. If Michigan can keep the game close, I would not be surprised if they pull off the upset. However, I still think the safe bet is the Indiana Hoosiers winning 20-14.
Rutgers at Northwestern
The Northwestern Wildcats should steamroll the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in this game; yet, I think Rutgers will give them a scare. This will be a high-scoring shootout, and it will be up to Aidan Chiles to win the game late. I like him to rise to the occasion and continue his great season with an elite performance. As a result, Northwestern will win 37-30.
Oregon at Illinois
The Oregon Ducks have played down to their competition multiple times this season, and it has cost them 2 losses already. I do not think the Illinois Fighting Illini can pull off an upset, but this game, like the others, will be decided late in the 4th quarter. Oregon will give great confidence to true freshman Michael Clayton, but with his inexperience, he and the Fighting Illini will come up short. Dylan Raiola will get another win under his belt at Oregon.
Michigan State at UCLA
The UCLA Bruins' perfect season will not come to an end at the hands of the Michigan State Spartans. The Bruins will take care of business, and Wayne Knight will lead them to victory with a big performance on the ground. UCLA will win 24-7.
Iowa at Minnesota
The Minnesota Gophers, when they play against a high-caliber team or the Purdue Boilermakers, get exposed. The Iowa Hawkeyes ' defense will bottle up the Gophers' offense, and Jeremy Hecklinski will shine. Iowa will cruise to a 31-14 win.
USC at Wisconsin
This year's USC Trojans football team is a different team. They win games on the road in hostile environments. Jayden Maiava will step up to the plate and deliver for USC. Key stars on the defense will also show up. This will be an all-around great performance by USC, and they will get the victory 38-17.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten Week 8: Indiana on upset watch, UCLA tries to stay perfect