Big Ten football predictions: Week 3
BY JOE COWLEY jcowley@suntimes.com September 16, 2011 12:16AM
Updated: September 16, 2011 12:39AM
NO. 17 OHIO STATE AT MIAMI
Time: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Records: Ohio State 2-0, Miami 0-1.
The line: Miami by 2.
Cowley’s pick: Ohio State 28-24.
EASTERN MICHIGAN AT MICHIGAN Time:
Records: E. Michigan 2-0, Michigan 2-0.
The story line: Surviving Notre Dame despite a comedy of errors, the Wolverines have a chance to get fat on the schedule and likely will go into Northwestern 5-0.
The line: Michigan by 291/2.
Cowley’s pick: Michigan, 42-10.
PENN STATE AT TEMPLE
Time: 11 a.m., ESPN.
Records: Penn St. 1-1, Temple 2-0.
The story line: The Big Ten was handed another dose of reality in the form of the SEC, as Alabama made it an “un-Happy’’ Valley last weekend. Bounce-back game for the Nittany Lions.
The line: Penn State by 8.
Cowley’s pick: Penn State, 24-20.
PITTSBURGH AT IOWA
Time: 11 a.m., ESPN2.
Records: Pittsburgh 2-0, Iowa 1-1.
The story line: The Panthers have feasted on Buffalo and Maine, and now it’s time for a big-boy game in Kinnick Stadium. Iowa is coming off an overtime loss against Iowa State.
The line: Iowa by 3.
Cowley’s pick: Iowa, 24-17.
SE MISSOURI STATE AT PURDUE
Records: SE Missouri 0-1, Purdue 1-1.
The story line: The Danny Hope Era continues to be a dismal one, with the Boilermakers barely getting by Middle Tennessee in the opener, then losing to Rice last weekend.
The line: No line.
Cowley’s pick: Purdue, 24-13.S. Carolina State at Indiana
Time: 2:30 p.m., BTN.
Records: S. Carolina St. 1-1, Indiana 0-2.
The story line: The winless Hoosiers just haven’t found any luck playing the MAC and the ACC, so why not take a swipe at the MEAC and see if that works for them.
The line: No line.
Cowley’s pick: Indiana, 31-27.
MIAMI (OHIO) AT MINNESOTA
Time: 2:30 p.m., BTN.
Records: Miami 0-1, Minnesota 0-2.
The story line: The Gophers had bigger concerns than a disappointing 0-2 start, with first-year coach Jerry Kill taken off the field after having a seizure last Saturday. Kill now seems fine; his team, not so much.
The line: Minnesota 41/2.
Cowley’s pick: Minnesota, 35-17.
WASHINGTON AT NO. 11 NEBRASKA
Records: Washington 2-0, Nebraska 2-0.
The story line: Washington is a soft 2-0, beating Eastern Washington and Hawaii, and Nebraska did have some first-half problems with Fresno State. Nice test for Nebraska this week, but the Cornhuskers will pass it.
The line: Nebraska by 161/2.
Cowley’s pick: Nebraska, 41-21.
