OK. Here 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 slate of all the college football games 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 off we go for the 2021 season, one that looks like it will be much more normal than what we saw last year. The winner 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 -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 1, but first, our results after Illinois took care of business against Nebraska and got us off on the wrong foot after the so-called Week 0.
RESULTS SO FAR
@PhilHarrisonBW: 0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS
@MarkRussell1975: 0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS
@JoshKeatley16: 0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS
CONSENSUS PICK: 0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS
First up … Big Ten early games
Thursday, Sept. 2
Temple at Rutgers
6:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Line: Rutgers -14.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Rutgers*
@MarkRussell1975: Rutgers*
@JoshKeatley16: Rutgers
CONSENSUS PICK: Rutgers*
Ohio State at Minnesota
8 p.m. | FOX
Tipico Line: Ohio State -13.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Ohio State
@MarkRussell1975: Ohio State
@JoshKeatley16: Ohio State
CONSENSUS PICK: Ohio State
Friday, Sept. 3
Michigan State at Northwestern
Noon | ESPN
Tipico Line: Northwestern -3.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Northwestern
@MarkRussell1975: Northwestern
@JoshKeatley16: Northwestern
CONSENSUS PICK: Northwestern
Saturday, Sept. 4
Western Michigan at Michigan
Noon | ESPN
Tipico Line: Michigan -17.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Michigan
@MarkRussell1975: Michigan
@JoshKeatley16: Michigan
CONSENSUS PICK: Michigan
Fordham at Nebraska
Noon | Big Ten Network
Line: Nebraska -40
@PhilHarrisonBW: Nebraska*
@MarkRussell1975: Nebraska*
@JoshKeatley16: Nebraska
CONSENSUS PICK: Nebraska*
Penn State at Wisconsin
Noon | FOX
Tipico Line: Wisconsin -5.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Wisconsin*
@MarkRussell1975: Penn State
@JoshKeatley16: Wisconsin
CONSENSUS PICK: Wisconsin (via coin flip)
Next … Big Ten later games
West Virginia at Maryland
3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Tipico Line: West Virginia -2.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Maryland
@MarkRussell1975: Maryland
@JoshKeatley16: West Virginia
CONSENSUS PICK: Maryland
Indiana at Iowa
3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Tipico Line: Iowa -3.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Indiana
@MarkRussell1975: Iowa
@JoshKeatley16: Indiana
CONSENSUS PICK: Indiana
Oregon State at Purdue
7 p.m. | FS1
Tipico Line: Purdue -7.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Purdue
@MarkRussell1975: Purdue
@JoshKeatley16: Oregon State
CONSENSUS PICK: Purdue
UTSA at Illinois
7:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Tipico Line: Illinois -4.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Illinois
@MarkRussell1975: Illinois
@JoshKeatley16: UTSA
CONSENSUS PICK: Illinois
Next … Pick Six (biggest non-Big Ten games)
Friday, Sept. 3
North Carolina at Virginia Tech
6 p.m. | ESPN
Tipico Line: North Carolina -5.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: North Carolina*
@MarkRussell1975: North Carolina
@JoshKeatley16: North Carolina
CONSENSUS PICK: North Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 4
Alabama vs. Miami (FL) (in Atlanta)
3:30 p.m. | ABC
Tipico Line: Alabama -19.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Alabama
@MarkRussell1975: Alabama
@JoshKeatley16: Alabama*
CONSENSUS PICK: Alabama
Louisiana at Texas
4:30 p.m. | FOX
Tipico Line: Texas -8.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Texas
@MarkRussell1975: Texas*
@JoshKeatley16: Louisiana
CONSENSUS PICK: Texas* (via coin flip)
Georgia vs. Clemson (in Charlotte)
7:30 p.m. | ABC
Tipico Line: Clemson -2.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Clemson
@MarkRussell1975: Georgia
@JoshKeatley16: Clemson
CONSENSUS PICK: Clemson
LSU at UCLA
8:30 p.m. | FOX
Tipico Line: LSU -2.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: LSU
@MarkRussell1975: UCLA
@JoshKeatley16: UCLA
CONSENSUS PICK: UCLA
Sunday, Sept. 5
Notre Dame at Florida State
7:30 p.m. | ABC
Tipico Line: Notre Dame -7.5
@PhilHarrisonBW: Notre Dame
@MarkRussell1975: Notre Dame
@JoshKeatley16: Notre Dame
CONSENSUS PICK: Notre Dame
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.
