Nov. 08--Against-the-spread picks are a 50-50 proposition, yet I've had one winning week out of 10. Clearly the time has come to, as Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald would say, "embrace the suck."
By the way, that does not mean embrace being terrible. It's military slang for "we're in a brutal situation, so embrace the challenge of dealing with it." So here goes:
Penn State (minus 6.5) at Indiana: The Nittany Lions have not won since Sept. 20, so there's no better time to visit Bloomington. In the two games since Nate Sudfeld went down, Indiana has passed for a total of 35 yards. Go with Penn State.
Iowa (plus 1) at Minnesota: One of these teams lost to Illinois. That would be the team I'm not picking. Take the Hawkeyes.
Wisconsin (minus 17) at Purdue: Yeah, the Boilermakers are better than we all figured. But top receiver Danny Anthrop (knee) is out, and the Badgers have been in steamroll mode. Go with Melvin Gordon Co.
Michigan (minus 1.5) at Northwestern: The Wildcats are so banged up and beaten down, I feel compelled to take the team that has been outscored 92-35 on the road this season. Michigan it is.
Ohio State (plus 3.5) at Michigan State: The Buckeyes average 45.6 points and 6.6 yards per play. The Spartans are at 45.4 and 6.7. Tight doesn't begin to describe it, so take Ohio State and the points, sit back and enjoy what should be a classic.
Last week: 2-3.
Season: 30-41-2.
tgreenstein@tribune.com
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
