Micah's game-by-game picks for Week 14 in the Big Ten

The Big Ten saves its best for last with a great slate of games for Week 14. One is the intense rivalry of Michigan versus Ohio State. Michigan may not be a top-10 team in the country, but against Ohio State, the Wolverines will play like a top-five team. Michigan versus Ohio State will be the headline, but Illinois versus Northwestern could produce just as much excitement.

Here are my game-by-game picks for Week 14 in Big Ten football:

Iowa over Nebraska

Nebraska got rolled over by Penn State last week, and while I think Iowa is the better team, I do not think they will steamroll the Cornhuskers. This will be a close game for the majority of it. I think towards the end of this game, the Hawkeyes' defense will suffocate TJ Lateef and this offense. Iowa, on the flipside, as usual, will have its stud quarterback Mark Gronowski put together another late-game sequence to secure a 9-4 regular season for Iowa.

Indiana over Purdue

Purdue is the worst team in the Big Ten, and they will finish the season with yet another blowout loss. The Hoosiers will continue to roll Saturday. I would not be surprised if Fernando Mendoza uses the first half of this game to add to his Heisman resume. I think there will be two different Mendozas that throw a touchdown pass in this game. Give me the Hoosiers by a million.

Michigan over Ohio State

One of the biggest rivalries in college football, Michigan versus Ohio State, will headline this weekend's slate of games. Michigan has won the last 4 meetings between these two teams and will look to get its 5th straight win versus Ohio State. If Michigan wins, it will be in the College Football Playoff. There are huge implications for this matchup. Ohio State gets its real test and a new individual test for how good Julian Sayin is. I like the Wolverines to get the upset and Sherrone Moore to remain undefeated versus Ohio State. Michigan has enough talent to steal this game, but it will take Bryce Underwood outplaying Sayin and the Wolverines' defense having a dominant game. Both things are not out of the realm of possibilities. I like the Wolverines to shock the world Saturday and take down the #1 team in the country.

Oregon over Washington

Washington is fantastic at home, but that will not be enough to take down the Oregon Ducks. I think this will be a high-scoring game, and the Huskies will do their part in making this game competitive. The Ducks, however, are one of the best teams in the country because of how dominant this run game is, and their quarterback Dante Moore shows up in all of the biggest moments, making all of the necessary throws. Washington will remain in striking distance, but Dante Moore and company will always have a response and pull away later on in the second half.

Penn State over Rutgers

I think Penn State's magical run under Terry Smith will continue with another dominant win over Rutgers. Rutgers' offense is good enough to beat Maryland, but against a talented Penn State football team with great momentum, they will be no match. Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton will run wild on the Scarlet Knights' defense, leading to a very lopsided win by Penn State. With another win under Terry Smith's belt, conversations will continue to grow about Smith staying put at Penn State.

Wisconsin over Minnesota

With the Badgers winning 14 straight matches against Minnesota, it was fair to say the Badgers own this rivalry. It was not until P.J. Fleck came around that things felt different. Minnesota finally had a chance. Fleck took over in 2017, and since then, the Gophers are 4-4 in this rivalry. With how inconsistent the Gophers have looked this season and how Wisconsin has played as of late, this game could have a similar outcome as the Badgers' last week's game versus Illinois. Wisconsin's defense has been terrific this year, especially in their turnaround, which won't bode well for young starting quarterback Drake Lindsey. I expect Lindsey to struggle just as he has in the Gophers' losses this season. The Badgers will take away the Gophers' run game and force Lindsey to beat them. Which will lead to the Badgers getting to 5-7 to finish the season.

Michigan State over Maryland

After many failed opportunities to close out a football game and get a win, the Spartans will finally get it done Saturday against the Terrapins. The Spartans are not lacking talent, and they have played many quality football teams close; in some games, they even led. Against the Maryland Terrapins, a team that has thrown in the towel already, this is the perfect opponent for the Spartans to take advantage of. Alessio Milivojevic will save his best performance of his tenure as a starter for the last game of the season. I like the Spartans to win by two possessions.

USC over UCLA

The Trojans' hopes of getting into the College Football Playoff died last weekend, but the opportunity to finish the season off on a high note and improve their win total still remains. The Trojans could not have been given a better opponent to face following their disappointing loss to Oregon last week. At one point, the Bruins looked like an opponent that would take the Trojans to the brink, but of late, the Bruins look like one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. USC should handle the Bruins and win convincingly. This game should be a teller for the direction this team is heading. If USC blows out the Bruins and cruises, Lincoln Riley and this program should feel confident moving forward. If UCLA takes this team all the way till the end of the game, and USC needs some magic from Maiava, that would be a huge concern. I like Riley and USC to get its 9th win of the season and head towards a nice bowl game.

Northwestern Over Illinois

After losing to one of the worst offenses in the country and getting embarrassed against Wisconsin. Who's to say this team won't do it again? Last week, Northwestern showed they are perfectly capable of putting up a great offensive performance. Preston Stone was great, and the Wildcats' run game was unstoppable with Caleb Komofe having his best performance of the season. There is no major talent gap between these two teams, and there are some favorable matchups for the Wildcats to take advantage of. I like Northwestern to squeak by and finish the season off on a high note.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Predicting winners and losers for the Big Ten in Week 14