1. Ohio State vs Northwestern
LINE: Ohio State -19
ATS PICK: Ohio State
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Wisconsin looked like it was going to pull off the shocker last year.
Everything worked perfectly in the first half of the 2019 Big Ten Championship, and then … 34-21 Ohio State.
Northwestern was tough against the Buckeyes in the 2018 Big Ten Championship. The defense hung around against the high-powered attack, it was a good, hard battle, and then … 45-24 Ohio State.
This year’s version of Ohio State has a massive chip on its shoulder because it’s being doubted, and rightly so.
It has one win over a team that’s going to finish with a winning record, and that was at home to an Indiana team that bombed away for close to 500 passing yards.
Oooooh, you beat Michigan State. Oooooh, you beat Nebraska, and Penn State and Rutgers.
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It took the Big Ten to change the rules just to get the Buckeyes this spot, it’s the College Football Playoff’s darling because of the eye test against mediocre teams – and Indiana – and probably isn’t in the top four if the brand name was, say, Purdue, and …
The Buckeyes are very, very good.
There’s no real fear of being left out of the CFP with a win – any win.
The committee isn’t going to pick a Big 12 champion, or Cincinnati, or Texas A&M over an unbeaten Big Ten champion Ohio State, however, this team appears to have the attitude that it doesn’t want to leave any doubt.
Justin Fields and the Buckeye offense get all the love and respect, but the defense is going to show up with a major attitude against a middling Northwestern O. As long as Ohio State doesn’t start turning the ball over, getting the win shouldn’t be a problem.
This team will want to cement a spot other than the 4 so it’ll get the Rose Bowl.
Northwestern will be its usual plucky self, and it’ll have a few moments when it looks like it could possibly pull off the shocker, and then …
Ohio State by more than 19.
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