Big Ten Football: Three Potential Upsets To Keep An Eye On

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 17, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Temple Owls at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Temple 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O

The first weekend of Big Ten football conference play is here and there could be some surprising shakeups in the conference already.

One of the really interesting things about the Big Ten conference is that even the best teams can be knocked off on any given Saturday. This is, of course, also really annoying when you’re talking about a team like Nebraska wanting to get a winning streak going.

The college football world in general is one that seems to be in a bit of a state of flux when you take into consideration teams like Clemson almost losing to Troy and Florida State getting blown out by Louisville.

Only the best teams in the country are able to stave off the usual upset bid. That’s why several of the Big Ten teams who are on our upset alert this week can actually go a long way towards showing they are the real deal. If they can take care of business against the teams who are looking to play spoilers this weekend, it would go a long way towards convincing their fans they’re here to play.

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Some of the upsets need to be avoided in order to get their season back on track. Potential teams on our list, like Purdue and Iowa need to win their games and win them in outstanding fashion in order to convince the rest of the Big Ten they are not going to be walked over by the big boys.

There are all kinds of reasons to keep your eye on these fives games. They are likely going to tell us more about the upcoming season than you realize.

Sep 10, 2016; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats running back Tion Green (7) is brought down by Purdue Boilermakers linebacker Ja

Purdue vs Nevada (Boilermakers -5.5)

The Purdue Boilermakers were dead last in our inaugural power rankings because of just how bad the team has looked so far this year. Even if they managed to win their game against an FCS school in the season opener, they were blown out last week against Cincinnati.

That blowout loss means the Boilermakers are going to need to beat down the Nevada Wolfpack something fierce. Nevada isn’t the football program it once was, but it’s still good enough to give a lower tier Big Ten football team a run for its money.

That run for their money is especially apropos because the Pack has leaned on its running game for most of its offense. Running back James Butler has run for over 350 yards and five touchdowns so far this season.

The good news for Purdue fans is that the Boilermakers’ defense has been far more susceptible to the passing game. Purdue’s offense has been up and down this year. Nevada might not have beaten the best opponents in the country but they’ve done enough to win two of their three games with the one loss being to Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish are struggling this year, but they’re a good sight better than Purdue. Keep an eye on this game. A Purdue blowout loss isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Sep 17, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Jazz Peavy (11) picks up 14 yards in the 4th quarter during Wisconsin

Wisconsin vs Michigan State (Spartans -5.5)

The 11th ranked Badgers take on the 8th ranked Spartans in the first big matchup between Big Ten football powerhouses this year. On the one hand, Wisconsin has already toppled one power house team this year they were expected to lose to.

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On the other hand, Wisconsin hasn’t looked like a world beater in either of its games since the win over LSU. The Badgers have especially looked unimpressive on offense. Michigan State, on the other hand has looked fairly good, if not dominant on the offensive side of the ball.

If Wisconsin wants to take down the Spartans, there are a few things the team is going to have to do. One of those is to figure out just who is going to play quarterback. Teams that go back and forth between quarterbacks tend to struggle at one point or another.

Both quarterbacks have been effective at one time or another, but both quarterbacks have had a bit of a turnover problem. As a team, Wisconsin has four touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Those are all the reasons the Badgers might not win. As for the reasons they might? Michigan State beat Notre Dame, but they looked pretty unimpressive against Furman. Wisconsin wants to be one of the powers of the Big Ten football world. If they can step up and beat Michigan State, they take a big step towards that goal.

Sep 17, 2016; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers cornerback Chris Jones (8) celebrates during the final moments against the Oregon Ducks in the second half at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska won 35-32. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska vs Northwestern (Huskers -8.5)

This game has the largest point spread of the three games we’re looking at this week. It could be argued that Nebraska has the most to lose when it comes to how the rest of the Big Ten football season goes.

The Huskers have been looked at as real players in the conference thanks to their win over Oregon. Northwestern’s season certainly isn’t over but the 1-2 start to the year has them on the ropes. A loss to Nebraska would off have them behind the eight ball.

That’s one reason the Wildcats are going to be playing as though their season is on the line. Add in the fact that Nebraska celebrated the win over the Ducks like they had just won the national title and talk of this being a “letdown” game has been all the rage this week.

Personally, I think this Nebraska team knows the importance of taking care of business. Clearly bettors do to, considering the Huskers were just 6.5 point favorites earlier in the week. For a line to move by two points, it means those who place their money on the game believe the Huskers are going to win going away.

The Wildcats have certainly been a thorn in the side of the Huskers. That includes last year when Nebraska was desperate for a win. If the Huskers manage to to knock off Northwestern, they should be considered a power in the Big Ten football world. If they lose, the doubters about Riley are going to be front and center again.