We waited all year for this week. Not us, specifically, as Iowa fans, but the conference as a whole has waited for these bitter rivalry games. There is a lot at stake, particularly in the West, where Illinois, Minnesota, and Nebraska are each one win short of bowl eligibility, but facing opponents who are already bowl-eligible. So even though Ohio State-Michigan is consuming most of the media oxygen, there's a lot at stake on the undercard. We might as well get down to it, but first, let's look back at last weekend.

Michigan State at Indiana: I said Indiana 27, Michigan State 21; actual score, Michigan State 24, Indiana 21.

You know what? Good for Sparty. The players, not the school, which deserves to lose every game forever.

Illinois at Iowa: I said Iowa 27, Illinois 20; actual score, Iowa 15, Illinois 13.

I said, and I quote: "So I don't think 16 points will win this game." Correct. 15 points was enough.

Michigan at Maryland: I said Michigan 44, Maryland 17; actual score, Michigan 31, Maryland 24.

I am still not sure if Maryland is or isn't a good football team. And if you don't know by Week 13 ...

Purdue at Northwestern: I said Northwestern 31, Purdue 24; actual score, Northwestern 23, Purdue 15.

It's been a rough first year for Ryan Walters, and they sure miss him in Champaign, too.

Minnesota at Ohio State: I said OSU 48, Minnesota 16; actual score, OSU 37, Minnesota 6.

You've got to admire P.J. Fleck for getting beat by one less point than I thought he would.

Rutgers at Penn State: I said Penn State 38, Rutgers 13; actual score, Penn State 27, Rutgers 6.

As God is my witness, I thought Penn State had a good offense.

Nebraska at Wisconsin: I said Wisconsin 20, Nebraska 17; actual score, Wisconsin 24, Nebraska 17.

This was a better game than I thought it would be.

My predictions have always gotten worse as the season wears on, so I'm pleased with my 6-1 performance last week. That brings me to 79-19 (.806) on the season, about par with my historical average. But there's still one more week, plus a championship game, plus a bowl slate, for me to push that number back below average, so let's get on with it.

It seems Michigan State has started to figure some things out under its interim coach Harlon Barnett, with Sparty putting up some respectable performances and even a couple wins lately. It also seems that Penn State has gone from "legitimate East contender" to "somewhat better than Maryland and Rutgers" over the past few weeks. (It's obvious that James Franklin spent all his coaching mojo on the beatdown of Iowa, of course. Welcome to Club Fitzgerald, I guess.)

Anyway, don't let the fact that I'm impressed with how Barnett has kept his team together, combined with the fact that I'm wondering what happened to PSU, lull you into thinking that Sparty has a puncher's chance in this game. Penn State will win the 7th-grade wood shop project called the Land Grant Trophy, and probably without too much drama.

Penn State 31, Michigan State 13

It has been a very, very long time since this game has loomed so large in the college football universe. It's a down year for the SEC; whomsoever wins the Big 12 will be far from perfect; more than that, both these teams are unquestionably legit. Sure, Ohio State has not been as weirdly dominant as it has been over the last [checks Google] three centuries, and Michigan has, well, you know.

As an Iowa fan I'm also fully aware that the winner of this game will be the Hawkeyes' opponent in Indianapolis. So I have to be careful not to let my desire for the more theoretically beatable opponent color my pick here. This is difficult for me because I have a desired outcome: I want both teams to lose, somehow.

But that ain't gonna happen. So in an evenly matched game otherwise you go with the home team.

Michigan 31, Ohio State 30

I don't even think anybody in Indiana will be watching this game. It might be the first telecast to get negative ratings.

Purdue 21, Indiana 17

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Illinois needs this win to achieve bowl eligibility in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the Taft administration. That puts Northwestern in a very desirable spot, since the Cats have already punched their postseason ticket and can keep the Illini home with a win. But face the facts: Illinois almost beat Iowa, while Northwestern never led against the Hawkeyes. That fact alone, plus the home field advantage (LOL, like there is such a thing in Champaign) have me tipping the meter to the Illini.

Illinois 20, Northwestern 16

I could just copy and paste the preceding pick, replacing Illinois with Minnesota and Northwestern with Wisconsin, and it would still work, except for the fact that Minnesota beat Iowa because of the most brain-dead call in the history of Big Ten officiating. The only difference here is that I'm not going to pick the home team, because I just happen to think Wisconsin is the better team overall.

Wisconsin 17, Minnesota 14

I wonder if next year, when four West Coast schools join the conference, I'll finally begrudgingly accept Maryland and Rutgers as Big Ten schools. I probably won't, but I do wonder, you know.

This actually has a chance at being a pretty good game, and is certainly the best choice amongst the 2:30 pm offerings in the Big Ten. Both teams are at least competent. That hasn't always been the case, you know. I'm going with Maryland just because I feel like it has a much better offense than Rutgers, while the defenses are kind of a wash. Confidence is low, though.

Maryland 28, Rutgers 13

And naturally that leaves ...

Kirk Ferentz has already hinted that he might sit some starters for this one, and who can blame him if he does? There are already enough devastating injuries all over the roster, the division is won outright, and, even though a loss in Indianapolis is all but certain regardless of the opponent, Iowa will get a good bowl bid, because it always does. So why risk losing even more players over a game that can have little or no positive impact on the team's trajectory?

Because it's Nebraska, that's why. The team that insisted its true rivals were Ohio State and Michigan. Maybe you don't remember this, but I certainly do: Kirk Ferentz's first game as Iowa's coach was a 42-7 loss to the Huskers in Iowa City. Have you seen how the man has tortured Minnesota, Northwestern, and Penn State over his career? It would be very easy to say that he doesn't and shouldn't care about who wins this game. But it would be wrong. That trophy matters to him. I think he intends to get it back after last year's disappointing loss.

In the words of the late Jim Zabel, this is a "Katie bar the door" type of game. I think it'll be highly entertaining and a huge, huge fight. I am impressed with the trajectory Matt Rhule has Nebraska following but I think they're still a season or two away from being able to crack the Hawkeye defense.

Iowa 13, Nebraska 10