Straight to it, our area college football picks — apologies in advance — for Week 10:
1. Northern Illinois (6-2, 4-0 MAC) at Toledo (7-1, 4-0), 6 p.m., Thursday, ESPNU, Line: Toledo by 9: Same old Rockets? Or can they finally win the November games that matter? We’ll find out Thursday, because it doesn’t get much bigger than a showdown between the last teams standing with unstained MAC records. On a night that will produce euphoria or heartbreak — there is no middle ground for this championship-chasing Toledo team — the Rockets will either gain the clear inside track to their first MAC title game since 2004 or all but clinch another seat on the couch. The early guess here is Toledo delivers the former, its league-leading offense more than offsetting the rival Huskies’ league-leading defense. Should be fun. Pick: Toledo: 28, Northern Illinois 17.
2. Ohio State (7-1, 5-0 Big Ten) at Iowa (5-3, 2-3), 3:30 p.m., Saturday, ESPN, Line: Ohio State by 16: Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer complained about too many road night games and — voila — Fox chose Michigan-Minnesota for primetime Saturday over the bigger Ohio State-Iowa game. Crafty move. Few league venues rock harder than Kinnick Stadium under the lights. In the day, give us the Buckeyes to roll. Pick: Ohio State 34, Iowa 13.
3. Minnesota (4-4, 1-4) at Michigan (6-2, 3-2), 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Fox, Michigan by 15.5: In Jim Harbaugh’s defense, he has enjoyed some rivalry success. Expect his Michigan teams to move to 2-0 in the battle for the Little Brown Jug. Pick: Michigan: 23, Minnesota 13.
4. Bowling Green (1-7, 1-3) at Kent State (2-6, 1-3), 8 p.m., Tuesday, ESPNU, Line: Bowling Green by 2: I have a hard time seeing Kent State — outscored 109-19 in its three league losses — beating anyone, but I have a harder time seeing BG winning a second conference road game. Pick: Kent State 27, Bowling Green 21 (OT).
Contact David Briggs at dbriggs@theblade.com, 419-724-6084, or on Twitter @DBriggsBlade.
First Published October 31, 2017, 1:00 p.m.
