Our ultimate Big Ten road trip is nearing conclusion, and these late-season games loom even larger.
In case you missed our previous installments, we're picking what game we would attend in each week of the 2015 season, assuming (for fantasy purposes) that money and editorial decisions were no object. We can each pick only one game per week.
Here comes Week 12 and one titanic tilt:
Saturday, Nov. 21
Indiana at Maryland
Illinois at Minnesota
Michigan State at Ohio State
Michigan at Penn State
Northwestern at Wisconsin
Purdue at Iowa
Rutgers at Army
Bye: Nebraska
Unanimous pick: Michigan State at Ohio State
Brian Bennett: If I could only go to one conference game this season, it would have to be this one. Spartans-Buckeyes has become the Big Ten's main event over the past couple of years, and that should be the case again in 2015 as both teams figure to open the year in the top 5. If Ohio State is going to falter anywhere during its national title defense, this is the most likely spot, though having the game in the Horseshoe is a huge advantage. In the season's penultimate week, the Big Ten East Division likely will be on the line here, and I already can't wait.
Dan Murphy: The last two times these teams have met head-to-head essentially decided the Big Ten championship -- 2013 was in the actual title game, and in 2014 Michigan State presented the most significant threat to stop the Buckeyes. There’s a good chance history will repeat itself again in 2015. There won’t be a more anticipated game on either team’s schedule this season. The Urban versus Harbaugh death matches will need a few years to reach their peak. Until then, the Spartans and Buckeyes are the most interesting interstate matchup between these two neighboring states.
Previous trippin'
Week 1: Bennett and Murphy at Ohio State-Virginia Tech; Ward at Michigan-Utah; Moyer at Wisconsin-Alabama
Week 2: Unanimous: Oregon at Michigan State
Week 3: Sherman and Murphy at Rutgers-Penn State, Bennett and Ward at Nebraska-Miami
Week 4: Bennett and Ward at Maryland-West Virginia, Sherman and Moyer at BYU-Michigan
Week 5: Unanimous: Iowa at Wisconsin
Week 6: Unanimous: Nebraska at Wisconsin
Week 7: Moyer and Ward at Penn State-Ohio State, Murphy at Michigan State-Michigan, Sherman at Nebraska-Minnesota
Week 8: Bennett and Moyer at Penn State vs. Maryland, Sherman at Ohio State-Rutgers, Ward at Northwestern-Nebraska
Week 9: Bennett, Moyer and Sherman at Michigan-Minnesota, Murphy at Rutgers-Wisconsin
Week 10: Moyer, Murphy and Sherman at Nebraska-Michigan State, Ward at Minnesota-Ohio State
Week 11: Unanimous: Minnesota at Iowa