Brian Bennett, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Big Ten viewer's guide: Week 12

Bundle up if you're going to a Big Ten game this weekend. Temperatures could be in the 20s or lower in some places, and there's possibilities for snow. Remember: Layers.

If you're just watching the Week 12 games from someplace warm, then A) you're smart and B) here's what you need to know about today's lineup (all times ET):

Noon

No. 8 Ohio State (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten) at No. 25 Minnesota (7-2, 4-1), ABC: Can the Golden Gophers pull off the big upset at home? The cold weather might help slow down the Buckeyes' surging offense, but Minnesota will have to play a nearly perfect game. Ohio State could be battling a letdown factor after the win at Michigan State, but it can't afford to get distracted given its place in the playoff chase.

Iowa (6-3, 3-1) at Illinois (4-5, 1-4), Big Ten Network: The maddeningly inconsistent Hawkeyes look to bounce back from that 51-14 thrashing in Minneapolis last week; remember, they can still win the Big Ten West by winning out and having the Gophers lose twice more. The Fighting Illini are just hoping to get closer to bowl eligibility and possibly preserving Tim Beckman's job. Having Wes Lunt back at quarterback this week should help.

Temple (5-4, 3-3 American) at Penn State (5-4, 2-4), ESPN2: The Owls will try to beat the Nittany Lions for the first time since 1941 and for the first time ever in State College. Penn State hopes to clinch bowl eligibility and use that get-out-of-jail card from the NCAA. Don't expect a lot of points from either side in this one.

3:30 p.m.

No. 16 Nebraska (8-1, 4-1) at No. 20 Wisconsin (7-2, 4-1), ABC: This is much more than Ameer Abdullah vs. Melvin Gordon, though that showdown between the two marquee backs could be great if Abdullah is healthy. The winner will remain in great shape in the West Division race, while the loser will need a lot of help. Wisconsin has the home-field advantage, but the Cornhuskers will be by far the best team the Badgers have played since the season-opening loss to LSU.

Northwestern (3-6, 2-4) at No. 18 Notre Dame (7-2), NBC: The Wildcats have been looking forward to this game for a long time, but they'd hoped to be in better shape for it. Northwestern has lost four straight and is averaging just 12.5 points per game in that span. The Fighting Irish aren't scheduled to play another Big Ten team until September 2016, when they'll face Michigan State.

Indiana (3-6, 0-5) at Rutgers (5-4, 1-4), BTN: This is the first-ever meeting between these two teams, and no one is exactly clamoring for it right now. The Hoosiers have lost five straight against Power 5 opponents since beating Missouri and have virtually no offense to speak of. Rutgers has lost three straight and was outscored by 94 points in that span but should clinch bowl eligibility here.

8 p.m.

No. 12 Michigan State (7-2, 4-1) at Maryland (6-3, 3-2), BTN: How will the Spartans respond to the Ohio State loss? Will they come out swinging or still be smarting over the loss of their playoff (and most likely Big Ten title) hopes? Maryland has enough big-play ability to make this interesting, even without Stefon Diggs.

Bye: Michigan, Purdue

Required reading

Week 12 predictions | Bold calls

Nineteen years later, Northwestern looks to shock Irish again

Melvin Gordon's Heisman moment

Ameer Abdullah gets another shot to beat the odds

Gophers dance into November relevancy

Explosive plays expose cracks in Michigan State's defense

Buckeyes trust Jalin Marshall to do it all

Indiana's Tevin Coleman defies the odds

Take Two: Big Ten's best defense

Awards race tracker

^ Back to Top ^