Northwestern (No. 13) at Michigan (No. 18)
Anyone tuning into this Big Ten slobber-knocker hoping to see some high-flying offense will be sorely disappointed. Northwestern and Michigan both come into the contest with top-10 defenses, and the Wolverines have shut out their last two opponents.
Northwestern has found a way to come out of every scrap to date with a win, and Michigan’s only loss came in Week 1 against a dominating Utah squad that has made minced meat out of some other top programs.
The Big House will be rocking, which should give Michigan the edge, but the contest will be determined by the two quarterbacks — both of whom are a bit rough around the edges. Despite the fact Jake Rudock has been turnover-prone, he’ll come out looking better than freshman Clayton Thorson, who’ll be forced into some mistakes by Michigan’s outstanding defense.
Prediction: Michigan holds serve, winning 17-13.