This week's rooting interest applies primarily to two teams, Iowa and Penn State, both gunning for a BCS at-large berth. Big Ten champion Ohio State will appear in next week's post, as the Buckeyes will be closely watching the Oregon State-Oregon clash.
What happens with Iowa and Penn State impacts the other four Big Ten bowl squads, so there are many reasons to tune in this week.
Iowa (10-2, 6-2) should root for ...
Oklahoma to beat Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are the biggest threat to the Big Ten's pursuit of a BCS at-large berth. If they beat the Sooners in the Bedlam game and finish 10-2, they could get the nod over both Iowa and Penn State. An Oklahoma State loss takes it out of BCS contention.
Nevada to beat Boise State. The Wolf Pack brings an eight-game win streak to Boise and boasts the offensive firepower to possibly pull off the upset. A Boise State loss definitely takes it out of the BCS mix and virtually assures Iowa or Penn State will make it.
Arizona to beat Arizona State. Since Iowa beat Arizona on Sept. 19, every Wildcats victory helps the Hawkeyes. Iowa really would have benefited had Arizona knocked off Oregon last week, but a 'Zona victory Saturday is a good thing.
Illinois to beat Cincinnati. This is a bit tricky because Penn State beat Illinois and would get a boost from an Illini victory (Iowa didn't play Illinois this fall). But Cincinnati is undefeated, and a loss to Illinois would require the Bearcats to get the Big East's automatic BCS berth to reach the big bowls.
New Mexico to beat TCU. Don't hold your breath on this one, but hey, Mike Locksley's team actually won a game last week. An improbable upset in Fort Worth would take the Horned Frogs out of the BCS mix.
Ohio to beat Temple. Penn State's best nonconference win came against the Owls, who have won nine consecutive games since a 31-6 loss in Happy Valley. Every Temple win helps Penn State, so the Hawkeyes want to see the streak end.
Penn State (10-2, 6-2) should root for ...
Oklahoma to beat Oklahoma State. A Cowboys loss means the at-large berth comes down to Penn State or Iowa, and the Nittany Lions are ahead in all the human polls (but not the BCS standings).
Boise State and TCU to lose. See above.
Illinois to beat Cincinnati. This would help Penn State in two ways. The Lions pounded Illinois in October, so any Illini win helps Penn State. And a Cincinnati loss takes the Bearcats out of the BCS at-large mix. They would have to beat Pitt on Dec. 5 to reach the big bowls.
Temple to beat Ohio. Penn State's victory against Temple looks better by the week, and the Lions want the Owls to keep winning. If Temple goes 10-2 with no losses since it visited Beaver Stadium, Penn State can point to the Owls as a very solid victory.
Arizona State to beat Arizona. Iowa's best nonconference win came against Arizona, but the victory has lost some luster the last two weeks. A third consecutive Wildcats loss hurts Iowa and helps Penn State.
Wisconsin (8-3, 5-3) should root for ...
Everything it takes to get Iowa or Penn State into a BCS bowl, especially an Oklahoma win against Oklahoma State. Two BCS teams from the Big Ten puts Wisconsin in great shape for the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1.
Northern Illinois to beat Central Michigan. Wisconsin beat NIU in the season opener, and the Huskies have gone on to a solid season. Any NIU win benefits the Badgers, especially one against MAC powerhouse Central Michigan.
Connecticut to beat Syracuse. Northwestern inexplicably lost to the Orange in September, and more losses from Syracuse hurts Northwestern, Wisconsin's primary competitor for a bowl.
Northwestern (8-4, 5-3) should root for ...
Everything it takes to get Iowa or Penn State into a BCS bowl, especially an Oklahoma win against Oklahoma State. Two BCS teams from the Big Ten gives Northwestern a chance to jump Wisconsin for the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1. The Wildcats own the head-to-head win against the Badgers.
Central Michigan to beat Northern Illinois. Northwestern is competing with Wisconsin for a bowl slot, so anything that helps Wisconsin's profile works against the Wildcats. Wisconsin owns a win against NIU and benefits from every Huskies win.
Illinois to beat Cincinnati. Northwestern beat Illinois and Wisconsin never played the Illini, so each Illinois win benefits NU. Obviously, an upset of the nation's No. 5 team would boost Illinois' profile and also Northwestern's.
Michigan State (6-6, 4-4) should root for ...
Everything it takes to get Iowa or Penn State into a BCS bowl, especially an Oklahoma win against Oklahoma State. Two BCS teams from the Big Ten gives Michigan State a chance to move up a spot.
Illinois to beat Cincinnati. The Spartans are competing with Minnesota for a bowl berth, and they own a win against Illinois, while Minnesota lost to the Illini. An Illinois upset of Cincinnati helps Michigan State's profile. Then again, more Illinois losses hurts Minnesota's profile.
Western Michigan to beat Ball State. Michigan State's only nonconference win against an FBS team came against Western Michigan, so each Broncos win helps the Spartans.
Minnesota (6-6, 3-5) should root for ...
Everything it takes to get Iowa or Penn State into a BCS bowl, especially an Oklahoma win against Oklahoma State. Two BCS teams from the Big Ten gives Minnesota a chance to move up a spot.
Syracuse to beat Connecticut. The Gophers own a win against the Orange, so any Syracuse victory helps Minnesota's profile the rest of the way.
Notre Dame and Central Michigan to lose to Stanford and Northern Illinois, respectively. Michigan State lost to both the Fighting Irish and the Chippewas, so more losses by those teams weakens Michigan State's profile.