On the Line: Week 9

The Daily Iowan staff makes its picks for Week 9 of the college football season.

Iowa+players+run+onto+the+field+before+the+Iowa+football+game+against+Purdue+at+Kinnick+Stadium+on+Saturday%2C+Oct.+19%2C+2019.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Boilermakers+26-20.+

Jenna Galligan

Iowa players run onto the field before the Iowa football game against Purdue at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Boilermakers 26-20.

No. 20 Iowa vs. Northwestern

Pete Ruden, Pregame Editor (20-15): Iowa — Northwestern practices on a beach and plays in a high school.

Anna Kayser, Sports Editor (21-14): Iowa — Don’t make me regret picking you again this year, Hawks.

Robert Read, Assistant Sports Editor (19-16): Iowa — First team to 10 wins.

Pete Mills, Football Reporter (19-16): Iowa — Northwestern now has competition for toughest home field in Illinois, so I’m not worried.

Lucy Rohden, DITV Director (22-13): Iowa — You can email me at hashtag I don’t care.

Jon Rawson, Assistant DITV Sports Director (22-13): Iowa — Will there be more touchdowns or safeties in this game?

Jason Brummond, Publisher (22-13): Iowa — This is basically another bye week before Wisconsin.

No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Wisconsin

Ruden: Ohio State — The Badgers are going to be BADgers against the Buckeyes.

Kayser: Ohio State — S/O to Illinois.

Read: Ohio State — Wisconsin won’t be jumping around.

Mills: Ohio State — Bucky vs. Buckeye. This would be confusing to a European (or someone from the East Coast).

Rohden: Ohio State — I-L-L

Rawson: Ohio State — Guys, I found Wisconsin’s gameplan! It says, “Give ball to Taylor.” Big if true.

Brummond: Ohio State — Gophers take a (brief) two-game lead in Big Ten West.

No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 Michigan

Ruden: Notre Dame — I get made fun of for not having seen many Disney movies, but I’m still taking the hunchback here.

Kayser: Notre Dame — Even Jim Harbaugh’s khakis can’t save him from a higher power.

Read: Notre Dame — The battle of teams that are annually ranked too high in the preseason poll.

Mills: Notre Dame — SMH, Michigan has a weak schedule.

Rohden: Notre Dame — Lovie Smith got a top 10 win before Harbaugh did.

Rawson: Notre Dame — Jim Harbaugh. More like Jim HowDoIBeatATopTenTeamBaugh, am I right?

Brummond: Notre Dame — Good to see Harbaugh quell those NFL rumors.

Purdue vs. Illinois

Ruden: Purdue — Update: I did not meet Purdue Pete last week, so we didn’t bond over our cool names.

Kayser: Illinois — Illinois beat Wisconsin, but Illinois is still Illinois. I’m conflicted.

Read: Purdue — It’s about time Lovie Smith beat a team from Wisconsin.

Mills: Illinois — Call me a bandwagon. See if I care.

Rohden: Purdue — Lovie already got his one big year of the year.

Rawson: Purdue — Illinois had their fun, but reality is about to hit harder than the color gray to Lovie Smith’s beard.

Brummond: Purdue — Illinois needs to be 31-point underdogs to win.

Nebraska vs. Indiana

Ruden: Nebraska — Iowa corn’s better, though.

Kayser: Indiana — This is a PRIME midwestern matchup. Cornhuskers vs. Hoosiers.

Read: Indiana — Scott Frost did the responsible thing and took Maurice Washington out of the lineup. After seven games.

Mills: Indiana — Indiana shut out Rutgers. Wouldn’t it be sad to see Nebraska fans hold on to those balloons all day?

Rohden: Indiana — For once the bad guys won’t win.

Rawson: Indiana — Scandals aside, I haven’t picked Nebraska all year. Why start now?

Brummond: Indiana — Is it basketball season? Asking for both teams.