Big Ten play resumes this week after the Thanksgiving hiatus with the typical three-matchups and bye format. Michigan State is the odd team out and will get a week of rest before closing out the pre-holiday schedule next weekend. This week I’m in Madison to see the Badgers battle the Buckeyes in person and take in all that Mad-town has to offer.

The lack of conference matchups allowed me to get back to my winning ways with the picks. While the parity in the Big Ten makes for a compelling season, it’s near impossible to accurately predict the games. But I’ll keep trying and enjoy the ride. Be sure to let me know what picks you like and dislike in the comments.

Last week’s results: 8-3 Season Total: 56-22

Minnesota at Penn State

This is the most intriguing matchup of the week – not because both teams are particularly good or bad, but because both teams haven’t been able to nail down an identity yet. Will the high-flying Gophers arrive in State College or will it be the uninterested, lazy Gophers? Will the potent Penn State offense show up to the rink or will it be the team that plays down to the competition? This one’s a toss-up, but I’m excited to see how it plays out. Prediction: Split 1-1

Michigan at Notre Dame

The Wolverines are coming off a tough series against St. Cloud State in which they prevailed with a win and a tie and the Irish are licking their wounds after being exposed by Boston College. The Irish were showing improvement until last weekend and I think that continues at home against Michigan. The Maize and Blue’s inconsistency catches up to them and the Irish steal one. Prediction: Split 1-1

Ohio State at Wisconsin

This matchup could be a bloodbath. But if they could have a say when they play Wisconsin, the Buckeyes would choose this weekend after the Badgers have dropped three of their last four. Ohio State struggles matching up against conference foes and that trend will continue. Wisconsin is simply the better team, but I don’t think it’ll be as ugly as it would have been a couple of weeks ago. OSU keeps it close for a couple periods then runs out of gas. Prediction: Wisconsin 2-0