Illini last obstacle for Michigan before ‘The Game’

Game of the week

Illinois at No. 3 Michigan

Michigan faces a desperate Illinois team that squandered its West Division lead with back-toback losses. The Wolverines, trying to make a second straight College Football Playoff, can’t afford to look ahead to next week’s showdown at No. 2 Ohio State. The key matchups involve elite running backs. The Wolverines are best in the nation against the run and will face Chase Brown, who leads the nation in rushing yards. He left last week’s game against Purdue with a lower leg injury but is expected to play. Illinois is sixth in rushing defense and will face Blake Corum, who has gone over 100 yards seven straight games.

Best matchup

Iowa (6-4, 4-3) at Minnesota (7-3, 4-3)

The annual Floyd of Rosedale game has more at stake than just the bronze pig. It’s a West Division knockout game between two of the four teams tied for first place. Gophers QB Athan Kaliakmanis is in line to start again in place of the injured Tanner Morgan but, as usual, the focal point of the offense will be running back Mohamed

Ibrahim. Iowa’s defense has faced Ibrahim three times and fared as well as any against him, allowing 4.38 yards per carry. Iowa has won seven straight in the series.

Long shot?

Rutgers is a 19 1/2-point home underdog against Penn State, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Scarlet Knights have seven straight double-digit losses to Penn State since losing 13-10 in 2014 and haven’t beaten the Nittany Lions since 1988. Penn State is playing its best football late in the season and bucking for a New Year’s Six bowl. Rutgers must pull the upset to keep its bowl hops alive.

Impact player

Wisconsin LB Nick Herbig is on a tear heading into the Badgers’ game at Nebraska. He has five sacks the past two weeks since missing the Purdue game with an injury. His 11 sacks are second nationally and his average of 1.2 per game is first. He might have easy access to whoever plays quarterback for the Cornhuskers. Nebraska has two of the lowest-rated offensive tackles in the Big Ten, according to Pro Football Focus, and surely will need help from the tight ends to keep Herbig at bay.