As the football season draws to a close, the bowl picture has become clearer.
Unfortunately for fans, most games take on less meaning. Ohio State has practically locked up a Rose Bowl berth, leaving the middle-of-the-pack teams to battle it out for the lesser bowls.
Yet for die-hard fans, this week in Big Ten football should provide some exciting contests.
Even Minnesota fans will be watching the Golden Gophers try to pick up their first conference victory of the season.
Ohio State (6-0 Big Ten, 9-0 Overall) at Indiana (0-6, 2-7): If Ohio State can be stopped, the Hoosiers aren't the team to do it.
The Buckeyes have been rolling all season and have not shown any signs of letting up.
Last week, they made Minnesota their latest casualty, subjecting the Gophers to a 45-0 romp.
Ohio State is not going to let Indiana get in the way of its first Rose Bowl berth in 11 years. The Buckeyes will clinch the Rose Bowl with a victory Saturday.
Ohio State has the top-ranked offense and defense in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have scored a combined 93 points in their previous two games while allowing none. They racked up 546 yards of total offense last weekend.
Indiana, meanwhile, has beaten Toledo and Miami (Ohio).
Second-ranked Ohio State is undefeated and has its sights set on a national championship, while the Hoosiers, after losing seven straight, are still searching for their first conference victory. Don't look for it to happen here.
Ohio State 52, Indiana 3
Illinois (1-5, 2-7) at Minnesota (0-6, 3-6): With all the firing and resigning going on in the Big Ten, it was bound to happen - a match-up of two teams without coaches.
Illinois coach Lou Tepper was fired Monday due to his team's poor performance, and Minnesota's Jim Wacker resigned on Tuesday because of a clause in his contract.
So if the firing of a head coach is supposed to give a team added emotion, which one has the edge in this game?
Probably neither, as both coaches are finishing out the season, and neither team has much to play for at this point.
In this battle of cellar-dwellers, the Golden Gophers should prevail due to their duo of receivers Ryan Thelwell and Tutu Atwell.
The "Well" brothers rank third and fifth in Big Ten receiving yards, respectively.
Quarterback Cory Sauter should have no trouble connecting with them through the Illini's porous defense.
If the Gophers don't turn the ball over, they should be able to control the game.
Illinois does have some semblance of a running game behind junior tailback Robert Holcombe, but he has struggled in his past two games.
The Illini have attempted only seven field goals all season and have missed three of them.
Don't count on this team in a close match.
Minnesota 24, Illinois 17
Wisconsin (2-4, 5-4) at Iowa (4-2, 6-3): This could be the most exciting game of the weekend. Wisconsin has played conference opponents tough all season and should give the Hawkeyes all they can handle.
The Badgers gave Ohio State its biggest scare of season and would have beaten Northwestern if not for a last second fumble.
Wisconsin freshman running back Ron Dayne is having a stellar year and is fresh off a game in which he rushed for three touchdowns and nearly 300 yards.
The Hawkeyes were recently blown away by Northwestern and are simply trying to hang on to third place in the Big Ten.
They started off the season in grand style, upsetting Penn State, but they have been slipping the past two weeks. They had a tough time disposing of Illinois on Nov. 2.
Wisconsin is fighting for fifth place in the standings and a trip to the Sun Bowl.
Look for the Badgers to gain some redemption with a victory in Iowa City.
Wisconsin 17, Iowa 13
Purdue (2-4, 3-6) at Northwestern (6-1, 8-2): Although Northwestern's Rose Bowl chances fizzled with the loss to Penn State two weeks ago, the Wildcats still need to beat Purdue to secure a second-place finish in the conference.
They should have no trouble, as it is unlikely the Boilermakers can produce back-to-back upsets.
Purdue put forth its best defensive effort all season last weekend against Michigan, but it will be difficult for the Boilermakers to make a repeat performance.
Northwestern's Darnell Autry leads the conference in rushing yards and will give the Wildcats their seventh conference victory of the season.
Northwestern's high-powered offense should be too much for Purdue's 10th ranked defense to handle.
A victory for the Wildcats will place them in Florida for the new year, locking up a spot in the Citrus Bowl.
This game has meaning the Wildcats, and they won't be taking any chances after watching what happened to Michigan.
Northwestern 35, Purdue 3
JOE WESTRATE/Daily
Purdue travels to Evanston this weekend to play Northwestern. The Boilermakers, after a stellar defensive effort, defeated Michigan this past weekend.