The Big Ten has been the hardest football conference to predict in 2025. Chaos has occurred almost every week. This week will be no different. This week could start with Minnesota keeping the Ducks on their toes in another challenging game. Dante Moore and Fernando Mendoza have had their shining moments, both occurring last week. This week, quarterback Jayden Maiava will follow one of the best plays in college football with a clutch fourth-quarter performance.
Here are my Week 12 bold predictions for Big Ten football:
Minnesota gives Oregon a scare
Oregon faced one of its toughest matchups last week in Iowa. Minnesota obviously proved they were not on the same caliber when the Hawkeyes blew them out. However, the Gophers still have a solid enough defense to make this game close and give their offense a shot. Oregon still has some impactful players who could miss this game, giving even more of an equal opportunity between these two teams. P.J. Fleck can get this group ready to make this game competitive. Oregon will get the victory, but I think Dante Moore and the Ducks will have to put together another late-game winning drive in this matchup.
Indiana wins by 30+ points
Wisconsin put up a close fight against Oregon, and then they beat Washington, which is terrible on the road. Wisconsin is a 29.5-point underdog heading into its matchup against Indiana. Indiana will get back to blowing out teams, and it starts with beating up a bad Badgers team. The Badgers will also get back to getting shut out. I am not buying this is a new team, but I am buying that Indiana is the second-best team in the country, and they will show it this weekend.
Bryce Underwood shines with his legs
Northwestern has a great pass defense, and Bryce Underwood is still growing as a passer. I think there will be more of an emphasis on getting Underwood out in space and using his legs. The Trojans last week were able to dominate the Wildcats on the ground. Michigan has the resources to replicate, if not be even more successful. This run game is even more dangerous when Bryce Underwood gets more involved. I don’t think Underwood dominates through the air, but he puts up a more successful stat line in the run game. I could see Underwood running for 100 yards just like his game against Central Michigan.
Alessio Milivojevic forces Penn State to the brink
Milivojevic, in Michigan State’s last game, built some great momentum. Milivojevic was 20-28 and threw for 311 passing yards and a touchdown against the Gophers last week. The Spartans‘ offense looked alive, and now it is a worthy opponent for Penn State. In hindsight, this looks like a potential blowout, but Penn State, albeit their encouraging performance last week, is not that far off from Michigan State. With Drew Allar out, Milivojevic, for the second week, could be the best quarterback on the field; hopefully, for him this time, he gets the last laugh.
Jayden Maiava has the best quarterback performance this week in the Big Ten
Jayden Maiava may not put up the biggest numbers this week out of all the Big Ten quarterbacks. It is almost a guarantee that Julian Sayin will put up a Heisman-level performance against UCLA’s poor defense. Maiava has a tough matchup against the Hawkeyes, but he will be the most important factor for USC getting its win. If Maiava can pick up where he left off from last week’s win, minus the interception, USC’s offense will be successful enough to beat Iowa. I expect Maiava to throw for at least 200 yards passing and two touchdowns. One of Jayden Maiava’s touchdowns will be a game-winner, and Maiava will finally get his shining moment.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Micah Huff’s featured predictions for Week 12 in Big Ten football
