Big Ten Football predictions, Week 5: Can Minnesota stay hot vs. Purdue?

2. Minnesota shows Big Ten football it’s for real

The Golden Gophers have taken Big Ten football by a bit of a surprise this season, getting off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2019 — a season in which they finished with 11 wins and were ranked as high as No. 7 in the AP Top 25.

The team is powered by running back Mohamed Ibrahim, who has been churning out unbelievable performances this season. He’s rushed for more than 100 yards in all four games and has currently racked up the second-most rushing yards and the second-most rushing touchdowns in all of college football this season. He’s one of the best Big Ten football players and should be in consideration to be a Heisman trophy finalist.

The unstoppable Ibrahim and the Gophers will extend their four-game winning streak against Purdue this week in a big way. The team’s defense, which is allowing just 6 points per game, will look to limit the Boilermakers’ passing game and make this all about the run game.

1. Illinois pulls off upset at Wisconsin

Bret Bielema, in his second season as head coach at Illinois, has his Illini playing great football. His team is 3-1, has a great defense and a balanced offensive attack.

He’ll be going up against Wisconsin, a team he coached from 2006-2012 and knows the ins and outs of Camp Randall Stadium. The Badgers have yet to notch a notable win this season, defeating Illinois State and New Mexico State, but losing to Washington State and Ohio State.

Illinois has lost 11 of the past 12 meetings against Wisconsin and has not gotten a win in Madison in 20 years. But this is the year the Illini get the job done and get a rare win of the Badgers because of the superb backfield Bielema has assembled this season.

It starts with Tommy Devito, who’s been getting better each week this season. Last week against UT-Chattanooga, he threw for 332 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions and played exactly like he needed to in the final tune-up game before conference play begins. But the offense will most certainly lean on running back Chase Brown, who’s steamrolled defenses for 604 rushing yards this season on just 95 carries.

Wisconsin’s Graham Mertz is coming off one of his worst games of the season against Ohio State in which he amassed just 94 passing yards one touchdown and a pick. Mertz is not someone who racks up a lot of completions, but he’s going to be hard-pressed to do so against this stingy Illini defense this week.