Ranking the Games: Maryland at Indiana highlights Week 5 slate

The arrival of Week 5 brings with it the first flurry of Big Ten games, with five conference tilts. There?s even a rivalry game, with Minnesota and Michigan battling for the Little Brown Jug. But at the top of the list is the first Big Ten game in Maryland history.

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Here's my preview and ranking off all the Week 5 games.

1. Maryland (3-1) at Indiana (2-1) – 1:30 p.m. ET, BTN (Watch on BTN2Go). This will be the Terrapins? inaugural Big Ten game. And, it could be very exciting. Each team has a prolific offense. IU has some extra pep in its step after scoring a huge win at No. 19 Missouri. Maryland scored a nice victory at Syracuse. Maryland is No. 5 in scoring (36.8 ppg); Indiana is No. 6 (33.7). And the defenses for both teams have issues. The Terps are last in the Big Ten in total defense (460.5 ypg); the Hoosiers are No. 11 (413.0 ypg). Want more? Maryland has allowed 1,283 yards the last two weeks; IU has permitted 1,074 the last two weeks. See where I am going with this? This could be a fun and exciting game with lots of points.

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2. Cincinnati (2-0) at Ohio State (2-1) – 3:30 p.m. ET, BTN (Watch on BTN2Go). The Buckeyes are coming off a bye, looking to find more playmakers on offense to take pressure off redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett. The visit from Cincinnati-Urban Meyer?s alma mater-will be a nice test for a Buckeye pass defense that is No. 1 in the Big Ten but still has a lot to prove. Bearcats QB Gunner Kiel is a big-timer who is hitting 65 percent of his passes for 689 yards with 10 touchdowns and two picks in two games. This game could be closer than you think.

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3. Minnesota (3-1) at Michigan (2-2) – 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC. It?s the battle for the Little Brown Jug, a tale of two programs that seemingly are trending in opposite directions. The Wolverines have dominated this series, going 39-3 in the last 42 meetings. The Golden Gophers? lone wins in that stretch have come in 1977, 1986 and 2005. But Brady Hoke?s club is embroiled in struggles-especially on the offensive side of the ball. Michigan has failed to score an offensive TD in two of its four games this season (ND and Utah). Minnesota has its own issues as it tries to find a passing game to give its offense some balance, completing just one pass last week in a win vs. San Jose State.

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4. Illinois (3-1) at Nebraska (4-0) – 9 p.m. ET, BTN (Watch on BTN2Go). The Cornhuskers have flown out of the gate with a 4-0 start. The offense is the best in the Big Ten. The rushing attack is No. 7 in the nation (329 ypg) for an offense that is 10^th in the nation in scoring (45.5). Illinois has been living on the edge, needing fourth-quarter rallies in each of its three victories. Can the Illini defense slow down this high-flying Husker offense? In a bit of a scheduling quirk, this is the second season in a row Illinois has traveled to Lincoln. The Illini?s only chance is to win a shootout.

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5. Iowa (3-1) at Purdue (2-2) – noon ET, BTN (Watch on BTN2Go). The Hawkeyes have new life coming off a big win at Pitt that saw a formerly moribund offense come to life. QB C.J. Beathard sparked the offense off the bench to replace injured Jake Rudock-and the ground game produced. Rudock is still No. 1 on the depth chart. The Boilermakers will be fired up because it?s Homecoming and they are coming off a win. Purdue is 2-2 and playing well on both sides of the ball, but can its offense score enough vs. this solid Hawkeye defense? Iowa has won six of the last eight meetings as it heads to West Lafayette for a second year in a row. In fact, the Hawkeyes are 3-1 in their last four trips to WL.

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6. Northwestern (1-2) at Penn State (4-0, 1-0) – noon ET, BTN (Watch on BTN2Go). The Wildcats are coming off their first win of the season, so they?ll bring some mojo to State College. NU will need it facing a white-hot Nittany Lions club that?s 4-0 and coming off its most dominating performance of the season in a 48-7 victory vs. UMass. Neither team has a great offensive line, but Penn State has more playmakers and a huge edge at quarterback. And PSU has a much better defense than NU. Bottom line: This could be a blowout.

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7. Wyoming (3-1) at Michigan State (2-1) – noon ET, TBA. This figures to be another chance for the Spartans to flex their muscles prior to Big Ten play. The Cowboys are 3-1 under first-year coach Craig Bohl with a win over Air Force. Look for the Spartans to work on their ground game and try to pitch a shutout. MSU has won the only two previous meetings, both in East Lansing in 1976 and 1977.

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8. South Florida (2-2) at Wisconsin (2-1) – noon ET, TBA. The Badgers are coming off a full-throttle 68-17 win vs. Bowling Green in which they ran for modern Big Ten-record 644 yards. The 2-2 Bulls aren?t ready for an offense as physical as this. Look for another Wisconsin romp, as the Badgers push toward 300 yards rushing and continue to build the confidence of QB Tanner McEvoy.

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9. Tulane (1-3) at Rutgers (3-1) – noon ET, ESPNews. Yes, the Scarlet Knights have lost RB Paul James for the season with a knee injury. But RU has the depth to absorb the blow. The Scarlet Knights? physical ground game and stout defensive front seven should be more than enough to overwhelm the Green Wave. The Scarlet Knights are 4-2 all-time vs. Tulane; the teams last met in 2010 and 2012 with each team winning in the other?s stadium.

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About Tom Dienhart

BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section.

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