Indiana has steamrolled through its national title defense so far, but Friday night brings the Hoosiers their first Big Ten test. Northwestern arrives in Bloomington unbeaten and fresh off a dominant win over Colorado, giving the Wildcats a chance to prove their strong start is legitimate.
The night then shifts to Berkeley, where Clemson’s cross-country trip to face Cal presents a different challenge. Both teams have rebounded from rough season-opening losses, and this game should reveal which turnaround is worth trusting.
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First Pick: Indiana vs. Northwestern - Under 50.5
Rundown: Coming off their national title victory, the Hoosiers scheduled a cupcake of a non-conference schedule, facing North Texas, Howard and Western Kentucky ahead of their conference opener on Friday.
We're backing the over as Indiana faces its real defense this season, as the Wildcats are coming off a rout of the Colorado Buffaloes in which they held them to seven points.
For what it's worth, Indiana has shut out its last two opponents as well.
With both offenses facing their toughest test of the season by far, expect a low-scoring affair in this one.
Second Pick: Clemson -1 over California
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Sep 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Clemson Tigers running back David Eziomume (24) scores a touchdown against LSU Tigers cornerback Michael Turner Jr. (21) during the second half at Tiger Stadium
Rundown: With Dabo Swinney potentially coaching for his job, Clemson battled back from an early 14-3 deficit against North Carolina to pull off an impressive comeback victory.
I expect that momentum to carry over against a Cal team that has not looked quite as sharp since its season-opening loss, narrowly beating Syracuse before defeating Wagner. As long as quarterback Tait Reynolds protects the football, the Tigers should clearly be the better team.