It's Friday, so, it's picks time, let's make this fast:

11 AM: Purdue @ Minnesota

Purdue can't choke away wins every week for the rest of the year. Minnesota genuinely seems like a better team, but I don't see Purdue as being bad enough to drop five straight. But they're pretty good at proving me wrong.

Pick: Purdue

Pick in a mascot fight to the death: I'll take pretty much any human over a gopher, golden or not. Game, Purdue. (mascot death fight records: Purdue, 5-1, Minnesota, 1-5)

11 AM: Eastern Illinois @ No. 14 Penn State

Tony Romo isn't walking through that door. And, to be honest, even if he was walking through that door, I'd still like Penn State, by like, 40. 

My guess as to what Eastern Illinois' mascot is, without looking: I know this one. I think it's the Jaguars? Seems too tropical for Eastern Illinois, but I'm pretty sure it's Jaguars. 

What it actually is: The panther. Can't get much closer than that. 

Pick: Penn State.

Pick in a mascot fight to the death: Wikipedia tells me that a Nittany Lion is a term for the mountain lions that used to roam Pennsylvania. Wikipedia also tells me that in North America, the word "panther" is just another word for "mountain lion." Hence, both mascots are, in fact, mountain lions. Folks, we got our first mascot death fight tie. (this means that both mascots would in fact kill each other simultaneously, not that neither would kill the other. Just in case you're wondering.) Nittany Lions mascot death fight record: 5-0-1.

11 AM: Michigan State @ Illinois

Uhh, Illinois, Juice Williams wasn't the problem. Your whole team was. 

Pick: MSU

Pick in a mascot fight to the death: We got ourselves a culture clash: ancient Greeks vs. native Americans. From what I'm learning in Global History class, I'm taking the Greeks, with their more advanced steel weaponry and smallpox. Game, Michigan State. (mascot death fight records: Michigan State, 6-0, Illinois, 2-3)

2:30: Wisconsin @ No. 9 Ohio State

Maybe it's just me, but, I have no freaking idea how the Badgers are 5-0. I like the Buckeye's run defense against John Clay, who has looked pretty beast thus far, and on the other side of the ball, I like the Buckeyes offense against anything Wisconsin can throw at them.

Pick: OSU

Pick in a mascot fight to the death: Badger vs. Nut. Game, Wisconsin. (mascot death fight records: Badgers, 3-3, Buckeyes, 0-6.)

2:30: Indiana @ Virginia

I'm hoping Indiana comes up short, because it would be awesome for NU's bowl hopes if Indiana ends the year with five wins rather than six, but Virginia is about as inept as they come. I would say Indiana "hasn't looked half-bad", but I think "half-bad" might be the best possible descriptor of this year's Indiana team.

Pick: Indiana.

Pick in a mascot fight to the death: The cavalier has a horse, and that pretty much decides this match. Guy on horse with pretty much any weapon beats a dude not on a horse, with the whole running fast and trampling things. Game, Virginia. (Hoosier death fight record: 2-4.)

7:05: Michigan @ No. 12 Iowa. 

Tate Forcier, meet a good defense. Michigan's golden boy is good, but if they thought winning at Michigan State - Michigan State, forchrissake - was hard, have fun winning against an undefeated Iowa team that seems to have pretty much everything going for them thus far in the season.

Pick: Iowa

Pick in a mascot fight to the death: Whatever a hawkeye is, a wolverine would tear it to shreds, eat it and pass it through it's digestive system in a violently short period of time. Pick, Michigan. (mascot death fight records: Michigan, 3-3, Iowa, 0-6.)