Joel Klatt names Big Ten favorites, contenders, and teams remaining in the mix

Week 5 of the College Football season boasts two massive Top 25 clashes within the Big Ten Conference. No. 21 USC travels to No. 23 Illinois for a noon matchup on FOX, while No. 3 Penn State hosts No. 6 Oregon in a ‘White Out’ to cap off a glorious slate of football. While the Huskies aren’t ranked, Washington is hosting No. 1 Ohio State in an also extremely important game.

Ahead of a big weekend in the conference, FOX Sports‘ Joel Klatt took to ‘The Joel Klatt Show‘ to name his Big Ten favorites. Klatt also grouped his contenders and teams remaining in the mix.

Favorites: No. 1 Ohio State and No. 6 Oregon

No surprise here, as Klatt has No. 1 Ohio State and No. 6 Oregon as his Big Ten favorites. Through four weeks, both teams are undefeated and could absolutely cement themselves as clear favorites to meet in the Big Ten Championship Game with wins this week. The Buckeyes are 3-0 with a season-opening win over then-No. 1-ranked Texas, while the Ducks have rattled off three consecutive blowout victories over Oklahoma State, Northwestern and Oregon State.

The only way these teams would meet this season would be in the Big Ten title game or the College Football Playoff, so that would be the only way to determine who has the better team. Oregon held off Ohio State 32-31 in a thrilling regular season game last year, but fell to the Buckeyes in their College Football Playoff Quarterfinal matchup.

Contenders: No. 3 Penn State and No. 11 Indiana

If it wasn’t a Big Ten contender before last week, No. 11 Indiana is certainly in the mix after its 63-10 drumming of then-No. 9-ranked Illinois last Saturday. The Hoosiers totaled 579 yards of offense and allowed just 161 yards en route to a massive statement victory. Prior to that game, it received a lot of criticism for its weak non-conference schedule (Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State). No. 3 Penn State can shake that same stigma this week, as it clashes with No. 6 Oregon after a non-conference slate consisting of Nevada, FIU and Villanova.

While Indiana has gotten a strong season out of quarterback Fernando Mendoza so far, Penn State is still looking for Drew Allar to play to the level that was expected of him. Mendoza currently ranks first in all of college football with 14 passing touchdowns, while Allar tossed just three touchdowns against the weak non-conference trio. Major questions within the Big Ten will continue to be answered this weekend.

In The Mix: No. 19 Michigan, No. 21 USC and Washington

Finally, Klatt has No. 19 Michigan, No. 21 USC and Washington still floating around the mix as a Big Ten contender. The Wolverines shook off a road loss to then-No. 18 Oklahoma with a 30-27 road victory over Nebraska last weekend to open Big Ten play with a win. USC currently sits at 2-0 in the conference (the only team with a 2-0 record) after taking down Purdue and Michigan State in consecutive weeks. While not ranked in the Top 25, Washington could make a massive jump this week if it were to upset No. 1 Ohio State this weekend in Seattle.

This trio of teams boasts exciting play from young quarterbacks who are still seeking their signature moments in the sport. While No. 19 Michigan has the weekend off, No. 21 USC has a monstrous road matchup against No. 23 Illinois on the docket, while the Huskies host the Buckeyes. College football remains ever unpredictable, which means any of these teams could jump from contenders to even favorites after this weekend.