Can Week 12 really be "boring" with so much at stake?

The matchups here aren’t great. But, then again, Week 11 was supposed to be pretty forgettable, too. Week 12 features six games where the Vegas favorite is expected to win by at least two touchdowns -- and then the Minnesota-Northwestern game, which in no way impacts the conference’s biggest storylines.

This week will either set up an incredibly suspenseful final day to the regular season, or it will once again highlight some how-could-that-possibly-happen upsets. Either way, we’re much too far along to turn away from our TV broadcasts and online streams now.

If Purdue can upset Wisconsin there will be chaos in the West, because Nebraska would then control its destiny. If Indiana can slip past Michigan, there will be mayhem in the East as Penn State would then clinch a spot in the B1G championship by winning out. And if Rutgers can beat Penn State for the first time in 28 years, Ohio State fans might start sending gift baskets to Piscataway, N.J. A Nittany Lions loss means Ohio State is back in the hunt for a conference title.

Got all that? It’s not exactly straightforward, but that’s what makes this time of year so entertaining. It’s another can’t-miss week of so-so matchups.

And the current favorite to win the Big Ten is ...: Based on ESPN’s FPI, Wisconsin now has a conference-best 36 percent chance to win the Big Ten.

Let us explain. Based on FPI, Penn State boasts the slight edge to win the Big Ten East. The Nittany Lions have a 46 percent chance to earn a spot in the Big Ten championship, followed by Michigan (43 percent) and Ohio State (11 percent).

FPI gives the Badgers a 60 percent chance to beat Penn State, a 22 percent chance to upset Ohio State and a 21 percent chance to defeat Michigan. Hey, when is the last time battle-tested projections were wrong?

Three teams on the cusp of bowl eligibility: Indiana, Maryland and Northwestern all sit at five wins and can basically guarantee a bowl berth with a win Saturday. There's only one small problem with that -- as of early Monday morning, none were favored to win. (Indiana plays at Michigan, Maryland is off to Nebraska, and Northwestern is traveling to Minnesota.)

Even if they all lose on the road, it’s not exactly time to panic. All three will draw much easier matchups for what could shape up to be an even crazier Week 13. Their opponents? Purdue, Rutgers and Illinois, respectively.

Getting that sixth win is especially meaningful for Indiana, which hasn’t made back-to-back bowls since 1990-91.

Next man up ... again: At one point this season, Penn State was forced to overcome injuries to seven linebackers. Not several. Seven. Well, it somehow survived, and now two starting linebackers have returned to the lineup. But, it seems, the worst is not quite over.

Offensive line coach Matt Limegrover might be called upon to work some magic this week, as four of his top offensive tackles are now injured. Andrew Nelson suffered a season-ending injury last month, Brendan Mahon was hospitalized last week and his status is uncertain, Paris Palmer went down with a non-contact injury Saturday and was on crutches, and Connor McGovern was also forced to leave Saturday’s game.

James Franklin doesn’t release information on injuries -- unless they’re season-ending -- so it will be anyone’s guess who plays against Rutgers. The Nittany Lions allowed 15 tackles-for-loss against Indiana.

"Right now, I think we have one offensive lineman playing the position he played at the beginning of the season," Franklin said. "Brian Gaia."