How should the Big Ten do a ten-game conference-only schedule? Here’s a plan and an idea to make it all work.
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The Big Ten has decided to go rogue.
If there’s going to be a 2020 college football season in the fall, the Big Ten will go with a conference-only schedule – almost certainly a ten-game slate – in order to do two things: standardize the testing, practice and protocols to make the season happen in the age of a pandemic, and create flexibility with the schedule.
So what would and should a ten-game Big Ten season look like? How would it work? Here’s our idea to make it happen.
Every Big Ten team was scheduled to play nine conference games, which means each one would miss four other teams. This is about to be a big deal, because if you originally weren’t supposed to play Ohio State, you’re probably not going to be that fired up to now have to deal with that.
All the Big Ten East teams were originally scheduled to play four Big Ten road games, and All The Big Ten West teams were schedule to play five, so we have to fit five East road games to the West in there.
One final thing – the schedule needs to be front-loaded.
Wherever possible, we try to allow for two open dates in November to allow for some flexibility and potential rescheduling. However, Michigan vs. Ohio State – if everything goes off like normal – won’t mock off the final weekend.
With all of that in mind, here’s each Big Ten team’s original schedule, and how it should probably be tweaked.
So there’s no confusion, this isn’t the official schedule – it’s just an idea. We’ll dive in on the real thing when it’s out. This is a plan on how to possibly do it.
Big Ten East Conference Only Schedule Idea
2020 Indiana Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern
Let’s assign the Hoosiers Iowa early on, and then move over the Purdue finale and the Illinois games from November to earlier. If they have to be moved back, that’s fine, but again the goal is to allow for possible flexibility.
Sept. 4 at Wisconsin
Sept. 12 WKU at Iowa
Sept. 19 Ball State OPEN DATE
Sept. 26 at UConn Illinois
Oct. 3 OPEN DATE Purdue
Oct. 10 Maryland
Oct. 17 at Rutgers
Oct. 24 Michigan State
Oct. 31 Penn State
Nov. 7 at Ohio State
Nov. 14 Illinois OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 at Michigan
Nov. 28 Purdue OPEN DATE
CFN in 60: Michigan Wolverines Preview
2020 Maryland Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue
The Terps have to play Ohio State anyway, so they might as well get it over with right away. They get Purdue from the West to follow, and the Michigan State finale gets moved to late September. On the plus side, the brutal November is eased up a bit.
Sept. 5 Towson Ohio State
Sept. 12 Northern Illinois at Purdue
Sept. 19 at West Virginia OPEN DATE
Sept. 26 OPEN DATE Michigan State
Oct. 3 Minnesota
Oct. 10 at Indiana
Oct. 17 at Northwestern
Oct. 24 Wisconsin
Oct. 31 Rutgers
Nov. 7 at Michigan
Nov. 14 Ohio State OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 at Penn State
Nov. 28 Michigan State OPEN DATE
2020 Michigan Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern
Michigan is one of the more difficult parts of the bunch. It would’ve been nice to get Iowa on the slate, but Illinois fits better, and that’s to start things off. The Indiana game gets moved to give the Wolverines a late week off, but the Ohio State game stays put.
Sept. 5 at Washington at Illinois
Sept. 12 Ball State OPEN DATE
Sept. 19 Arkansas State Indiana
Sept. 26 Wisconsin
Oct. 3 Penn State
Oct. 10 at Michigan State
Oct. 17 at Minnesota
Oct. 24 Purdue
Oct. 31 OPEN DATE
Nov. 7 Maryland
Nov. 14 at Rutgers
Nov. 21 Indiana OPEN DATE
Nov. 28 at Ohio State
2020 Michigan State Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Illinois, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin
Move the trip to Maryland to the first half of the season, but the Spartans get hammered buy three straight road trips – getting Nebraska from the West – before hosting Michigan and Ohio State. However, four of the last six games would be at home.
Sept. 5 Northwestern
Sept. 12 at BYU OPEN DATE
Sept. 19 Toledo at Nebraska
Sept. 26 Miami at Maryland
Oct. 3 at Iowa
Oct. 10 Michigan
Oct. 17 Ohio State
Oct. 24 at Indiana
Oct. 31 Minnesota
Nov. 7 OPEN DATE
Nov. 14 at Penn State
Nov. 21 Rutgers
Nov. 28 at Maryland OPEN DATE
2020 Ohio State Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin
The Buckeyes would balk at having to play Wisconsin from the West, but someone has to, and it would be one of the biggest earlier games of the season. Put it this way – it’s better than going to Wisconsin.
Sept. 5 Bowling Green at Maryland
Sept. 12 at Oregon at Wisconsin
Sept. 19 Buffalo OPEN DATE
Sept. 26 Rutgers
Oct. 3 OPEN DATE
Oct. 10 Iowa
Oct. 17 at Michigan State
Oct. 24 at Penn State
Oct. 31 Nebraska
Nov. 7 Indiana
Nov. 14 at Maryland OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 at Illinois
Nov. 28 Michigan
2020 Penn State Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Illinois, Minnesota, Purdue, Wisconsin
The Nittany Lions would be forced to go to Minnesota for a second straight season, but they’d get a week off to follow to ease into the rest of the campaign. The Rutgers game would be moved to earlier,
Sept. 5 Kent State Minnesota
Sept. 12 at Virginia Tech OPEN DATE
Sept. 19 San Jose State at Rutgers
Sept. 26 Northwestern
Oct. 3 at Michigan
Oct. 10 OPEN DATE
Oct. 17 Iowa
Oct. 24 Ohio State
Oct. 31 at Indiana
Nov. 7 at Nebraska
Nov. 14 Michigan State
Nov. 21 Maryland
Nov. 28 at Rutgers OPEN DATE
2020 Rutgers Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Rutgers would start the season a bit later, but there are two November open dates to make up for the long, long run of eight straight games. It would get a trip to Northwestern after finally getting off the launching pad.
Sept. 5 Monmouth OPEN DATE
Sept. 12 Syracuse at Northwestern
Sept. 19 at Temple Penn State
Sept. 26 at Ohio State
Oct. 3 Illinois
Oct. 10 at Purdue
Oct. 17 Indiana
Oct. 24 Nebraska
Oct. 31 at Maryland
Nov. 7 OPEN DATE
Nov. 14 Michigan
Nov. 21 at Michigan State
Nov. 28 Penn State OPEN DATE
NEXT: Big Ten West Schedule Ideas
Big Ten West Conference Only Schedule Idea
2020 Illinois Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State
The Illini catch the bad break of getting Michigan instead of Maryland from the East to open up the season. With an open date right after, move the Northwestern game to the week after to open things up at the end, and move over the Indiana game to front-load the season a bit more.
Sept. 4 Illinois State Michigan
Sept. 12 UConn OPEN DATE
Sept. 19 Bowling Green Northwestern
Sept. 26 OPEN DATE at Indiana
Oct. 3 at Rutgers
Oct. 10 at Nebraska
Oct. 17 Purdue
Oct. 24 Minnesota
Oct. 31 at Wisconsin
Nov. 7 Iowa
Nov. 14 at Indiana OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 Ohio State
Nov. 28 at Northwestern OPEN DATE
2020 Iowa Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers
The goal was to shoehorn Michigan in here, but it would’t quite work out considering the other matchups. However, facing Indiana won’t be a breeze. The one big trade off is the lack of a late-season week off – the Hawkeyes would have to stay in one piece through November.
Sept. 5 Northern Iowa at Minnesota
Sept. 12 Iowa State Indiana
Sept. 18 at Minnesota OPEN DATE
Sept. 26 Northern Illinois Nebraska
Oct. 3 Michigan State
Oct. 10 at Ohio State
Oct. 17 at Penn State
Oct. 24 Northwestern
Oct. 31 OPEN DATE
Nov. 7 at Illinois
Nov. 14 Nebraska OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 at Purdue
Nov. 28 Wisconsin
2020 Minnesota Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
The Gophers go from having another nice and easy start to the season to a brutal first two games. They get Penn State for a second year in a row at home, but that’s followed up by a road game at Nebraska, which would get moved from November 27th to create the open date.
Sept. 3 Florida Atlantic Iowa
Sept. 12 Tennessee Tech at Nebraska
Sept. 18 Iowa Penn State
Sept. 26 BYU OPEN DATE
Oct. 3 at Maryland
Oct. 10 at Wisconsin
Oct. 17 Michigan
Oct. 24 at Illinois
Oct. 31 at Michigan State
Nov. 7 Purdue
Nov. 14 OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 Northwestern
Nov. 27 at Nebraska OPEN DATE
2020 Nebraska Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State
The Huskers would get Michigan State on the schedule, but it would at least be at home. However, move the regular season finale against Minnesota to Lincoln to September 12th to create an open date after a long second half run.
Sept. 5 Purdue
Sept. 12 Central Michigan Minnesota
Sept. 19 South Dakota State Michigan State
Sept. 26 Cincinnati at Iowa
Oct. 3 at Northwestern
Oct. 10 Illinois
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24 at Rutgers
Oct. 31 at Ohio State
Nov. 7 Penn State
Nov. 14 at Iowa OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 at Wisconsin
Nov. 27 Minnesota OPEN DATE
2020 Northwestern Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers
The Wildcats not only catch the break of playing Rutgers from the East, but they get the game at home. There’s already a nice mid-November open game, but move the Illinois game to September 19th to leave the November 28th date open.
Sept. 5 at Michigan State
Sept. 12 Tulane Rutgers
Sept. 19 Central Michigan Illinois
Sept. 26 at Penn State
Oct. 3 Nebraska
Oct. 10 OPEN DATE
Oct. 17 Maryland
Oct. 24 at Iowa
Oct. 31 at Purdue
Nov. 7 Wisconsin
Nov. 14 Morgan State OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 at Minnesota
Nov. 28 Illinois OPEN DATE
2020 Purdue Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State
The Boilermakers would get Maryland at home from the East to round out the ten-game schedule, and they’d move the Wisconsin game to September to open up week in November in case things have to be moved around.
Sept. 5 at Nebraska
Sept. 12 Memphis Maryland
Sept. 19 Air Force Wisconsin
Sept. 26 at Boston College OPEN DATE
Oct. 3 OPEN DATE at Indiana
Oct. 10 Rutgers
Oct. 17 at Illinois
Oct. 24 at Michigan
Oct. 31 Northwestern
Nov. 7 at Minnesota
Nov. 14 Wisconsin OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 Iowa
Nov. 28 at Indiana OPEN DATE
2020 Wisconsin Football Schedule Idea
Originally Missing: Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers
Yeah, having to play Ohio State wouldn’t be fun, but it would be in Camp Randall with a big early date to make a big splash. The Purdue game would be moved from mid-November to create some flexibility.
Sept. 4 Indiana
Sept. 12 Southern Illinois Ohio State
Sept. 19 Appalachian State at Purdue
Sept. 26 at Michigan
Oct. 3 Notre Dame (in Green Bay) OPEN DATE
Oct. 10 Minnesota
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24 at Maryland
Oct. 31 Illinois
Nov. 7 at Northwestern
Nov. 14 at Purdue OPEN DATE
Nov. 21 Nebraska
Nov. 28 at Iowa
2020 Big Ten Team Previews, 5 Things To Know
East Indiana | Maryland | Michigan
Michigan State | Ohio State | Penn State | Rutgers
West Illinois | Iowa | Minnesota
Nebraska | Northwestern | Purdue | Wisconsin
