Big Ten football schedule 2021 – what are the five things you need to know? What are the five things that matter?
Big Ten Football Schedule 2021: 5 Things You Need To Know
Big Ten Schedules, Analysis, Best/Worst Scenarios
East Indiana | Maryland | Michigan
Michigan St | Ohio St | Penn St | Rutgers
West Illinois | Iowa | Minnesota | Nebraska
Northwestern | Purdue | Wisconsin
Here are five things about the 2021 Big Ten football schedule that matter including who misses the big teams from the other division, the non-conference analysis, the one big difference in this year’s slate, the winners and losers, and starting out with …
5. Who gets the rested teams?
The Big Ten does a terrific job of not letting any one team’s schedule get loaded up with games against teams that get a break. If possible, everyone would love to have an extra week to rest and prepare for Ohio State, Wisconsin, or Penn State, but that doesn’t happen.
Ask Alabama over in the SEC what it’s been like over the years to seemingly get everyone with fresh legs.
Every team gets at least one week off, and every team has at least one total layup against an FCS team or against a lightweight FBSer. What teams then get hit with the relaxed opponents?
Again, the Big Ten does a good job of this. It’s relatively fair.
Big Ten East
Indiana
The open date comes before: Michigan State, Oct. 16
The FCS scrimmage: Idaho, Sept. 11 before Cincinnati
Maryland
The open date comes before: at Minnesota, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: Howard, Sept. 11 before at Illinois
Michigan
The open date comes before: Northwestern, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Northern Illinois, Sept. 18 before Rutgers
Michigan State
The open date comes before: Michigan, Oct. 30
The FCS scrimmage: Youngstown State, Sept. 11 before at Miami
Ohio State
The open date comes before: at Indiana, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Akron, Sept. 25 before at Rutgers
Penn State
The open date comes before: Illinois, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: Villanova, Sept. 25 before Indiana
Rutgers
The open date comes before: at Illinois, Oct. 30
The FCS scrimmage: Delaware, Sept. 18 before at Michigan
Big Ten West
Illinois
The open date comes before: at Penn State, Oct. 23; at Iowa, Nov. 20
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Charlotte before Wisconsin
Iowa
The open date comes before: at Wisconsin, Oct. 30
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Kent State before at Colorado State
Minnesota
The open date comes before: Nebraska, Oct. 16
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Bowling Green before at Purdue
Nebraska
The open date comes before: Buffalo, Sept. 11; Purdue, Oct. 23
The FCS scrimmage: SE Louisiana, Nov. 13 before at Wisconsin
Northwestern
The open date comes before: Rutgers, Oct. 16
The FCS scrimmage: Indiana State, Sept. 11 before at Duke
Purdue
The open date comes before: at Iowa, Oct. 16
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) at UConn, Sept. 11 before at Notre Dame
Wisconsin
The open date comes before: Notre Dame (in Chicago), Sept. 25
The FCS scrimmage: (none, so easiest game …) Eastern Michigan, Sept. 11 before Notre Dame two weeks later
– The games against the teams from the other division
NEXT: Who misses the big boys from the other division?
4. Who misses the big boys from the other division?
It’s the most important aspect of the Big Ten schedule – who do you play from that other division?
Every team plays a nine game conference schedule with six divisional games along with three against the other division.
But as you’ll see, not all schedules are created equal – ask anyone from the West who has to play Ohio State.
Big Ten East
Indiana
Games vs. West: at Iowa, Minnesota, at Purdue
So that means no … Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Maryland
Games vs. West: at Illinois, Iowa, at Minnesota
So that means no … Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin
Michigan
Games vs. West: at Nebraska, Northwestern, at Wisconsin
So that means no … Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue
Michigan State
Games vs. West: Nebraska, at Northwestern, at Purdue
So that means no … Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Ohio State
Games vs. West: at Minnesota, at Nebraska, Purdue
So that means no … Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Penn State
Games vs. West: Illinois, at Iowa, at Wisconsin
So that means no … Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue
Rutgers
Games vs. West: at Illinois, at Northwestern, Wisconsin
So that means no … Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue
Big Ten West
Illinois
Games vs. East: Maryland, at Penn State, Rutgers
So that means no … Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State
Iowa
Games vs. East: Indiana, at Maryland, Penn State
So that means no … Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers
Minnesota
Games vs. East: at Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State
So that means no … Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Rutgers
Nebraska
Games vs. East: Michigan, at Michigan State, Ohio State
So that means no … Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, Rutgers
Northwestern
Games vs. East: at Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers
So that means no … Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, Penn State
Purdue
Games vs. East: Indiana, Michigan State at Ohio State
So that means no … Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers
Wisconsin
Games vs. East: Michigan, Penn State, at Rutgers
So that means no … Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State
– The non-conference games and why they matter
NEXT: The non-conference games
3. The non-conference games
Give the Big Ten credit – it really is stepping up its non-conference game.
Not everyone faces an FCS team, and just about everyone has one monster date among the three outside of the Big Ten. Nine teams’ best non-conference games are away from home including all of them in the West.
So how do all of the Big Ten non-conference slates look, ranking all three games for each team from best to worst?
Big Ten East
Indiana
1) Cincinnati, 2) at WKU, 3) Idaho
Maryland
1) West Virginia, 2) Kent State, 3) Howard
Michigan
1) Washington, 2) Western Michigan, 3) Northern Illinois
Michigan State
1) at Miami, 2) WKU, 3) Youngstown State
Ohio State
1) Oregon, 2) Tulsa, 3) Akron
Penn State
1) Auburn, 2) Ball State, 3) Villanova
Rutgers
1) at Syracuse, 2) Temple, 3) Delaware
Big Ten West
Illinois
1) at Virginia, 2) UTSA, 3) Charlotte
Iowa
1) at Iowa State, 2) Colorado State, 3) Kent State
Minnesota
1) at Colorado, 2) Miami University, 3) Bowling Green
Nebraska
1) at Oklahoma, 2) Buffalo, 3) SE Louisiana
Northwestern
1) at Duke, 2) Ohio, 3) Indiana State
Purdue
1) at Notre Dame, 2) Oregon State, 3) at UConn
Wisconsin
1) Notre Dame (in Chicago), 2) Army, 3) Eastern Michigan
– The biggest thing that matters about the 2021 Big Ten schedule is …
NEXT: The most fun aspect of the 2021 Big Ten season is …
2. The most fun aspect of the 2021 Big Ten season is …
The Big Ten season is going to sort things out in a whole lot of ways right out of the gate.
But first, start with the big change that things are going back to normal – we hope.
It’s forgotten now, but when the Big Ten came out with its first revised 2020 schedule after the COVID concerns kicked in, Ohio State and Michigan – along with some of the other key rivalries – were supposed to be played early in case they had to be rescheduled. There was some wiggle room.
And then came the cancellation, and then came the rebirth, and then came the new schedule that had almost no way to adjust if teams had to postpone or cancel. Sure enough, that screwed everything up.
Wisconsin and Minnesota were able to rework things and play late because neither one was in the Big Ten Championship, but the Buckeyes and Wolverines didn’t happen.
So yes, this is hopefully going to be a campaign like normal, and yes, the big rivalry games are scheduled for the very end on the weekend of November 27th.
Wisconsin is at Minnesota, Penn State is at Michigan State, Purdue is at Indiana, Iowa is at Nebraska on that Friday, and of course, Ohio State and Michigan play at the end.
However, even though the biggest games for most fans come at the end of all of the fun, the season is going to be shaped by what happens early.
No one’s out of anything with an early Big Ten loss, but if you’re in the East and you lose a conference game right away, any dreams of going to the CFP or likely the Big Ten Championship are gone if you still have Ohio State and/or Penn State ahead.
The same goes in the West. With an early loss, it’s asking a whole lot to roll through the rest of the way cleanly if you have Wisconsin and/or Iowa to play.
Nebraska and Illinois are kicking things off in Dublin, Ireland on August 28th. It’s not like anyone is thinking the Illini will take the Big Ten West, but the loser of this is all but out of any conference title hopes before September even stars.
It’s an interdivisional game, but Indiana has to go to Iowa in the season-opener. Again, the loser of this is in big, big trouble with the divisional big boys still to face.
Also starting out the year with a Big Ten conference game are Ohio State at Minnesota, Penn State at Wisconsin, and Michigan State at Northwestern. All six of those schools have some thought of playing for a Big Ten title, and they’re all coming in cold without a tune-up.
On the flip side, that’s why Rutgers catches a break – really, it’s its only break – with Temple to start the year and the first Big Ten game at Michigan at the end of September. Michigan gets to host Western Michigan, but Purdue has to face a good Oregon State team and Maryland gets West Virginia.
– Big Ten schedule winners and losers
NEXT: Big Ten schedule winners and losers
1. 2021 Big Ten schedule winners and losers
Without even playing a game yet, here are the Big Ten schedule winners and losers.
Winner: Ohio State
Oh, isn’t that just dandy that the Buckeyes get one of the better overall scheduling deals of the bunch.
The Minnesota game is on the road, but that’s right out of the gate. The other road games? Rutgers, Indiana and Nebraska before finishing up against Michigan, and the trip to face IU comes after a week off. Penn State and Michigan State are at home, and there’s no Wisconsin, Northwestern or Iowa from the West.
Loser: Rutgers
You’re sort of taking the L to begin with if you’re Rutgers considering you don’t get to play … Rutgers. There’s no avoiding the rest of the Big Ten East, but this is just brutal.
The Scarlet Knights play four road games in five dates in the second half of the year. There’s a week off shoehorned in, but whoopee – that’s before facing Illinois. Oh, and that home game that’s supposed to be a bit of an oasis? Wisconsin.
If that isn’t nice enough, the Michigan game is on the road, and that’s followed up by an easy breezy break when Ohio State comes to town.
Tie: Iowa
Here’s where the Hawkeyes win. There’s no Ohio State, no Michigan, and no Michigan State from the West. They do have to play Penn State, but that’s at home along with the date at Indiana. Going to Maryland will be more difficult, but that’s manageable. They also get a week off to rest up and get ready for Wisconsin, but …
Here’s where the Hawkeyes lose. They play the Badgers on the road and they have to go to Nebraska and Northwestern as part of a finishing kick of three road games in the last five weeks.
And the biggest Big Ten schedule loser is, by a mile …
Loser: Nebraska
This is just plain unfair.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Dublin, Ireland is great – been there, and no joke, the best burgers and gourmet donuts I’ve ever had – but that’s still a long trip to start the year against Illinois. That’s a must win – the Huskers lost to the Illini in 2020 – considering what’s coming.
There’s a week off to chill right after, but going against MAC powerhouse Buffalo isn’t exactly a layup. And then … at Oklahoma. And then … at Michigan State.
So after a tough September, what does Nebraska get? Northwestern, Michigan and at Minnesota, and we haven’t even gotten to the fun part yet.
Welcome to November.
There’s a game against SE Louisiana on September 13. That comes after playing Ohio State and before going to Wisconsin. And just because that isn’t difficult enough, the Iowa game comes on a Friday after dealing with the Badgers.
Big Ten Schedules, Analysis, Best/Worst Scenarios
East Indiana | Maryland | Michigan
Michigan St | Ohio St | Penn St | Rutgers
West Illinois | Iowa | Minnesota | Nebraska
Northwestern | Purdue | Wisconsin
