The College Football News Big Ten preseason predictions for every game, predicted order of finish, and lookahead to the 2021 season.
Big Ten Preseason Predictions: East
Big Ten East Predicted Finish
1. Ohio State
T2. Michigan
T2. Penn State
4. Indiana
5. Michigan State
6. Rutgers
7. Maryland
Indiana Hoosiers
2021 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 5-4
2020: 6-2, Prediction: 8-4
2019: 5-7, Prediction: 6-3
Sept. 4 at Iowa L
Sept. 11 Idaho W
Sept. 18 Cincinnati L
Sept. 25 at WKU W
Oct. 2 at Penn State L
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 Michigan State W
Oct. 23 Ohio State L
Oct. 30 at Maryland W
Nov. 6 at Michigan L
Nov. 13 Rutgers W
Nov. 20 Minnesota W
Nov. 27 at Purdue W
Indiana Preview | Schedule Analysis
Maryland Terrapins
2021 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 1-8
2020: 2-3, Prediction: 3-9
2019: 3-9, Prediction: 6-6
Sept. 4 West Virginia W
Sept. 11 Howard W
Sept. 18 at Illinois W
Sept. 25 Kent State W
Oct. 2 Iowa L
Oct. 9 at Ohio State L
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at Minnesota L
Oct. 30 Indiana L
Nov. 6 Penn State L
Nov. 13 at Michigan State L
Nov. 20 Michigan L
Nov. 27 at Rutgers L
Maryland Preview | Schedule Analysis
Michigan Wolverines
2021 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 6-3
2020: 2-4, Prediction: 10-2
2019: 9-4, Prediction: 11-1
Sept. 4 Western Michigan W
Sept. 11 Washington W
Sept. 18 Northern Illinois W
Sept. 25 Rutgers W
Oct. 2 at Wisconsin L
Oct. 9 at Nebraska W
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Northwestern W
Oct. 30 at Michigan State W
Nov. 6 Indiana W
Nov. 13 at Penn State L
Nov. 20 at Maryland W
Nov. 27 Ohio State L
Michigan Preview | Schedule Analysis
Michigan State Spartans
2021 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 3-6
2020: 2-5, Prediction: 6-6
2019: 7-6, Prediction: 9-3
Sept. 4 at Northwestern W
Sept. 11 Youngstown State W
Sept. 18 at Miami L
Sept. 25 Nebraska W
Oct. 2 WKU W
Oct. 9 at Rutgers L
Oct. 16 at Indiana L
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 Michigan L
Nov. 6 at Purdue L
Nov. 13 Maryland W
Nov. 20 at Ohio State L
Nov. 27 Penn State L
MSU Preview | Schedule Analysis
Ohio State Buckeyes
2021 Preseason Prediction: 12-0
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 9-0
2020: 7-1, Prediction: 11-1
2019: 13-1, Prediction: 10-2
Sept. 2 at Minnesota W
Sept. 11 Oregon W
Sept. 18 Tulsa W
Sept. 25 Akron W
Oct. 2 at Rutgers W
Oct. 9 Maryland W
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at Indiana W
Oct. 30 Penn State W
Nov. 6 at Nebraska W
Nov. 13 Purdue W
Nov. 20 Michigan State W
Nov. 27 at Michigan W
Ohio St Preview | Schedule Analysis
Penn State Nittany Lions
2021 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 6-3
2020: 4-5, Prediction: 10-2
2019: 11-2, Prediction: 9-3
Sept. 4 at Wisconsin L
Sept. 11 Ball State W
Sept. 18 Auburn W
Sept. 25 Villanova W
Oct. 2 Indiana W
Oct. 9 at Iowa L
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Illinois W
Oct. 30 at Ohio State L
Nov. 6 at Maryland W
Nov. 13 Michigan W
Nov. 20 Rutgers W
Nov. 27 at Michigan State W
Penn St Preview | Schedule Analysis
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2021 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 2-7
2020: 3-6, Prediction: 3-9
2019: 2-10, Prediction: 3-9
Sept. 4 Temple W
Sept. 11 at Syracuse W
Sept. 18 Delaware W
Sept. 25 at Michigan L
Oct. 2 Ohio State L
Oct. 9 Michigan State W
Oct. 16 at Northwestern L
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Illinois L
Nov. 6 Wisconsin L
Nov. 13 at Indiana L
Nov. 20 at Penn State L
Nov. 27 Maryland W
Rutger Preview | Schedule Analysis
NEXT: Big Ten Preseason Predictions: West
Big Ten Preseason Predictions: West
Big Ten West Predicted Finish
1. Wisconsin
2. Iowa
T3. Northwestern
T3. Purdue
T5. Minnesota
T5. Nebraska
7. Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini
2021 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 2-7
2020: 2-6, Prediction: 4-8
2019: 6-7, Prediction: 5-7
Aug. 28 Nebraska W
Sept. 4 UTSA W
Sept. 11 at Virginia L
Sept. 18 Maryland L
Sept. 25 at Purdue L
Oct. 2 Charlotte W
Oct. 9 Wisconsin L
Oct. 16 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 at Penn State L
Oct. 30 Rutgers W
Nov. 6 at Minnesota L
Nov. 13 OPEN DATE
Nov. 20 at Iowa L
Nov. 27 Northwestern L
Illinois Preview | Schedule Analysis
Iowa Hawkeyes
2021 Preseason Prediction: 9-3
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 7-2
2020: 6-2, Prediction: 9-3
2019: 10-3, Prediction: 8-4
Sept. 4 Indiana W
Sept. 11 at Iowa State L
Sept. 18 Kent State W
Sept. 25 Colorado State W
Oct. 2 at Maryland W
Oct. 9 Penn State W
Oct. 16 Purdue W
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 at Wisconsin L
Nov. 6 at Northwestern W
Nov. 13 Minnesota W
Nov. 20 Illinois W
Nov. 26 at Nebraska L
Iowa Preview | Schedule Analysis
Minnesota Golden Gophers
2021 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 3-6
2020: 3-4, Prediction: 8-4
2019: 11-2, Prediction: 8-4
Sept. 4 Ohio State L
Sept. 11 Miami University W
Sept. 18 at Colorado W
Sept. 25 Bowling Green W
Oct. 2 at Purdue L
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 Nebraska W
Oct. 23 Maryland W
Oct. 30 at Northwestern L
Nov. 6 Illinois W
Nov. 13 at Iowa L
Nov. 20 at Indiana L
Nov. 27 Wisconsin L
Minnesota Preview | Schedule Analysis
Nebraska Cornhuskers
2021 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 3-6
2020: 3-5, Prediction: 6-6
2019: 5-7, Prediction: 6-6
Aug. 28 at Illinois L
Sept. 4 OPEN DATE
Sept. 11 Buffalo W
Sept. 18 at Oklahoma L
Sept. 25 at Michigan State L
Oct. 2 Northwestern W
Oct. 9 Michigan L
Oct. 16 at Minnesota L
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 Purdue W
Nov. 6 Ohio State L
Nov. 13 SE Louisiana W
Nov. 20 at Wisconsin L
Nov. 26 Iowa W
Nebraska Preview | Schedule Analysis
Northwestern Wildcats
2021 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 4-5
2020: 7-2, Prediction: 6-6
2019: 3-9, Prediction: 6-6
Sept. 4 Michigan State L
Sept. 11 Indiana State W
Sept. 18 at Duke W
Sept. 25 Ohio W
Oct. 2 at Nebraska L
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 Rutgers W
Oct. 23 at Michigan L
Oct. 30 Minnesota W
Nov. 6 Iowa L
Nov. 13 at Wisconsin L
Nov. 20 Purdue (at Wrigley Field) W
Nov. 27 at Illinois W
Northwestern Preview | Schedule Analysis
Purdue Boilermakers
2021 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 4-5
2020: 2-4, Prediction: 5-7
2019: 8-5, Prediction: 6-6
Sept. 4 Oregon State W
Sept. 11 at UConn W
Sept. 18 at Notre Dame L
Sept. 25 Illinois W
Oct. 2 Minnesota W
Oct. 9 OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 at Iowa L
Oct. 23 Wisconsin W
Oct. 30 at Nebraska L
Nov. 6 Michigan State W
Nov. 13 at Ohio State L
Nov. 20 at Northwestern (in Wrigley Field) L
Nov. 27 Indiana L
Purdue Preview | Schedule Analysis
Wisconsin Badgers
2021 Preseason Prediction: 10-2
2021 Big Ten Prediction: 8-1
2020: 4-3, Prediction: 10-2
2019: 10-4, Prediction: 8-4
Sept. 4 Penn State W
Sept. 11 Eastern Michigan W
Sept. 18 OPEN DATE
Sept. 25 Notre Dame (in Chicago) L
Oct. 2 Michigan W
Oct. 9 at Illinois W
Oct. 16 Army W
Oct. 23 at Purdue L
Oct. 30 Iowa W
Nov. 6 at Rutgers W
Nov. 13 Northwestern W
Nov. 20 Nebraska W
Nov. 27 at Minnesota W
Wisconsin Preview | Schedule Analysis
