2020 Big Ten Football Schedule. 5 Things That Matter. Who Gets Missed? Winners, Losers, Changes

With the Big Ten announcing that it will play a ten-game, conference only schedule, what does it all mean? Who wins, loses, and what’s next?

With the Big Ten announcing that it will play a ten-game, conference only schedule, what does it all mean? Who wins, who loses, and what’s next?


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

Big Ten Football Schedule 2020

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
CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

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5. Big Ten 10-Game Schedule. The Basics …

The Big Ten released its 2020 football schedule. And the key parts are …

– Ten games, no non-conference dates. This was put forth before by the Big Ten, but now it’s settled. It’s all Big Ten vs. Big Ten battles spread out over the season.

– Unlike what the other Power Five conferences appear to be doing – kicking things off in mid-to-late September – the Big Ten is going to start right away on September 5th. Actually, it’ll all start on Thursday, September 3rd when Ohio State goes to Illinois. This allows each Big Ten team to have to built in weeks off along with an open date on November 28th for a possible make-up game.

– Also unlike the other Power Five conferences, the Big Ten is keeping its championship game for December 5th.

– Ohio State and Michigan don’t play on the final weekend. Go ahead and make your jokes about how the Big Ten doesn’t want Jim Harbaugh to end the season with a loss, but the October 24th date sets itself up to be something special, especially if it’s a night game.

November 21st – the final weekend scheduled for the regular season – is all interdivisional games, and so is the first week of the season. The schedule is front loaded with divisional battles with the flexibility to fill in the gaps later if there has to be a week off.

NEXT: What Big Ten teams do the other Big Ten teams miss?

Big Ten Football Schedule 2020 Composite Conference Only. 10 Most Interesting Games

The modified version of the 2020 Big Ten only football schedule with the week-by-week ranking along with the ten most interesting games

The modified version of the 2020 Big Ten only football schedule with the week-by-week ranking of all of the games.


Big Ten Football Schedule Composite 2020

Each week’s games ranking from most interesting to least.

Ten Most Interesting Big Ten games

1. Michigan at Ohio State, Oct. 24
2. Penn State at Ohio State, Nov. 7
3. Michigan at Penn State, Sept. 19
4. Michigan at Wisconsin, Oct. 31
5. Minnesota at Wisconsin, Sept. 26
6. Michigan at Michigan State, Oct. 3
7. Penn State at Iowa, Oct. 24
8. Michigan State at Ohio State, Oct. 17
9. Iowa at Wisconsin, Nov. 14
10. Minnesota at Michigan
, Sept. 12

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Big Ten Football Schedule Week 1

Thursday, Sept. 3
Ohio State at Illinois

Friday, Sept. 4
Wisconsin at Indiana

Saturday, Sept. 5
Minnesota at Michigan State
Penn State at Northwestern
Michigan at Purdue
Maryland at Iowa
Rutgers at Nebraska

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 2

Saturday, Sept. 12
Minnesota at Michigan
Wisconsin at Northwestern
Indiana at Penn State
Nebraska at Illinois
Purdue at Iowa
Maryland at Michigan State
Ohio State at Rutgers

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 3

Saturday, Sept. 19
Michigan at Penn State
Wisconsin at Nebraska
Minnesota at Iowa
Ohio State at Purdue
Michigan State at Northwestern
Indiana at Illinois
Maryland at Rutgers

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 4

Saturday, Sept. 26
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Penn State at Michigan State
Iowa at Nebraska
Ohio State at Indiana
Illinois at Purdue
Northwestern at Maryland
Rutgers at Michigan

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 5

Saturday, Oct. 3
Michigan at Michigan State
Nebraska at Minnesota
Northwestern at Iowa
Maryland at Wisconsin
Rutgers at Penn State
OFF WEEK: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 6

Saturday, Oct. 10
Ohio State at Nebraska
Minnesota at Indiana
Wisconsin at Purdue
Illinois at Iowa
OFF WEEK: Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 7

Saturday, Oct. 17
Michigan State at Ohio State
Indiana at Michigan
Northwestern at Illinois
Penn State at Maryland
Purdue at Rutgers
OFF WEEK: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 8

Saturday, Oct. 24
Michigan at Ohio State
Penn State at Iowa
Wisconsin at Illinois
Northwestern at Nebraska
Minnesota at Purdue
Indiana at Maryland
Michigan State at Rutgers

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 9

Saturday, Oct. 31
Michigan at Wisconsin
Nebraska at Penn State
Iowa at Michigan State
Purdue at Northwestern
Illinois at Minnesota
Maryland at Ohio State
Rutgers at Indiana

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 10

Saturday, Nov. 7
Penn State at Ohio State
Michigan State at Indiana
Michigan at Maryland
Rutgers at Illinois
OFF WEEK: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 11

Saturday, Nov. 14
Iowa at Wisconsin
Minnesota at Northwestern
Purdue at Nebraska
OFF WEEK: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers

Big Ten Football Schedule Week 12

Saturday, Nov. 21
Ohio State at Iowa
Nebraska at Michigan State
Northwestern at Michigan
Indiana at Purdue
Illinois at Penn State
Minnesota at Maryland
Wisconsin at Rutgers

Big Ten Football Championship

Saturday, Dec. 5
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

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Big Ten Conference Only Football Schedule Plan For A Ten Game Season: The CFN Idea

How should the Big Ten do a ten-game conference-only schedule? Here’s a plan and an idea to make it all work.

How should the Big Ten do a ten-game conference-only schedule? Here’s a plan and an idea to make it all work.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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.

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Big Ten East Conference Only Schedule Idea

2020 Indiana Football Schedule Idea

 2020 Indiana Preview

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
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2020 Maryland Football Schedule Idea

2020 Maryland Preview

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

2020 Michigan Preview

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

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2020 Michigan State Football Schedule Idea

2020 Michigan State Preview

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

2020 Ohio State Preview

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

2020 Penn State Preview

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

2020 Rutgers Preview

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