Scout.com: 2013 Big Ten Leaders Schedule Breakdown

2013 Big Ten Leaders Schedule Breakdown

Wisconsin QB Chris Borland

By Staff

CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Feb 15, 2013

Breakdowns and analysis of each Big Ten Legends schedule

2013 Big Ten Schedules

Leaders

Toughest Schedules
Based on home games as well as who the teams play. when. From toughest to easiest ...

LEADERS
1. Purdue
2. Illinois
3. Penn State
4. Ohio State
5. Indiana
6. Wisconsin

LEGENDS
1. Iowa
2. Northwestern
3. Michigan
4. Michigan State
5. Nebraska
6. Minnesota

Illinois

Non-Conference Games: Southern Illinois, Cincinnati, Washington (in Chicago), Miami University
Games Against The Legends: Michigan State, at Nebraska, Northwestern
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Worst Case Record: 2-10
Likely Finish: 4-8

Pre-Preseason Projected Wins: Southern Illinois, Cincinnati, Miami University, at Purdue

Pre-Preseason Projected Losses: Washington, at Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, at Penn State, at Indiana, Ohio State, Northwestern

Summary: The Illini will have to own Champaign and need to come up with a few splashy non-conference wins to have any real hope of going bowling. Southern Illinois and Miami University are the only games Illinois will be the sure-thing favorite even though Cincinnati is coming to Memorial Stadium and Washington will play in Soldier Field. A 3-1 start would do wonders considering the conference slate starts out with a few slugs in the gut.

If playing defending Legends champion Nebraska in Lincoln wasn’t a tough enough way to start, after a week off it’s a home date with Big Ten champion Wisconsin followed up with Michigan State and a trip to Penn State. Fortunately, getting the Badgers and Ohio State at home could help, but going on the road for the winnable games against Indiana and Purdue will be a problem. The Northwestern game in the regular season finale could be for a bowl.

2013 Schedule
8/31 Southern Illinois
9/7 Cincinnati
9/14 Washington
9/21 OPEN DATE
9/28 Miami University
10/5 at Nebraska
10/12 OPEN DATE
10/19 Wisconsin
10/26 Michigan State
11/2 at Penn State
11/9 at Indiana
11/16 Ohio State
11/23 at Purdue
11/30 Northwestern

Indiana

Non-Conference Games: Indiana State, Navy, Bowling Green, Missouri
Games Against The Legends: at Michigan, at Michigan State, Minnesota
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Worst Case Record: 3-9
Likely Finish: 5-7

Pre-Preseason Projected Wins: Navy, Bowling Green, Illinois, Purdue

Pre-Preseason Projected Losses: Missouri, Penn State, at Michigan State, at Michigan, Minnesota, at Wisconsin, at Ohio State

Summary: Can the Hoosiers hold serve at home? It’s not going to be as easy as it seems with Indiana State not a complete and total pushover to start the year and Navy (offense) and Bowling Green (defense) two nasty games that should be battles. Beating Missouri would be gravy, but the team should be comfortable at home with the first road game not coming until mid-October.

Missing Nebraska from the Legends is nice, but after starting out the Big Ten campaign at home against Penn State, back-to-back road games against Michigan State and Michigan will be a problem. Fortunately, there’s a week off before two of the easier games on the slate – Minnesota and Illinois – followed up by a pair of road killers against Wisconsin and Ohio State before finishing up at home with Purdue.

2013 Schedule
8/31 Indiana State
9/7 Navy
9/14 Bowling Green
9/21 Missouri
9/28 OPEN DATE
10/5 Penn State
10/12 at Michigan State
10/19 at Michigan
10/26 OPEN DATE
11/2 Minnesota
11/9 Illinois
11/16 at Wisconsin
11/23 at Ohio State
11/30 Purdue

Ohio State

Non-Conference Games: Buffalo, San Diego State, at California, Florida A&M
Games Against The Legends: Iowa, at Michigan, at Northwestern
Realistic Best Case Record: 12-0
Worst Case Record: 8-4
Likely Finish: 11-1

Pre-Preseason Projected Wins: Buffalo, San Diego State, at California, Florida A&M, Wisconsin, at Northwestern, Iowa, Penn State, at Purdue, at Illinois, Indiana

Pre-Preseason Projected Losses: at Michigan

Summary: The Buckeyes have the schedule to go unbeaten again, or they’ll at least have the ability and potential to get close. Considering California is rebuilding, San Diego State might be the most dangerous non-conference game. Buffalo and Florida A&M will be warm-ups, and they’ll need them before starting out the Big Ten schedule with the game they must have.

Michigan might be Ohio State’s biggest rival, but Wisconsin is the team that matters in the division; Ohio State can’t blow the Big Ten home opener. Going to Northwestern the week after isn’t going to be easy, but then it’s time to relax with a week off before hosting Iowa and Penn State before going to Purdue. With another week off before the finishing kick, there shouldn’t be any problems with a road trip to Illinois and a home game against Indiana. OSU will be favored in every with the possible exception of the finale. No matter what else happens throughout the year, the road trip to Michigan will be focused on all season long.

2013 Schedule
8/31 Buffalo
9/7 San Diego State
9/14 at California
9/21 Florida A&M
9/28 Wisconsin
10/5 at Northwestern
10/12 OPEN DATE
10/19 Iowa
10/26 Penn State
11/2 at Purdue
11/9 OPEN DATE
11/16 at Illinois
11/23 Indiana
11/30 at Michigan

Penn State

Non-Conference Games: Syracuse (in New Jersey), Eastern Michigan, UCF, Kent State
Games Against The Legends: Michigan, at Minnesota, Nebraska
Realistic Best Case Record: 8-4
Worst Case Record: 4-8
Likely Finish: 6-6

Pre-Preseason Projected Wins: Syracuse, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, at Indiana, Illinois, Purdue

Pre-Preseason Projected Losses: UCF, Michigan, at Ohio State, at Minnesota, Nebraska, at Wisconsin

Summary: Can the Nittany Lions recreate the on-field magic of last year? They start out with an even tougher task than Ohio playing Syracuse in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Eastern Michigan will be a good chance to get all the pieces together before a rougher-than-it-looks home game against UCF followed up with a Kent State squad that should be almost as good as the one that almost went to the BCS. It’ll be tough to get to 4-0, but it’s possible before getting a week off to prepare for the Big Ten season.

It’s a bad break to have to play both Michigan and Nebraska from the Legends, but at least the two big games are at home. The road trip to Indiana to start things off is a must win with Michigan and an away game at Ohio State to follow, but there’s a week off to prepare for the Buckeyes. Illinois, at Minnesota and Purdue is the light section that needs to be taken advantage of with Nebraska and a road game at Wisconsin to close out the year.

2013 Schedule
8/31 Syracuse (in East Rutherford)
9/7 Eastern Michigan
9/14 UCF
9/21 Kent State
9/28 OPEN DATE
10/5 at Indiana
10/12 Michigan
10/19 OPEN DATE
10/26 at Ohio State
11/2 Illinois
11/9 at Minnesota
11/16 Purdue
11/23 Nebraska
11/30 at Wisconsin

Purdue

Non-Conference Games: at Cincinnati, Indiana State, Notre Dame, Northern Illinois
Games Against The Legends: Iowa, at Michigan State, Nebraska
Realistic Best Case Record: 7-5
Worst Case Record: 1-11
Likely Finish: 3-9

Pre-Preseason Projected Wins: Indiana State, Northern Illinois, Iowa

Pre-Preseason Projected Losses: at Cincinnati, Notre Dame, at Wisconsin, Nebraska, at Michigan state, Ohio State, at Penn State, Illinois, at Indiana

Summary: Where are the wins going to come from? Purdue might not be that bad under new head man Darrell Hazell, but Indiana State might be the only sure-thing win. The non-conference schedule isn’t going to be fun with a trip to Cincinnati to face Tommy Tuberville’s club in the opener, and after the layup against ISU comes a visit from Notre Dame to kick off a run of three straight games against teams that played in the BCS last season going to Wisconsin the following week with Northern Illinois to follow.

After a week off, the Boilermakers get two rough games against the Legends with Nebraska coming in for a visit and a trip to Michigan State to follow. If that wasn’t rough enough, Ohio State is next. The rest of November might not be that bad with Iowa, Illinois and the road game at Indiana all winnable, but the season could be made or broken by a trip to Penn State.

2013 Schedule
8/31 at Cincinnati
9/7 Indiana State
9/14 Notre Dame
9/21 at Wisconsin
9/28 Northern Illinois
10/5 OPEN DATE
10/12 Nebraska
10/19 at Michigan State
10/26 OPEN DATE
11/2 Ohio State
11/9 Iowa
11/16 at Penn State
11/23 Illinois
11/30 at Indiana

Wisconsin

Non-Conference Games: UMass, Tennessee Tech, at Arizona State
Games Against The Legends: at Iowa, at Minnesota, Northwestern
Realistic Best Case Record: 11-1
Worst Case Record: 6-6
Likely Finish: 11-1

Pre-Preseason Projected Wins: UMass, Tennessee Tech, at Arizona State, Purdue, Northwestern, at Illinois, at Iowa, BYU, Indiana, at Minnesota, Penn State

Pre-Preseason Projected Losses: at Ohio State

Summary: The Badgers can’t ask for a much lighter slate in Gary Andersen’s first season. However, it all might come down to September. If Bucky is good enough to get to October 5-0, it’ll be good enough to potentially go 12-0 even though the team really isn’t talented enough to get through without a blemish. UMass and Tennessee Tech are the scrimmages needed to be ready for a statement game at Arizona State, and Purdue is a good Big Ten opener to be ready for the make-or-break showdown with Ohio State in Columbus.

With a week off to be ready for Northwestern, Illinois to follow, and another bye week to rest up for November, the schedule works out well. BYU will be a difficult home game after going to Iowa, but Indiana, at Minnesota and Penn State is about as easy as it gets. There’s no Michigan, Michigan State or Nebraska from the Legends.

2013 Schedule
8/31 UMass
9/7 Tennessee Tech
9/14 at Arizona State
9/21 Purdue
9/28 at Ohio State
10/5 OPEN DATE
10/12 Northwestern
10/19 at Illinois
10/26 OPEN DATE
11/2 at Iowa
11/9 BYU
11/16 Indiana
11/23 at Minnesota
11/30 Penn State

- 2013 Big Ten Legends Division Breakdown & Analysis
- 2013 Big Ten Composite Schedule & Week Rankings

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