2007 Big Ten Team-by-Team Schedules

The unbalanced Big Ten schedule makes for a bizarre setup compared to the other big leagues (check out who misses Michigan and Ohio State), but it makes for plenty of discussion and controversy. Do Travis Beckum and Wisconsin have the right slate to win a second Big Ten title in three years?

Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Michigan | Michigan State | Minnesota
Northwestern | Ohio State | Penn State | Purdue | Wisconsin

-  2007 Big Ten Composite Schedule Analysis

Toughest schedules
Based on home games as well as who the teams play. when

1. Michigan State
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Purdue
5. Illinois
6. Penn State
7. Indiana
8. Iowa
9. Wisconsin
10. Northwestern
11. Minnesota

Illinois
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 7-5
Barring total disaster worst case record: 3-9
Realistic record: 5-7
After the battle in St. Louis against Missouri to open the season, the Illini gets the easy part of the slate with Western Illinois, at Syracuse and at Indiana. Those are must wins with a brutal four-game stretch of Penn State, Wisconsin, at Iowa and Michigan. With three of those four at home, Zook’s boys have to pull off at least one of them. Missing Purdue and Michigan State off the schedule isn’t necessarily a plus.

Illinois
Sept. 1	Missouri (in St. Louis)
Sept. 8	Western Illinois
Sept. 15	at Syracuse
Sept. 22	at Indiana
Sept. 29	Penn State
Oct. 6	Wisconsin
Oct. 13	at Iowa
Oct. 20	Michigan
Oct. 27	Ball State
Nov. 3	at Minnesota
Nov. 10	at Ohio State
Nov. 17	Northwestern
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Indiana
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 7-5
Barring total disaster worst case record: 3-9
Realistic record: 5-7
Who goes on the road to play to MAC teams? A team coached by a former MAC head man does. IU gets a layup against Indiana State to start the season before going to Western Michigan and Akron, while a third MAC game, against Central Michigan late in the year, is in Bloomington. The Big Ten season starts out against Illinois in a battle of Big Ten also-rans looking to get off to a hot start. Beating Minnesota, Penn State or Purdue at home would be a big key to the program’s progression. The big plus? No Ohio State and no Michigan.

Indiana
Sept. 1	Indiana State
Sept. 8	at Western Michigan
Sept. 15	Akron
Sept. 22	Illinois
Sept. 29	at Iowa
Oct. 6	Minnesota
Oct. 13	at Michigan State
Oct. 20	Penn State
Oct. 27	at Wisconsin
Nov. 3	Ball State
Nov. 10	at Northwestern
Nov. 17	Purdue
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Iowa
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 10-2
Barring total disaster worst case record: 6-6
Realistic record: 9-3
It’s sneaky-tough early, but the Hawkeyes have no beef considering there’s no Ohio State or Michigan to deal with. Three of the first four games (Northern Illinois, Iowa State and Wisconsin) are away from Iowa City, while an early road trip to Penn State could create a big hole in conference play. The back half is as easy as can reasonably be asked for getting Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota and Western Michigan at home and going on the road to Purdue and Northwestern.

Iowa
Sept. 1	Northern Illinois (in Chic.)
Sept. 8	Syracuse
Sept. 15	at Iowa State
Sept. 22	at Wisconsin
Sept. 29	Indiana
Oct. 6	at Penn State
Oct. 13	Illinois
Oct. 20	at Purdue
Oct. 27	Michigan State
Nov. 3	at Northwestern
Nov. 10	Minnesota
Nov. 17	Western Michigan
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Michigan
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 12-0
Barring total disaster worst case record: 8-4
Realistic record: 10-2
If you like last year’s big run before the Ohio State game, you’ll love this year’s Wolverine schedule. Before mid-November, the three road games are at Northwestern, Illinois and Michigan State. There are some tough battles with Oregon, Notre Dame and Penn State all in September, but they’re all in the Big House. Not facing Iowa is a plus, but missing Indiana is a bad break. It all comes down to the two-game finishing kick at Wisconsin and the showdown with Ohio State, which could both be made tougher after coming off the always-tough rivalry game against the Spartans.

Michigan
Sept. 1	Appalachian State
Sept. 8	Oregon
Sept. 15	Notre Dame
Sept. 22	Penn State
Sept. 29	at Northwestern
Oct. 6	Eastern Michigan
Oct. 13	Purdue
Oct. 20	at Illinois
Oct. 27	Minnesota
Nov. 3	at Michigan State
Nov. 10	at Wisconsin
Nov. 17	Ohio State
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Michigan State
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 7-5
Barring total disaster worst case record: 4-8
Realistic record: 6-6
Interesting early, nasty late. The Spartans must win their five home games against UAB, Bowling Green, Pitt, Northwestern and Indiana over the first half of the season with three road games (Ohio State, Iowa and Purdue) along with home dates with Michigan and Penn State in the final five. Going on the road to play Notre Dame and Wisconsin in back-to-back weeks in late September isn’t going to make Dantonio’s first year any easier.

Michigan State
Sept. 1	UAB
Sept. 8	Bowling Green
Sept. 15	Pitt
Sept. 22	at Notre Dame
Sept. 29	at Wisconsin
Oct. 6	Northwestern
Oct. 13	Indiana
Oct. 20	at Ohio State
Oct. 27	at Iowa
Nov. 3	Michigan
Nov. 10	at Purdue
Nov. 17	Penn State
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Minnesota
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 9-3
Barring total disaster worst case record: 6-6
Realistic record: 8-4
Minnesota is taking it nice and easy with the non-conference slate playing Bowling Green, Miami University, at Florida Atlantic and North Dakota State. Missing Penn State is always a break, but it’d be nice to have Michigan State on the Big Ten schedule. There can’t be any complaining about getting Indiana and Northwestern on the road in back-to-back games in early October. Closing out at Michigan, Illinois, at Iowa and Wisconsin will be tough.

Minnesota
Sept. 1	Bowling Green
Sept. 8	Miami University
Sept. 15	at Florida Atlantic
Sept. 22	Purdue
Sept. 29	Ohio State
Oct. 6	at Indiana
Oct. 13	at Northwestern
Oct. 20	North Dakota State
Oct. 27	at Michigan
Nov. 3	Illinois
Nov. 10	at Iowa
Nov. 17	Wisconsin
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Northwestern
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 8-4
Barring total disaster worst case record: 3-9
Realistic record: 6-6
It’s almost as good as could be asked for. The Wildcats gets Ohio State and Michigan out of the way right off the bat in Big Ten play, don’t play Wisconsin or Penn State, and after the road trip to Columbus, only has to go away from Evanston four times to play Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Purdue and Illinois. The non-conference schedule is a joke playing Northeastern, Nevada (the one decent matchup), and Duke along with Eastern Michigan.

Northwestern
Sept. 1	Northeastern
Sept.8	Nevada
Sept. 15	Duke
Sept. 22	at Ohio State
Sept. 29	Michigan
Oct. 6	at Michigan State
Oct. 13	Minnesota
Oct. 20	Eastern Michigan
Oct. 27	at Purdue
Nov. 3	Iowa
Nov. 10	Indiana
Nov. 17	at Illinois
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Ohio State
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 11-1
Barring total disaster worst case record: 7-5
Realistic record: 10-2
It should be just about perfect to let all the young offensive talent time to figure out what to do. Warm-ups against Youngstown State and Akron will set the tone for the road trip to Washington. The next five games are nice and easy for a team like OSU playing Northwestern, at Minnesota, at Purdue, Kent and Michigan State before the nasty finishing kick playing at Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois, and at Michigan.

Ohio State
Sept. 1	Youngstown State
Sept. 8	Akron
Sept. 15	at Washington
Sept. 22	Northwestern
Sept. 29	at Minnesota
Oct. 6	at Purdue
Oct. 13	Kent State
Oct. 20	Michigan State
Oct. 27	at Penn State
Nov. 3	Wisconsin
Nov. 10	Illinois
Nov. 17	at Michigan
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Penn State
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 11-1
Barring total disaster worst case record: 7-5
Realistic record: 9-3
It’s strange. While the Nittany Lions catch a bad break missing both Northwestern and Minnesota off the Big Ten schedule, and have to open the conference season at Michigan, the road schedule is a walk-in-the-park after the trip to Ann Arbor playing at Illinois, Indiana, Temple and Michigan State. Notre Dame, Wisconsin, and Ohio State are all at home, while the non-conference schedule, outside of the game against the Irish, is one of the easiest in the nation playing the three of the worst teams of 2006: FIU, Buffalo and Temple.

Penn State
Sept. 1	FIU
Sept. 8	Notre Dame
Sept. 15	Buffalo
Sept. 22	at Michigan
Sept. 29	at Illinois
Oct. 6	Iowa
Oct. 13	Wisconsin
Oct. 20	at Indiana
Oct. 27	Ohio State
Nov. 3	Purdue
Nov. 10	at Temple
Nov. 17	at Michigan State
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Purdue
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 9-3
Barring total disaster worst case record: 4-8
Realistic record: 7-5
It could be tough early if the team isn’t awake. Going to Toledo and hosting defending MAC champion Central Michigan won’t by layups before a nasty five-game stretch going to Minnesota, hosting Notre dame and Ohio State, going to Michigan, and hosting Iowa. There’s still a road trip to Penn State to deal with.

Purdue
Sept. 1	at Toledo
Sept. 8	Eastern Illinois
Sept. 15	Central Michigan
Sept. 22	at Minnesota
Sept. 29	Notre Dame
Oct. 6	Ohio State
Oct. 13	at Michigan
Oct. 20	Iowa
Oct. 27	Northwestern
Nov. 3	at Penn State
Nov. 10	Michigan State
Nov. 17	at Indiana
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way

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Wisconsin
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 11-1
Barring total disaster worst case record: 7-5
Realistic record: 10-2
It’s far tougher than last season, but it’s not a killer until late. There’s a real live non-conference game to worry about starting the year with Washington State before breathers against UNLV and Citadel. Four of the first five games are at home before a big landmine at Illinois coming the week before the trip to Penn State. Closing out at Ohio State, Michigan, and at Minnesota will likely make-or-break Rose Bowl dreams.

Wisconsin
Sept. 1	Washington State
Sept. 8	at UNLV
Sept. 15	The Citadel
Sept. 22	Iowa
Sept. 29	Michigan State
Oct. 6	at Illinois
Oct. 13	at Penn State
Oct. 20	Northern Illinois
Oct. 27	Indiana
Nov. 3	at Ohio State
Nov. 10	Michigan
Nov. 17	at Minnesota
- Almost certain win - Likely loss - Could go either way