Sporting News ranks Big Ten Football schedules from hardest to easiest – On3.com

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The Sporting News ranked Big Ten football schedules for this upcoming college football season from hardest to easiest, all the way from Wisconsin (hardest) to Illinois (easiest).
This list casts great news for College Football Playoff hopeful teams such as the Fighting Illini, Oregon and Michigan, but casts a daunting shadow on struggling programs such as Wisconsin, Rutgers and Purdue.
Last year, Oregon had the 12th hardest schedule according to The Sporting News and finished the regular season with an unblemished 9-0 conference record. The Ducks then went on to win the Big Ten Championship Game in their first year in the conference.
Toughest Opponents: at Alabama, vs Illinois, vs Michigan, vs Ohio State, at Oregon
Bad news for a Wisconsin program which has failed to reach the eight-win mark in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1990-92. Anything less than eight wins seems like it would put head coach Luke Fickell on the hot seat. With the hardest schedule in the Big Ten according to The Sporting News, it really could be another rough campaign for the jumpin’ Badgers.
Toughest Opponents: at Illinois, at Ohio State, vs Oregon, vs Penn State
Coming off back-to-back seven win campaigns, Rutgers will face three teams that made the College Football Playoff last season. A win over any of these four teams this season would likely give the Scarlet Knights and head coach Greg Schiano their first top-25 victory since 2009 (USF).
Toughest Opponents: at Illinois, vs Michigan, at Notre Dame, at Oregon
USC‘s 2025 conference schedule is a bit of a gauntlet, as it will travel (to what will likely be top-15 teams) Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon this season. Paul Finebaum tabbed Lincoln Riley as the head coach with the most pressure this season and anything less than being in the College Football Playoff conversation could be disastrous for the QB guru.
Toughest Opponents: at Illinois, at Michigan, vs Penn State, vs Texas
The reigning National Champions have the fourth most challenging schedule this season according to The Sporting News. The Buckeyes kick off the 2025 season on August 30 at home against Texas in a monster non-conference matchup and will face off against Illinois, Michigan and Penn State in conference play. Ohio State will look to break its four-season losing streak to the Wolverines this year, but a win in Ann Arbor is no easy task (unless you’re Appalachian State).
Toughest Opponents: vs Illinois, vs Michigan, at Notre Dame, at Ohio State
In what is set to be another disastrous season for a lowly Purdue program (ranked dead last among all power-four programs in Phil Steele’s 2025 College Football preview), the Boilermakers travel to both Notre Dame and Ohio State along with hosting Illinois and Michigan in West Lafayette. Purdue hasn’t gone winless in conference play in back-to-back seasons since 1919-20.
Arrested
From toughest to least
Auburn guard arrested overnight
Ranked hottest to coolest
Ruled ineligible
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Toughest Opponents: vs Illinois, at Michigan, vs Ohio State, at Oregon
Washington seems to a program still looking to find itself in the second year of the Jedd Fisch era. The Huskies will travel to both Michigan and Oregon, but will host Illinois and Ohio State at Husky Stadium. It’ll look to get back to its program peak in 2023, when it went five-for-five in conference games against top-25 opponents.
Toughest Opponents: at Illinois, vs Michigan, vs Oregon, at Penn State
Northwestern has the seventh toughest schedule in the Big Ten this season according to The Sporting News. The Wildcats will host Illinois and Penn State at newly built Martin Stadium, looking to surprise the college football world once again like they did in 2023 when they went 8-4.
Toughest Opponents: vs Illinois, at Oregon, at Penn State
A season removed from making the College Football Playoff after not winning one singular regular season top-25 matchup, Indiana travels to both Oregon and Penn State and will host Illinois in Bloomington. Year two of the Curt Cignetti era is set up to show the college football world that the Hoosiers are here to stay, or it could show that they were a one-year wonder.
Toughest Opponents: at Ohio State, at Oregon
Freshly extended P.J. Fleck will lead his Minnesota Gophers into the conference’s ninth hardest schedule, headlined by road games at both Ohio State and Oregon. During Fleck’s tenure at Minnesota, he is 0-3 against Ohio State and has yet to face the Ducks.
Toughest Opponents: at Ohio State, vs Penn State
In what could be a make or break year for head coach DeShaun Foster and newly acquired quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Bruins will travel to Ohio State and host a home game against Penn State this season. The road game against the Buckeyes will serve as a chance at redemption for Nico, who passed for just 104 yards in Tennessee‘s 42-17 loss to Ohio State in the 2024 College Football Playoff.
11. Penn State Nittany Lions
12. Iowa Hawkeyes
13. Nebraska Cornhuskers
T-14. Michigan Wolverines
T-14. Maryland Terrapins
T-14. Oregon Ducks
17. Michigan State Spartans
18. Illinois Fighting Illini
Arrested
From toughest to least
Auburn guard arrested overnight
Ranked hottest to coolest
Ruled ineligible
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