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There is no such thing as an easy schedule in college football. And in the B1G, where teams play nine conference games every year, the schedule can be especially daunting.
But rather than break down every team’s schedule game by game, it might be a little more fun to look at the most difficult three-game stretch for every team in the conference in 2019. While some teams have more challenging windows than others, each program will have a defining stretch at some point in the year.
Here’s a glimpse of the most challenging three-game stretch for every B1G team this fall:
Illinois
Toughest stretch: Oct. 5 at Minnesota; Oct. 12 vs. Michigan; Oct. 19 vs. Wisconsin
An absolutely brutal start to the B1G slate for Lovie Smith and Co. After three very winnable non-conference games, the Illini open conference play against Nebraska, then have a bye week before running into Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin in consecutive weeks. The good news is that Illinois has the luxury of playing the Wolverines and Badgers in Champaign. The bad news is that it probably won’t matter all that much.
Indiana
Toughest stretch: Nov. 16 at Penn State; Nov. 23 vs. Michigan; Nov. 30 at Purdue
If Indiana wants to reach bowl eligibility for the first time under Tom Allen, the Hoosiers may want to lock up that sixth win before Nov. 16. IU closes out the year with trips to Penn State and Purdue, with a home game against Michigan sandwiched in between. It’s been over 30 years since the Hoosiers beat the Wolverines and Beaver Stadium is one of the more difficult places to play in college football. The Hoosiers will have a chance against Purdue, but Indiana has fallen short the last two years against their rivals with the Old Oaken Bucket and bowl eligibility on the line.
Iowa
Toughest stretch: Oct. 5 at Michigan; Oct. 12 vs. Penn State; Oct. 19 vs. Purdue
Really, the entire heart of Iowa’s schedule is rough. Immediately following the three-game stretch above, the Hawkeyes have road games against Northwestern and Wisconsin before returning home to host Minnesota. But the early October slate will likely determine whether or not Iowa is a contender in the B1G West. If Kirk Ferentz can figure out a way to go 2-1 in that stretch, the Hawkeyes will be in a really good position to win the West and make a return trip to Indianapolis for the first time since 2015.
Maryland
Toughest stretch: Nov. 2 vs. Michigan; Nov. 9 at Ohio State; Nov. 23 vs. Nebraska
New head coach Mike Locksley faces quite a challenge in the final month of his first season in College Park. The Terrapins will play Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks before a bye week and then hosting Nebraska. If you want to look at the bright side, at least Maryland gets two months of preparation before clashing with the B1G’s blue-bloods. The result could be a little more favorable than if they played them early in the year. Still, Maryland is probably just hoping to be competitive in this three-game window.
Michigan
Toughest stretch: Nov. 16 vs. Michigan State; Nov. 23 at Indiana; Nov. 30 vs. Ohio State
Fitting, right? Michigan’s B1G East chances will boil down to the final month of the season, when it takes on rivals Michigan State and Ohio State in two of the last three Saturdays of the season. It gives Jim Harbaugh a great opportunity to silence all of his critics in Year 5. While the focus will be on the Spartans and Buckeyes, don’t overlook a road trip to Indiana on that second-to-last weekend. The Hoosiers always seem to give the Wolverines fits in Bloomington and it could be the perfect trap game for IU to snap a 30-plus year losing streak to Michigan.
Michigan State
Toughest stretch: Oct. 5 at Ohio State; Oct. 12 at Wisconsin; Oct 26 vs. Penn State
October is going to be make-or-break month for Michigan State. With a bye week worked between the Wisconsin trip and Penn State game, these are the three games on the Spartans’ schedule for the month. Not only is it the most difficult stretch, it’s the most important. There’s a great chance Mark Dantonio and Co. enter the month a perfect 5-0. Going 2-1 in those three games could potentially set up a division-deciding matchup with Michigan in mid-November. But winning two of those games — especially battling Ohio State and Wisconsin on the road — won’t be an easy task.
Minnesota
Toughest stretch: Nov. 16 at Iowa; Nov. 23 at Northwestern; Nov. 30 vs. Wisconsin
Minnesota enters 2019 as a contender in the B1G West, and it has a great opportunity to keep that label until November. That’s when the Gophers host Penn State before trips to Iowa and Northwestern and then return home to end the year with Wisconsin. So yeah, it’s really a four-game stretch for Minnesota. Because wins are more important over division foes, the three weeks to end the season will be the most important, and challenge for P.J. Fleck’s bunch. All three opponents could be competing for a spot in Indianapolis, and Minnesota plays them in consecutive weeks.
Nebraska
Toughest stretch: Sept. 28 vs. Ohio State; Oct. 5 vs. Northwestern; Oct. 12 at Minnesota
Perhaps the most forgiving schedule in the B1G this year belongs to Nebraska, and that’s tough to say considering the Buckeyes are on the early slate. But the Huskers don’t have many daunting back-to-back matchups like the rest of the league does. That’s a bit of an advantage as the program enters the second year of the Scott Frost era. That means the late-September and early-October stretch against Ohio State, Northwestern and Minnesota is the most difficult for Nebraska this fall. We’ll find out if the Huskers are contenders or pretenders pretty early in the B1G slate.
Northwestern
Toughest stretch: Sept. 28 at Wisconsin; Oct. 5 at Nebraska; Oct. 18 vs. Ohio State
Back-to-back road games against Wisconsin and Nebraska before a Friday night kickoff at home against Ohio State presents quite a challenge for the reigning B1G West champs. The Wildcats have tough matchups after that stretch as well, playing Michigan state on Sept. 21 and Iowa on Oct. 26. Not exactly the kindest way to start conference play in 2019. On the bright side, Northwestern’s November schedule isn’t nearly as rigorous.
Ohio State
Toughest stretch: Nov. 16 at Rutgers; Nov. 23 vs. Penn State; Nov. 30 at Michigan
There aren’t many challenging stretches on Ohio State’s schedule — though you could argue the start of October is a bit daunting. That basically leaves the final three games of the season as the toughest stretch for the Buckeyes, even if one of those games includes Rutgers. The final two games will likely have major implications in the B1G East and the College Football Playoff. Penn State has presented plenty of problems for Ohio State and Michigan is eager to get its first win over the Buckeyes since 2011. Ryan Day’s most difficult task comes in late November with plenty on the line.
Penn State
Toughest stretch: Oct. 12 at Iowa; Oct. 19 vs. Michigan; Oct. 26 at Michigan State
Another team that potentially has its season at stake in mid-October. Penn State will have road tests against Iowa and Michigan State with a home game against Michigan in the middle — which will be the annual White Out game. The Nittany Lions have had their hands full with Iowa the last two seasons and lost to Michigan and Michigan State last year, eliminating them from the division race. Now, Penn State will have to play all three in consecutive weeks.
Purdue
Toughest stretch: Nov. 2 vs. Nebraska; Nov. 9 at Northwestern; Nov. 23 at Wisconsin
The early-November schedule could be a deciding factor in Purdue’s postseason aspirations. The Boilermakers host an up-and-coming Nebraska team before traveling to Northwestern and Wisconsin. Purdue does have a bye week sandwiched between visits to Evanston and Madison, but it’s been quite some time since the Boilers have defeated the Wildcats (2010) and the Badgers (2003). Purdue has its hands full in the final month of the season.
Rutgers
Toughest stretch: Nov. 16 vs. Ohio State; Nov. 23 vs. Michigan State; Nov. 30 at Penn State
Nobody in college football has quite the season-ending slate that Rutgers has, and it’s absolutely brutal. Rutgers hosts Ohio State and Michigan State before a trip to Penn State to end the year. A program that’s desperate to get some sort of postseason bid better hope to get six wins before the calendar turns to November. The Scarlet Knights have struggled to be competitive with these programs since joining the B1G, and ending the year with three conference powers is a bit unfair to Chris Ash and his staff.
Wisconsin
Toughest stretch: Oct. 26 at Ohio State; Nov. 9 vs. Iowa; Nov. 16 vs. Nebraska
Wisconsin got the short end of the stick in the cross-division draw. The Badgers play Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State in crossover games, giving them one of the tougher schedules in the B1G. The one positive is that most of those games are spaced out, giving Wisconsin a chance to recuperate. But the end of October into November presents the Badgers with a tough three-game window. Wisconsin does have the advantage of a bye week after hosting Ohio State and gets Iowa and Nebraska at home. Still, this could be a season-defining stretch for the Badgers.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB