So far, I’ve graded the schedules of the Big 12 and the Pac 12 (North and South). We’re up to the Big Ten, the final Power 5 conference that, starting this year, only plays three non-conference games due to a nine-game season schedule.
The West is definitely expected to be the weaker of the Big Ten’s two divisions, with no apparent CFP contenders. Still, you never know what can happen and there are some impressive schedules here. Besides, no one saw Iowa being 33 seconds away from a CFP berth last year. Who is to say that the same cannot happen again?
Big Ten West Non-Conference Schedule Grades
Illinios Fighting Illini
September 3rd: Murray State
Illinois is a program in turmoil right now and desperately needs a cupcake to get this season off on the right track. Just don’t lose to the FCS Racers.
Grade: C-
September 10th: North Carolina
Good for Illinois for scheduling this, but barring a miracle, the Tar Heels are out of the Illini’s league (no pun intended).
Grade: B+
September 17th: Western Michigan
This should be a good game. The Broncos might be one of the strongest MAC teams since Jordan Lynch was at NIU. Illinois can’t take them for granted.
Grade:B-
Overall:
My rule of thumb for most Power 5 teams is to schedule another Power 5 team of about relatively equal standing, a solid Group of 5 team, and one cupcake/tune-up. Illinois did well on the G5 team, but probably bit of more than it can chew with its P5 choice.
Grade: B+
Iowa Hawkeyes
September 3rd: Miami (OH)
Did you know that the Redhawks are in the top 40 all-time FBS programs by number of wins? Did you know that Miami (OH) has won 48 more games than Iowa? Did you know that none of that matters, because in 2016 Miami is a cupcake game? Yeah, you probably knew that last one.
Grade: D
September 10th: Iowa State
This is a rivalry game that is played every year. Anything can happen in rivalry games. I can’t hold it against Iowa for playing this game. I can hold the fact that their toughest non-conference opponent is a Big 12 lightweight against the Hawkeyes, though.
Grade: B
September 17th: North Dakota State
Yeah, the Bison are an FCS team. They’ve also won five straight NCAA championships and could definitely compete at an FBS level with middle-tier Group of 5 teams. They’re no cupcake and it takes real guts to schedule them.
Grade: C
Overall:
This schedule has one true cupcake (Miami), one challenging almost-cupcake (NDSU), and one P5 team that should be a cupcake. When your best non-conference opponent is an FCS school, I can’t give you a good grade, even if that FCS school is the best program in FCS/I-AA history.
Grade: C
Minnesota Golden Gophers
September 1st: Oregon State
Minnesota as a program might be in a better spot than Oregon State right now, but this is still a meeting between two Power 5 teams of relatively equal stature. That’s what I like to see.
Grade: A-
September 10th: Indiana State
The Sycamores fulfill Minnesota’s FCS quota for the year.
Grade: F
September 24th: Colorado State
The Rams are honestly tough to judge. They’re a decent Group of 5 program that is actually getting some dark horse buzz for being invited into the Big 12. They’re not consistently good, though, and are experiencing a post-Jim McElwain slump if last year is any indication.
Grade: C
Overall:
One near-equal P5, one decent G5, and one cupcake. It’s not perfect, but I can’t ask for too much more.
Grade: B+
Nebraska Cornhuskers
September 3rd: Fresno State
Fresno is an on-again off-again program that was in the midst of an “off” cycle the past few years. That can change, though, as the Bulldogs usually have talent and are capable of upsetting good teams. This is a decent G5 program, at the absolute worst.
Grade: B-
September 10th: Wyoming
Wyoming, on the other hand, is not a very good G5 program. The Cowboys haven’t been to a bowl game since 2011. Craig Bohl, who won three consecutive national championships at NDSU, was brought in to fix up the program, but he hasn’t had success yet.
Grade: D
September 17th: Oregon
The Ducks might not be a classic “blue-blood”, but they have been an elite program for over a decade now. Nebraska is a blue-blood but is searching to regain that elite status. This is an excellent matchup and should be one of the top Week 3 games. (Or it would be, if conference-mates Michigan State and Ohio State weren’t playing even bigger ones.)
Grade: A+
Overall:
Nebraska, with veteran quarterback Tommy Armstrong III, is being pegged by some as a potential CFP dark horse. This schedule of a top P5 opponent, one decent G5 opponent, and one cupcake will definitely help that potential.
Grade: A
Northwestern Wildcats
September 3rd: Western Michigan
As mentioned above, Western Michigan is building a strong program under coach P.J. Fleck right now. This is no cupcake.
Grade: C
September 10th: Illinois State
I’m okay with in-state FCS teams as long as the rest of the schedule is good.
Grade: D
September 17th: Duke
Two surprisingly-good P5 schools meeting in non-conference play? These are the games we love to see.
Grade: A+
Overall:
Northwestern had one of its best seasons in school history last year, blowout bowl loss notwithstanding. The Wildcats can start to back that up this year with a solid non-conference schedule, including a good G5 team, a cupcake, and a good P5 opponent.
Grade: A-
Purdue Boilermakers
September 3rd: Eastern Kentucky
Purdue will need all the wins it can get. Cupcake games are okay for a program in this position.
Grade: D
September 10th: Cincinnati
The Bearcats are a middle-of-the-pack AAC team, which means they would be one of the best in any other G5 conference. This is a solid program with good talent. I’m not sure scheduling Cincinnati is such a good idea for Purdue. It’s always embarrassing, for both the team and the conference, when P5 schools lose to G5 schools. And make no mistake, Cincinnati will be favored in this game.
Grade: B
September 24th: Nevada
I could have said the same about Nevada as I did about Cincinnati, but the Wolf Pack seems to have fallen on tougher times. This will probably be the final game of the season in which Purdue is favored.
Grade: C+
Overall:
Purdue is struggling as a program, so scheduling weak is okay. The program needs it. Two likely wins and one game that they will have a fighting chance in sounds like a sensible non-conference slate for the Boilermakers.
Grade: B+
Wisconsin Badgers
September 3rd: vs LSU (in Green Bay, WI)
This will be one of the many marquee games of Week 1 and the highlight of the Saturday afternoon portion of that loaded schedule. This will be must-see football.
Grade: A+
September 10th: Akron
Terry Bowden is doing an amazing turnaround job in Akron. Still, this will be a cupcake game for a Wisconsin team that will be in great need of wins once it starts its brutal conference schedule.
Grade: C-
September 17th: Georgia State
Georgia State actually made a bowl game last year, but it’s still probably a cupcake by most standards.
Grade: C-
Overall:
Wisconsin plays two cupcakes. Still for a team whose three cross-divisional games are a brutal stretch of Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State, I’ll let the cupcakes pass. Heck, I would probably let a third cupcake pass with that unbalanced conference schedule. The fact that the Badgers are playing LSU on top of those three will make this one of the better schedules in the country.
Grade: A-
