Around the Big Ten

[madootra]

Sticky Fingers, Beggars Banquet, and several ties.......

But they were never a huge favorite. I was/am more of a Cream, Zep, Kinks fan.....

[Dr. Strangelove]

Talking about the non-conference schedules elsewhere got me interested in revisiting upcoming schedules for the entire conference. Here's what to look forward to over the next three years

Illinois

2012 Western Michigan, @ Arizona State, Charleston Southern, Louisiana Tech
2013 Southern Illinois, Cincinnati, Washington
2014 @ Washington

Nothing spectacular here but the Illini will seem to be in the mix every year in the B1G-Pac12 rivalry.

Indiana

2012 Indiana State, @ UMass, Ball State, @ Navy
2013 Indiana State, Navy, Bowling Green, Missouri
2014 Indiana State, @ Bowling Green, @ Missouri, North Texas

Indiana can't take any game for granted but this seems pretty easy. Remember when Indiana used to play Kentucky every single year?

Iowa

2012 Northern Illinois (@ Chicago), Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Central Michigan
2013 Northern Illinois, Missouri State, @ Iowa State, Western Michigan
2014 Northern Iowa, Ball State, Iowa State, @ Pittsburgh

If you're going to play a 1-AA team, then the game with Northern Iowa at least has a semi-rivalry feel to it. The alliance with the Pac12 will greatly help out Iowa's schedules because I feel like they play the exact same OOC every damn year.

Michigan

2012 Alabama (@Dallas), Air Force, UMass, @ Notre Dame
2013 Central Michigan, Notre Dame, Akron, @ UConn
2014 Appalachian State, @ Notre Dame

Kudos to Dave Brandon for doing one thing right and putting together this year's schedule. Probably won't see its likes again for a while.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Michigan State

2012 Boise State, @ Central Michigan, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan
2013 Western Michigan, South Florida, Youngstown State, @ Notre Dame
2014 Jacksonville State, @ West Virginia, Eastern Michigan

The next few years have Sparty playing in more big games than they are used to. They haven't played a BCS team other than Notre Dame since the 2008 season.

Minnesota

2012 @ UNLV, New Hampshire, Western Michigan, Syracuse
2013 UNLV, @ North Carolina, Western Illinois, San Jose State
2014 Eastern Illinois, @ Miami-OH, North Carolina, San Jose State

Not much to see here other than the UNC series. This is another team that may benefit from having the Pac12 imposed on them.

Nebraska

2012 Southern Miss, @ UCLA, Arkansas State
2013 Wyoming, @ Southern Miss, UCLA, South Dakota State
2014 @ Fresno State, Miami, Florida Atlantic

A schedule with a lot of variety and some genuinely interesting games. That game in LA next year will be huge. Nebraska and UCLA haven't played since 1994.

Northwestern

2012 @ Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Boston College, South Dakota
2013 @ California, Syracuse, @ Vanderbilt, Maine
2014 California, Vanderbilt, Western Illinois, @ Notre Dame

Well, Northwestern wins the award, hands-down, for playing the most BCS conference foes. Hopefully Fitzgerald's program keeps rolling along and will win most of these for the pride of the B1G. Northwestern makes a concerted effort to play schools it views as academic peers as well as athletic ones.

[Optimus Prime]

You failed to include OSU, that embarrassed? Michigan's schedule is tough in comparison, shame on the rest.

2012 Alabama (@Dallas), Air Force, UMass, @ Notre Dame

The most difficult OOC in the Nation, hail to the victors.

[Dr. Strangelove]

THE Ohio State University

2012 Miami-OH, Central Florida, California, UAB
2013 Vanderbilt, Florida A&M, @ California, Buffalo
2014 @ Navy (Baltimore), Kent State, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati

Not happy with how the 2013 schedule turned out but 2014 should make up for it. UCF will be a tougher opponent than people think, IMO.

Penn State

2012 Ohio, @ Virginia, Navy, Temple
2013 @ Syracuse (East Rutherford), Eastern Michigan, Virginia, Kent State
2014 Temple, Akron, @ Rutgers

The Virginia series has the Nitters buzzing but otherwise this is more of the same. Another team in need of those Pac12 teams on the schedule.

Purdue

2012 Eastern Kentucky, @ Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, Marshall
2013 @ Cincinnati, Indiana State, Notre Dame, Northern Illinois
2014 Central Michigan, @ Notre Dame, Southern Illinois

Little to get excited about here. Purdue has become a very regional team.

Wisconsin

2012 Northern Iowa, @ Oregon State, Utah State, UTEP
2013 @ Arizona State
2014 @ Washington State, Bowling Green

Badgers will do a lot of traveling to the west coast. They've shrewdly avoided the better programs out there.

[Dr. Strangelove]

You failed to include OSU, that embarrassed? Michigan's schedule is tough in comparison, shame on the rest.

2012 Alabama (@Dallas), Air Force, UMass, @ Notre Dame

The most difficult OOC in the Nation, hail to the victors.

To its credit, Michigan has a very tough OOC this year. Toughest since 2002-2003.

[Paul L]

Hell, Bama alone makes it the toughest OOC in the nation!

[Optimus Prime]

DSL, your boy Urban Meyer would be visiting a Trauma Surgeon for reconstructive esophagus surgery, if he had to live up to Michigan's standard.

[Paul L]

I was surprised to see Pope Urban pry himself away from his family to take in the hoops game this afternoon.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Ha, "Michigan's standard". Michigan's 2012 schedule is an exception, not the rule. But then, you knew that

[Optimus Prime]

DSL, you're as lively as a root vegetable.

[lineygoblue]

ok .. I laughed at that one ...

[whodean]

Way to go Sparty, knocking off the Bucknuts in bball tonight.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Just a random thought that occured to me today, but once the Big10-Pac12 deal kicks in, the Big10 should have at least one day out of every season where they are literally playing in every time zone. I don't know if a conference has ever been able to say that before (same will go for the Pac12 probably).

[Rob F]

I admit it, I borrowed this one from Mgoblog:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_SxDnD2W4&sns=em"]Pure Michigan: Wisconsin & Ohio - YouTube[/ame]