Big Ten football schedule is released for the 2020 season

The Big Ten has put together their schedule for the 10-game 2020 season. 

Last month it was announced that the Big Ten would move to conference-only for fall sports,  which obviously includes football.

They had to make some adjustments before they could announce the new schedule, but it’s here now and if the college football season is a go, it’ll be entertaining in the Big Ten.

The marquee Big Ten match-up is Ohio State and Michigan, which is set to be played on Oct. 24.

The season begins over Labor Day weekend with the most competitive game that weekend looking to be Michigan State versus Minnesota. Every team is armed with two bye weeks and the season will conclude right before Thanksgiving (normally it goes a few days past Thanksgiving).

The BIG 10 had six teams ranked in the top 25 when the 2019 season was all said and done (Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan) and most of those teams will see at least three of the other teams, giving us some great match-ups.

Ohio State, who was the best team in the Big Ten last year, has a pretty easy ride to start the season and then facing Michigan, Penn State and Iowa in three of their final four games.

This hurts some of the weaker teams in the conference, who rely on the non-conference games as easier wins at the start of the year. Indiana now has to start their 2020 campaign against Wisconsin while also playing Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota and Michigan.

Nebraska also has an incredibly tough slate, but at least they get to start the season out with a game against Rutgers. In four straight weeks, however, they’ll face Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, and Ohio State and then a few weeks later will play Penn State. Yikes.

While the schedule release is exciting, college football’s fate in 2020 is still up in the air. It’d be great to have football this fall, but it has to be safe for the players, coaches and staff and that’s of the utmost importance right now.