Michigan State will be in tough to repeat as champions of the Big Ten this season with Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa among the contenders lined up looking to take them down. The schedule is more important than ever as the top teams from each conference attempt to prove that they belong in the College Football Playoff and while winning the Big Ten will be an impressive accomplishment for whichever team comes out on top, the reality is that it will take near perfection to land among the final four teams selected to compete for a national championship in the playoff.
Here is a look at the toughest non-conference game for the top Big Ten teams.
Michigan State – 9/17 @ Notre Dame
The Spartans are coming off a special season but there is little doubt at this point about hwo tough it will be for them to repeat in the Big Ten. The Spartans lost some talented pieces while the rest of the conference improved with the Buckeyes and Wolverines appearing poised to challenge for a championship. Michigan State will have its work cut out in conference play and it won’t help that they have a very difficult showdown at Notre Dame in the second week of the season. The Spartans should have no problem with Furman in their opener but it won’t take long for them to have to play a tough opponent in the Fighting Irish and the potential is there for that early challenge to trip them up as they adjust with a lot of new pieces in place.
Ohio State – 9/17 @ Oklahoma
Ohio State will open the season with a pair of easy wins over Bowling Green and Tulsa but they will have a high profile game the following week when they visit Oklahoma. The Buckeyes have dealt with substantial turnover following the loss of several key pieces including nine underclassmen to the NFL Draft so there is expected to be an adjustment period early on. Urban Meyer will have to have his team playing at a high level by the time they make the trip to Norman for a showdown on September 17th in what should undoubtedly be their toughest non-conference game on the slate.
The Buckeyes still had a very good year last year but obviously they fell short of where they wanted to be and didn’t win the College Football Playoff. That being the case, if they want to show that they’re back on track, getting the job done early in the season against a quality Sooners team is exactly what they’ll have to do.
Michigan – 9/17 vs. Colorado
Jim Harbaugh helped double Michigan’s win total a year ago from five to 10 and there is plenty of optimism surrounding what he will have in store for an encore. The expectation is that the Wolverines will contend for a Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. That will mean taking care of business within the Big Ten but also against non-conference opponents in Hawaii, Central Florida and Colorado. The first two of those opponents shouldn’t be a problem but the Buffaloes have an experienced quarterback in Davis Webb and could be a dark horse to upset Michigan when they meet on September 17th.
Iowa – 9/10 vs. Iowa State
The Hawkeyes are coming off a year in which they won the Big Ten West division and while there has been a lot of talk about the fans being disappointed by a lack of marquee matchups on their schedule the reality is that they probably should be happy about it. Iowa will face a relatively mediocre schedule this season with Michigan their toughest test in Big Ten play and that should provide a level of optimism that they will be able to repeat as division champions. Their toughest non-conference game will be a rivalry matchup with Iowa State in the second week of the season and an early victory will only help their overall confidence early on.
