https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/70...n-football-schedule-conference-game-rankings/
The Big Ten has reached the midpoint of its five-year football scheduling rotation, and the 2026 season might bring the deepest collection of high-value matchups in conference history. The last three national champions all play one another, while Oregon faces both Ohio State and Michigan. There are a few grudge matches on deck, on top of the 12 permanent rivalry games played annually.
The league announced its 2026 schedule Tuesday after several weeks spent sorting through scenarios. So let’s rank all 81 Big Ten conference games coming next fall, from Ohio State at Indiana to Maryland at Purdue.
1. Ohio State at Indiana, Oct. 17
The two most recent College Football Playoff champions square off in Bloomington in a rematch of last year’s
No. 1 vs. 2 Big Ten title game, which Indiana
won 13-10, ending a 30-game losing streak to the Buckeyes. This could be the hottest football ticket ever in Bloomington.
19. Minnesota at Wisconsin, Nov. 28
Minnesota now holds a 64-63-8 lead in the Football Bowl Subdivision’s most-played rivalry after its win in a Minneapolis snowstorm. The battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe heads to Camp Randall Stadium, where the Gophers have won three of the last four.
24. Minnesota at Penn State, Nov. 7
The Governor’s Victory Bell ranks near the bottom among
Big Ten traveling trophies, but that’s not why this game lands here. When Matt Campbell coached at Iowa State, he and Minnesota counterpart P.J. Fleck had numerous intense recruiting battles.
29. Michigan at Minnesota, Oct. 3
These teams play for the iconic Little Brown Jug in what was considered the top rivalry of the Big Ten’s first half-century. Two years ago in Ann Arbor, the Gophers’ furious rally was thwarted by a controversial offside penalty on a recovered onside kick. Meeting No. 107 is in Minneapolis.
30. Iowa at Minnesota, Oct. 24
Floyd of Rosedale arguably is college football’s greatest traveling trophy, which helps this game often get a prime TV slot even if the matchup doesn’t measure up. Iowa has won 10 of the last 11, including five straight in Minneapolis.
37. Minnesota at Washington, Sept. 26
The Gophers and Huskies had quite the series back in the late 1940s and 1950s, but their most important matchup took place in the Jan. 1, 1961 Rose Bowl, when No. 7 Washington toppled top-ranked Minnesota, 17-7. The Gophers had already collected the national title, which was given before the bowls in that era.
53. Minnesota at Indiana, Oct. 31
Indiana hasn’t beaten Minnesota since 2007, but this is one of the Big Ten’s most infrequently played series, with only three games since 2008.
58. Northwestern at Minnesota, Nov. 21
This series reaches its 100th edition this season, and if the last two matchups are any indication, it should be a thriller. Northwestern won 38-35 at Wrigley Field in November to become bowl eligible and won 37-34 in overtime in 2024.
60. UCLA at Minnesota, Nov. 7
This is the first time the teams will play in Minnesota since 1977 at the old Memorial Stadium. The Gophers have won three of the four matchups, including in 2024 at the Rose Bowl.
67. Minnesota at Purdue, Oct. 10
Purdue has lost 18 consecutive Big Ten games, and Minnesota handed it the most painful of those defeats last year. The Boilers led by a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter before the Gophers scored two touchdowns in seven seconds.
