Breaking down the toughest and easiest Big Ten schedules in 2026

The Big Ten released its 2026 football schedules on Tuesday, and several schools are feeling the pain of the conference's unbalanced scheduling, while others should see a more fortuitous path of potential.

Whether coincidence or not, the Big Ten's two best teams in 2025 benefited from fairly favorable schedules.

Conference and national champion Indiana played just two teams that finished in the final AP top 25 rankings, but that did include daunting road games at Oregon (No. 4 in the final poll) and Iowa (No. 17).

The Hoosiers also had a road game against a Penn State team expected to be far better than it was and a home game vs. then-No. 9 Illinois, which ultimately finished just outside the final rankings. But they also played six of the bottom seven teams in the final Big Ten standings.

Ohio State took on a stiff non-conference test vs. Texas, but in league play, it faced just one team that would finish in the final AP top 25 (No. 21 Michigan), with Illinois just missing the cut. The Buckeyes played five of the bottom seven teams in the final conference standings and only one that finished in the top six.

So who got the best and worst of the upcoming 2026 Big Ten slate? Let's break it down from both angles.

Toughest Big Ten schedules in 2026

Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin and the Buckeyes had a fairly favorable Big Ten schedule in 2025 -- not so in 2026. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Ohio State's favorable 2025 slate is offset by a ferocious 2026 lineup of opponents.

Of course, it was the Buckeyes' own doing to schedule a non-conference road game at Texas (Sept. 12), completing the home-and-home series against what should be a preseason top-5 opponent.

But the Big Ten didn't do the Buckeyes any favors either.

Ohio State gets reigning national champion Indiana on the road (Oct. 17), hosts surefire preseason top-10 Oregon (Nov. 7), has road games Oct. 3 at Iowa (9-4 and No. 17 in 2025, always a tough place to play) and Oct. 31 at USC (9-4 and No. 20 in 2025) and of course closes the regular-season with the rivalry game vs. Michigan (9-4, No. 21).

The Buckeyes' other Big Ten games are home vs. Illinois, Maryland and Northwestern and on the road at Nebraska.

Including Texas, that's potentially three top-10 and six top-25 opponents, with the potential of more if Illinois builds off its 19 wins the last two years or if Nebraska surprises.

Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern and coach David Braun face Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon on the road in 2026. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

What did Northwestern and coach David Braun do to deserve this?

The Wildcats are the only Big Ten team that has to play reigning national champion Indiana (Sept. 26) and fellow 2025 CFP teams Oregon (Oct. 31) and Ohio State (Nov. 14), all on the road.

Northwestern also hosts a rejuvenated Penn State team with new head coach Matt Campbell, travels to Michigan State to face former Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald, hosts Rutgers and Iowa and gets road games against always-feisty Minnesota and Illinois coming off two good seasons.

To punctuate the challenge, the final three games (Ohio State, Minnesota and Illinois) are all on the road in consecutive weeks. Add in the trip to Oregon, and four of the final five games are on the road with no byes in between. In fact, the Wildcats' lone bye is in Week 2 with no breaks the rest of the way.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska and coach Matt Rhule have one of the toughest Big Ten schedules in 2026. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Nebraska also gets the treacherous trifecta with Indiana at home on Oct. 10, Oregon on the road the very next week and Ohio State at home Nov. 21.

But really, the final seven games of the season shape up as a mostly relentless gauntlet.

After a light non-conference schedule and opening Big Ten play at Michigan State and home vs. Maryland, Nebraska faces the following:

Reigning national champion Indiana, road game at CFP semifinalist Oregon, bye week, home vs. Washington coming off a 9-4 season with returning star QB Demond Williams Jr., on the road vs. an Illinois team coming off 19 wins the last two seasons, at Rutgers (back-to-back road games if nothing else), perennial national contender Ohio State at home and a road finale at Iowa (one of the toughest places to play in college football) six days later.

It's hard to see this being the breakout season fourth-year coach Matt Rhule needs at Nebraska after back-to-back 7-6 finishes.

Michigan Wolverines

Michigan football head coach Kyle Whittingham doesn't catch any breaks with the Wolverines' Big Ten schedule in his first season. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan football has fresh energy and heightened optimism with longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham taking the reins, but the Wolverines won't be getting any help from the Big Ten schedule in his first season.

Michigan is yet another team tasked with taking on the conference's top three teams from this past season, hosting Indiana on Oct. 24, traveling to Oregon on Nov. 14 and closing at rival Ohio State on Nov. 28.

The Wolverines also face another 2025 CFP team in hosting Oklahoma on Sept. 12, to conclude the non-conference home-and-home series after losing to the Sooners this past season. Additionally, home games against Iowa (Sept. 26) and Penn State (Oct. 17) could be tough tests as well.

The rest of Michigan's Big Ten slate includes road games at Minnesota and Rutgers and home contests with Michigan State and UCLA.

USC Trojans

USC and coach Lincoln Riley have a daunting Big Ten schedule ahead in 2026. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Coach Lincoln Riley is facing mounting pressure entering his fifth season at USC, posting just one season of double-digit wins so far while having yet to reach the College Football Playoff or finish in the top 10 of the final AP poll.

And he has perhaps his most challenging schedule ahead in 2026, despite USC and Notre Dame dissolving their annual rivalry series to take another likely ranked opponent off the slate.

The Trojans are still looking to find a Week 0 opponent to replace the Fighting Irish on the schedule, but in so doing, they will be the only Big Ten team with two byes in 2026. And they'll need them!

USC also faces the conference's three 2025 CFP teams -- hosting Oregon on Sept. 26, hosting Ohio State on Oct. 31, and after a bye, traveling to Indiana on Nov. 14.

After a likely 3-0 start vs. the season-opening opponent yet to be named, Fresno State and Louisiana, the Trojans go into a grueling stretch with a cross-country road trip to Rutgers (those East Coast games have tripped up Riley's Trojans), followed by that game vs. Oregon, a home game vs. Washington (9-4 in 2025) and another cross-country road game at Penn State in its new era under Campbell.

After their first bye week in mid-October, USC goes on the road to Wisconsin (4-8 in 2025 but a road game all the same) before the games with Ohio State and at Indiana (with a bye in between). The Trojans then close at home vs. Maryland and across town at UCLA.

Brutal.

Easiest Big Ten schedules in 2026

Wisconsin Badgers

Luke Fickell is under a lot of pressure entering his fourth season at Wisconsin, but his Badgers have a favorable schedule. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

If any coach in the conference needed a bit of a break, it's Wisconsin's Luke Fickell, who survived the hot seat in 2025 despite a 4-8 finish and second straight losing season, but is under major pressure in 2026.

He'll have every chance to improve Wisconsin's win total with the most favorable schedule in the entire Big Ten.

Incredibly, Wisconsin avoids six of the eight Big Ten teams that won nine or more games in 2025, missing Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Washington and Illinois.

The Badgers' toughest Big Ten games (in order of schedule) are Sept. 26 at Penn State, Oct. 24 vs. USC (9-4, No. 20 in 2025) and Oct. 31 at Iowa (9-4, No. 17). Excluding itself, of course, Wisconsin plays the other five bottom teams from the 2025 standings -- home vs. Michigan State and Rutgers and on the road at UCLA, Maryland and Purdue -- before closing at home vs. Minnesota.

Wisconsin does have a Week 1 non-conference challenge vs. Notre Dame, but overall, if Fickell can't win vs. this schedule, then we all know what happens next.

Penn State Nittany Lions

New Penn State coach Matt Campbell gets a favorable schedule in his first season. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State is hoping a reset with new head coach Matt Campbell brings an immediate rejuvenation after a 7-6 finish in 2025, and the schedule is sure to help.

The Nittany Lions also avoid Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon.

They very well could or should be 5-0 after opening with Marshall, Temple (on the road), Buffalo, Wisconsin and Northwestern (on the road).

Penn State's toughest games (in order of schedule) are Oct. 10 vs. USC (which struggles in cross-country road games), Oct. 17 at Michigan and Nov. 7 at Washington.

In between the Michigan and Washington road trips, Penn State gets a bye week and a home game with Purdue, and then it closes at home vs. Minnesota, Rutgers and at Maryland.

Maryland Terrapins

Maryland and coach Mike Locksley have a favorable Big Ten schedule in 2026. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Maryland coach Mike Locksley is facing a pivotal season in his eighth year with the Terrapins after back-to-back disappointing 4-8 finishes, but at least the schedule works in his favor this year.

Maryland plays just two ranked teams from 2025 -- Oct. 10 at Ohio State and Nov. 21 at Penn State.

A non-conference game with James Franklin's rebuilt Virginia Tech, a mid-season tilt with Illinois and the finale vs. Penn State could be challenging matchups, but all are at home. As is UCLA, Rutgers and Wisconsin, with other Big Ten road games at Nebraska and Purdue.