The Big Ten has released its television schedule for the first few weeks of the season, which is a huge deal. We already knew who teams would be playing and in what week, but now that we know the channels, we can practice changing them on our remote controls.
It’s important to keep those fingers dexterous!
OK, so maybe the most valuable part of the release is that it means we’re all just a little bit closer to the start of the season. It won’t be long until the pads are popping on a fall Saturday, so with that in mind, why not take a look at some of those early-season games in the Big Ten?
More specifically, which five Big Ten games played before the end of September will have the most significant impact on the College Football Playoff race?
5. Illinois at Indiana
Saturday, Sept. 20
Listen, college football has changed a lot this decade, but this is still somewhat mindblowing. That’s right, in late September, Indiana will host Illinois in a football game that has playoff implications.
Indiana reached the College Football Playoff last season and is looking to make it a habit. Illinois is coming off a 10-win campaign that surprised many and is looked at as a potential 2025 version of Indiana. Neither one of these teams is likely to win the Big Ten, so they’ll have to go the at-large route to get there. That makes every game against a potential playoff combatant that much more important.
4. Michigan at Nebraska
Saturday, Sept. 20 | CBS
I know there will be some guffawing Nebraska’s inclusion on this list, seeing as how it went 7-6 last year. And while I don’t consider the Huskers a contender to win the Big Ten, they has a chance to make a playoff run. Quarterback Dylan Raiola is a former five-star prospect with a year of experience under his belt and a new offensive coordinator in Dana Holgorsen. If he and the offense take a leap, the Huskers are suddenly a lot more dangerous.
Remember, nobody saw Indiana and Illinois having the 2024 seasons they did last May, either. I’ll also point out that Matt Rhule went 6-6 at Temple in his second season and 7-6 at Baylor. In his third seasons he went 10-4 and 11-3, respectively.
A win over Michigan would certainly get people’s attention, but this game is equally important for the Wolverines. Last year was a major disappointment, even if it did end with wins over Ohio State and Alabama. Following a national title with eight wins is never the plan and competing for the Big Ten and playoff berths is the expectation in Ann Arbor. Of course, I would argue this isn’t even the biggest game on Michigan’s schedule in September. This next one is.
3. Michigan at Oklahoma
Saturday, Sept. 6
If the Big Ten wants to get four teams into the playoff again, it needs to win these marquee matchups against non-conference foes. No, Oklahoma did not have a good season last year, and the hopes aren’t overly high in 2025 (its win total is currently at 6.5). But it’s still an SEC program on the road. Winning this game will carry a lot of weight among the College Football Playoff selection committee.
Think of how beating Michigan in Ann Arbor helped get Texas the No. 5 seed in last year’s playoff.
This will also be our first real glimpse at what Michigan will be in 2025. My guess is everybody will play well against New Mexico, but Oklahoma is difficult to beat at home. Just ask Alabama.
2. Oregon at Penn State
Saturday, Sep. 27
This is one of the biggest Big Ten conference games of the year — not just in September. It’s a rematch of the Big Ten Championship and a matchup of the two teams right behind Ohio State in the Big Ten title odds for 2025.
There’s plenty of hype surrounding Penn State this offseason. The Nittany Lions bring a lot of key starters back on both sides of the ball, as well as a new defensive coordinator plucked from Ohio State in Jim Knowles. It’s the same kind of “all-in” season we’ve seen from Michigan and Ohio State the last two years, and that worked out well for them. The Nittany Lions also have third-year starter Drew Allar at QB, which should be an advantage for them this early in the season.
Oregon is replacing a lot from last year’s Big Ten champion, but while expected starter Dante Moore has never started in Eugene, he’s not new to the program. He spent all last season learning the playbook and getting practice reps behind Dillon Gabriel. That often makes a big difference for a transfer QB.
1. Texas at Ohio State
Saturday, Aug. 30
What a way to start the season! It’s a rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal in the Cotton Bowl. Ohio State won 28-14 to get to the national title game, but both these teams will look a lot different.
Ohio State will have new starters damn near everywhere, but it will still be one of the most talented teams in the country. It will also still have Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs, which is an excellent start on offense and defense.
Texas is seen as the favorite to take the national title this season and has that Arch Manning guy at QB. It won’t be his first career start — he filled in for an injured Quinn Ewers in the middle of last season — but it will be his first start as The Guy. And he’ll be making it in The Horseshoe against the defending national champion.
This is another of those Big Ten-SEC matchups that will carry a lot of weight come December. The reality of college football in 2025 is that most at-large spots will come down to Big Ten and SEC teams, so every single game between the two leagues in the regular season might help determine which league gets those spots.
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