Badgers in trouble? Ranking the toughest schedules in the Big Ten

The Big Ten has a brand new look for 2024 and some of the new additions will be very tough opponents. The Badgers will face newcomers from the West Coast, Oregon and UCLA, to name a few, along with some more familiar foes from the Midwest. So let’s take a look at which teams have the toughest schedules in the conference according to College Football Network.

Schedule 2024: vs. Akron, at Virginia Tech, vs. Washington, in Nebraska, vs. UCLA, at USC, vs. Minnesota, Maryland, vs. Illinois, at Michigan State

Rutgers’ toughest matchup will be with USC. Additionally, they managed to avoid Michigan, Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State on a pretty favorable schedule.

2024 schedule: vs. FIU, vs. Western Illinois, at UCLA, vs. Charlotte, vs. Maryland, at Northwestern, vs. Nebraska, vs. Washington, in East Lansing, vs. Michigan, at Ohio State, vs. Purdue

While Indiana plays Michigan and Ohio State, their non-conference schedule features teams that were a combined 7-28 last season.

2024 schedule: vs. UTEP, vs. Colorado, vs. Northern Iowa, vs. Illinois, at Purdue, vs. Rutgers, at Indiana, at Ohio State, vs. UCLA, at USC, vs. Wisconsin, at Iowa

Nebraska will have to get through Ohio State, USC and I think Colorado, depending on how you feel about coach Deion’s team. Plus, they have some pretty favorable matchups and don’t have to hit the road until Week 5.

2024 schedule: vs. Illinois State, vs. Iowa State, vs. Troy, at Minnesota, at Ohio State, vs. Washington, at Michigan State, vs. Northwestern, vs. Wisconsin, at UCLA, at Maryland, vs. Nebraska

Within the conference schedule, Ohio State looms large. Iowa State will be a tough non-conference test for the Hawkeyes.

Schedule 2024: vs. UConn vs. Michigan State, in Virginia, vs. Villanova, Indiana, vs. Northwestern, vs. USC, at Minnesota, at Oregon, vs. Rutgers, vs. Iowa, at Penn State

USC, Oregon and Penn State will be the biggest hurdles for Maryland.

2024 schedule: vs. North Carolina, vs. Rhode Island, vs. Nevada, vs. Iowa, at Michigan, vs. USC, at UCLA, vs. Maryland, at Illinois, at Rutgers, vs. Penn State, at Wisconsin

A positive for Minnesota is that it will start at home against Penn State and USC. Road games against Wisconsin and Michigan will certainly be tough and Minnesota might be lucky to win just one of those four.

2024 schedule: at West Virginia, vs. Bowling Green, vs. Kent State, vs. Illinois, vs. UCLA, at USC, at Wisconsin, vs. Ohio State, vs. Washington, at Purdue, at Minnesota, vs. Maryland

Penn State will be a team no one wants to deal with in 2024. However, they do have their own issues with back-to-backs of USC, Wisconsin and Ohio State and a tough Week 1 matchup against West Virginia.

Schedule 2024: vs. Akron vs. Western Michigan, vs. Marshall, at Michigan State, vs. Iowa, in Oregon, vs. Nebraska, at Penn State, vs. Purdue, at Northwestern, vs. Indiana vs. Michigan

Ohio State should roll over their first five opponents, but that’s where things start to get interesting. Oregon, Penn State and Michigan present a very tough draw for conference opponents.

2024 Schedule: vs. Miami (OH), vs. Duke, vs. Eastern Illinois, at Washington, vs. Indiana, at Maryland, vs. Wisconsin, at Iowa, at Purdue, vs. Ohio State, at Michigan, vs. Illinois

Three consecutive non-conference home games should give Northwestern some confidence to start the year. They’ll need it as Ohio State and Michigan wait at the end of the schedule.

2024 schedule: vs. Florida Atlantic, in Maryland, vs. Prairie View A&M, at Boston College, vs. Ohio State, at Oregon, vs. Iowa, in Michigan, vs. Indiana, in Illinois, vs. Purdue vs. Rutgers

The Spartans have a favorable schedule to start the year, but the schedule makers gave Michigan State the middle finger, as they all wrote Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan within a month.

2024 schedule: vs. Idaho, vs. Boise State, at Oregon State, at UCLA, vs. Michigan State, vs. Ohio State, at Purdue, vs. Illinois, at Michigan, vs. Maryland, at Wisconsin, vs. Washington

Our first newcomer to the conference, Oregon, has a fairly difficult schedule, but the real problems for these West Coast schools are the distances to travel for each away game. Still, Oregon plans to be a playoff team.

2024 schedule: vs. Weber State, vs. Eastern Michigan, Washington State, vs. Northwestern, at Rutgers, vs. Michigan, in Iowa, in Indiana, vs. USC, at Penn State, vs. UCLA, Oregon

An easy start will help a team that just lost their head coach to Alabama. It will become increasingly difficult over time, with powerhouses Michigan, USC, Penn State and Oregon all facing potential losses.

2024: Schedule: vs. Eastern Illinois, vs. Kansas, vs. Central Michigan, at Nebraska, at Penn State, vs. Purdue, vs. Michigan, at Oregon, vs. Minnesota, vs. Michigan State, at Rutgers, at Northwestern

Three straight home games will certainly help the Illini, but Penn State and Oregon will prove difficult. Getting Michigan home only does so much against that car.

2024 schedule: vs. Fresno State vs. Texas, vs. Arkansas State vs. USC vs. Minnesota, in Washington, in Illinois, vs. Michigan State vs. Oregon, Indiana, vs. Northwestern, Ohio

The defending champions will not have an easy time in 2024. Between Texas, Ohio State and Oregon, Michigan may be playing three of the top five teams in the country.

2024 Schedule: vs. Western Michigan, vs. South Dakota, vs. Alabama, at USC, vs. Purdue, at Rutgers, at Northwestern, vs. Penn State, at Iowa, vs. Oregon, at Nebraska, vs. Minnesota

Your Badgers have the fourth toughest schedule in the Big Ten and that may not bode well for a fan base that wants to see more from Head Coach Luke Fickell. Alabama could get ugly and Penn State and Oregon are probably the top 10 teams in the country. USC could also give the team passes. If Fickell isn’t careful, he could be in for another .500 season.

2024 schedule: at Hawaii, vs. Indiana, at LSU, vs. Oregon, at Penn State, vs. Minnesota, at Rutgers, at Nebraska, vs. Iowa, at Washington, vs. USC, vs. Fresno State

UCLA will face the same travel issues as their other West Coast counterparts, but this team doesn’t have the same firepower as a USC or Oregon. LSU, Oregon and Penn State could be three straight losses.

2024 schedule: vs. Indiana State vs. Notre Dame, at Oregon State, vs. Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, vs. Oregon vs. Northwestern, at Ohio State, vs. Penn State, Michigan State, Indiana

Purdue has a fairly tough schedule and, like UCLA, just doesn’t have the ability to overcome it. Notre Dame is the cherry on top of an already tough conference schedule to doom the Boilermakers.

2024 Schedule: vs. LSU, vs. Utah State, at Michigan, vs. Wisconsin, at Minnesota, vs. Penn State, at Maryland, vs. Rutgers, at Washington, vs. Nebraska, at UCLA, vs. Notre Dame

Hopefully the Trojans enjoy pain, because not only do they face Michigan and Penn State in the conference, they also have dates with LSU and Notre Dame.