1. UW: The Badgers’ crossover games are against Penn State and Michigan, but both are at home. Their road schedule – Illinois, Purdue, Rutgers and Minnesota – looks manageable on paper.
2. Ohio State: The most challenging part of the Buckeyes’ slate comes in October when they go to Indiana and host Penn State in back-to-back weeks.
3. Northwestern: The Wildcats may not play a ranked team in Big Ten play until a trip to UW on Nov. 13.
4. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers can build some momentum early in the season with some winnable games on the docket. They’d better take advantage because the season ends with home games against Ohio State and Iowa wrapped around a trip to UW.
5. Illinois: Nothing will come easy for the Fighting Illini as they look for their first winning campaign in a decade, but the schedule makers were kind to first-year coach Bret Bielema. Illinois has to go to Penn State, but its other two crossover games are at home against Rutgers and Maryland. Plus, the Illini avoid a trip to UW.
