Big Ten football schedule 2021: Dates and key matchups (2024)

ESPN

Feb 5, 2021, 02:30 PM ET

The Big Ten has released its schedule for the 2021 college football season, so it's time to start breaking down your team's slate and projecting wins and losses.

Can Ohio State reach the College Football Playoff again? And, after extending coach Jim Harbaugh's contract, what's Michigan going to be up against this season? Let's take a look.

Illinois Fighting Illini

Aug. 28: vs. Nebraska (Dublin, Ireland)

Sept. 4: vs. UTSA

Sept. 11: at Virginia

Sept. 18: vs. Maryland

Sept. 25: at Purdue

Oct. 2: vs. Charlotte

Oct. 9: vs. Wisconsin

Oct. 16: Bye week

Oct. 23: at Penn State

Oct. 30: vs. Rutgers

Nov. 6: at Minnesota

Nov 13: Bye week

Nov. 20: Iowa

Nov. 27: Northwestern

Indiana Hoosiers

Sept. 4: at Iowa

Sept. 11: vs. Idaho

Sept. 18: vs. Cincinnati

Sept. 25: at Western Kentucky

Oct. 2: at Penn State

Oct. 9: Bye week

Oct. 16: vs. Michigan State

Oct. 23: vs. Ohio State

Oct. 30: at Maryland

Nov. 6: at Michigan

Nov 13: vs. Rutgers

Nov. 20: vs. Minnesota

Nov. 27: at Purdue

Iowa Hawkeyes

Sept. 4: vs. Indiana

Sept. 11: at Iowa State

Sept. 18: vs. Kent State

Sept. 25: Colorado State

Oct. 2: vs. Maryland

Oct. 9: vs. Penn State

Oct. 16: vs. Purdue

Oct. 23: Bye week

Oct. 30: at Northwestern

Nov. 6: at Wisconsin

Nov 13: vs. Minnesota

Nov. 20: vs. Illinois

Nov. 27: at Nebraska

Maryland Terrapins

Sept. 4: vs. West Virginia

Sept. 11: vs. Howard

Sept. 18: at Illinois

Sept. 25: vs. Kent State

Oct. 2: vs. Iowa

Oct. 9: at Ohio State

Oct. 16: Bye week

Oct. 23: at Minnesota

Oct. 30: vs. Indiana

Nov. 6: vs. Penn State

Nov. 13: at Michigan State

Nov. 20: vs. Michigan

Nov. 27: at Rutgers

Michigan State Spartans

Sept. 4: at Northwestern

Sept. 11: vs. Youngstown State

Sept. 18: at Miami

Sept. 25: vs. Nebraska

Oct. 2: vs. Western Kentucky

Oct. 9: at Rutgers

Oct. 16: at Indiana

Oct. 23: Bye week

Oct. 30: vs. Michigan

Nov. 6: at Purdue

Nov 13: vs. Maryland

Nov. 20: at Ohio State

Nov. 27: vs. Penn State

Michigan Wolverines

Sept. 4: vs. Western Michigan

Sept. 11: vs. Washington

Sept. 18: vs. Northern Illinois

Sept. 25: vs. Rutgers

Oct. 2: at Wisconsin

Oct. 9: at Nebraska

Oct. 16: Bye week

Oct. 23: vs. Northwestern

Oct. 30: at Michigan State

Nov. 6: vs. Indiana

Nov 13: at Penn State

Nov. 20: at Maryland

Nov. 27: vs. Ohio State

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Sept. 4: vs. Ohio State

Sept. 11: vs. Miami (Ohio)

Sept. 18: at Colorado

Sept. 25: vs. Bowling Green

Oct. 2: at Purdue

Oct. 9: Bye week

Oct. 16: vs. Nebraska

Oct. 23: vs. Maryland

Oct. 30: at Northwestern

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Aug. 28: vs. Illinois (Dublin, Ireland)

Sept. 4: Bye week

Sept. 11: vs. Buffalo

Sept. 18: at Oklahoma

Sept. 25: at Michigan State

Oct. 2: vs. Northwestern

Oct. 9: vs. Michigan

Oct. 16: at Minnesota

Oct. 23: Bye week

Oct. 30: vs. Purdue

Nov. 6: vs. Ohio State

Nov. 20: at Wisconsin

Nov. 27: vs. Iowa

Northwestern Wildcats

Sept. 4: vs. Michigan State

Sept. 11: vs. Indiana State

Sept. 18: at Duke

Sept. 25: vs. Ohio

Oct. 2: at Nebraska

Oct. 9: Bye week

Oct. 16: vs. Rutgers

Oct. 23: at Michigan

Oct. 30: Minnesota

Nov. 6: Iowa

Nov 13: at Wisconsin

Nov. 20: vs. Purdue

Nov. 27: at Illinois

Ohio State Buckeyes

Sept. 2: at Minnesota

Sept. 11: vs. Oregon

Sept. 18: vs. Tulsa

Sept. 25: vs. Akron

Oct. 2: at Rutgers

Oct. 9: vs. Maryland

Oct. 16: Bye week

Oct. 23: at Indiana

Oct. 30: vs. Penn State

Nov. 6: at Nebraska

Nov 13: vs. Purdue

Nov. 20: vs. Michigan State

Nov. 27: at Michigan

Penn State Nittany Lions

Sept. 4: at Wisconsin

Sept. 11: vs. Ball State

Sept. 18: vs. Auburn

Sept. 25: vs. Villanova

Oct. 2: vs. Indiana

Oct. 9: at Iowa

Oct. 16: Bye week

Oct. 23: vs. Illinois

Oct. 30: at Ohio State

Nov. 6: at Maryland

Nov 13: vs. Michigan

Nov. 20: vs. Rutgers

Nov. 27: at Michigan State

Purdue Boilermakers

Sept. 4: vs. Oregon State

Sept. 11: at UConn

Sept. 18: at Notre Dame

Sept. 25: vs. Illinois

Oct. 2: vs. Minnesota

Oct. 9: Bye week

Oct. 16: at Iowa

Oct. 23: vs. Wisconsin

Oct. 30: at Nebraska

Nov. 6: vs. Michigan State

Nov 13: at Ohio State

Nov. 20: at Northwestern

Nov. 27: vs. Indiana

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Sept. 4: vs. Temple

Sept. 11: at Syracuse

Sept. 18: vs. Delaware

Sept. 25: at Michigan

Oct. 2: vs. Ohio State

Oct. 9: vs. Michigan State

Oct. 16: at Northwestern

Oct. 23: Bye week

Oct. 30: at Illinois

Nov. 6: vs. Wisconsin

Nov 13: at Indiana

Nov. 20: at Penn State

Nov. 27: vs. Maryland

Wisconsin Badgers

Sept 4: vs. Penn State

Sept. 11: vs. Eastern Michigan

Sept. 18: Bye week

Sept. 25: vs. Notre Dame (at Soldier Field)

Oct. 2: vs. Michigan

Oct. 9: at Illinois

Oct. 16: vs. Army

Oct. 23: at Purdue

Oct. 30: vs. Iowa

Nov. 6: at Rutgers

Nov. 13: vs. Northwestern

Nov. 20: vs. Nebraska

Nov. 27: at Minnesota