Ranking The 5 hardest big ten time plans for the 2025 season

The football season of 2025 Big Ten becomes one of the most competitive conferences with a mixture of power package programs and rising competitors.

Oregon wasted no time last season to win the big ten in his first year as a member, while the state of Ohio caught the national championship in the first 12-team college football playoff. In the meantime, Penn State returns a invited squad and will enter the season as a top 8 team with serious playoff ambitions.

With so much talent in the conference, it is never easy to navigate a big ten time plan, but some teams will have a more challenging way than others. Between crossover matchups, hard street games and strong non-conference opponents, these five teams are facing the most difficult schedules in 2025.

Ranking the 5 hardest schedules in the big ten

1. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Key games: In Washington, Oregon, in the state of Ohio, Penn State, in Illinois

Rutgers has improved under Greg Schiano, but 2025 will be a big test. The Scarlet Knights have to travel to Washington, Illinois and Ohio State while organizing Oregon and Penn State. Your schedule offers little space for slip-ups, and you have to put together some of your best performance to get ECEN near the bowel authorization.

2. Wisconsin Badgers

Key games: in Alabama in Michigan in Oregon, state of Ohio, Illinois

Wisconsin's schedule is the most difficult in the country. A trip to Alabama at the beginning of the season gives the tone for a brutal slate with street games in Michigan, Oregon and Indiana in Big Ten Play. The Badgers also organize Ohio State and Illinois and make them one of the hardest schedules in college football. If Wisconsin wants to come past Bowl Adlibilty, it has to achieve some great victories on the way.

3. Purdue Boilermakers

Key games: At Notre Dame in Michigan, State of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana

Purdue's way to success in 2025 is full of obstacles. A non-conference road trip to the national second-placed Notre Dame is a challenge in itself, but the boiler makers are also facing a discouraging big ten time plan. You have to travel to Michigan and Washington while they are organized in Ohio State and USC and leave little border for mistakes.

4. Iowa Hawkeyes

Key games: in Penn State in Oregon, Illinois, in USC in Nebraska, in Wisconsin

Iowa is not a stranger for difficult schedules, but 2025 could be one of the most difficult so far. The Hawkeyes travel to Penn State and Oregon – two teams that are probably classified in the top 10 – but they also have road trips to USC, Nebraska and Wisconsin and a home game against Illinois.

5. USC Trojan

Key games: In Illinois in Notre Dame in Oregon in Nebraska, Michigan

USC still adapts to life in the big ten, and in 2025 things will not make things easier. Street games in Oregon, Nebraska and Notre Dame contribute to an already challenging schedule, and a home game against Michigan only increases the difficulty. The Lincoln Riley's team team has to improve particularly in defense in order to make a serious advance in the conference.

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