Ohio St. faces Nebraska as part of Big Ten start

National title contender Ohio State opens their season at home against Nebraska on Oct. 24, the Big Ten announced Saturday.

Other first week games include Michigan at Minnesota, Penn State at Indiana, Iowa at Purdue, Illinois at Wisconsin, Rutgers at Michigan State and Maryland at Northwestern.

Each team will attempt to play eight games in eight weeks, leaving no wiggle room during the coronavirus pandemic before the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 19. That date will also feature an extra cross-division game for each school, with seeded teams in each division squaring off.

The Big Ten would complete its season before the Dec. 20 Selection Day for the College Football Playoff.

The conference announced Thursday it was reinstating the season after initially postponing the season on Aug. 11.

After protests, petitions, letters from parents of players and even a lawsuit from eight Nebraska football players, the conference felt it was comfortable enough to resume the season.

A big factor in that decision came with access to daily antigen testing and cardiac screening for all 14 Big Ten teams that will be utilized with new protocols throughout the season to ensure the players safety.

The Buckeyes are looking for another berth in the College Football Playoff and another opportunity to compete for a Big Ten Championship. Ohio State will have one of its toughest tests in their second game when it travels to Happy Valley to play Penn State.

play

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields reacts to the Big Ten’s schedule announcement and reassures that the safety precautions will be followed going into the season.

The last time these two played at Penn State, the crowd was a big factor with a sold out stadium, but that won’t be the case this season with no public tickets being sold during the season.

Penn State is hoping to ruin Ohio State’s chances at the playoff, though, and will eventually play Iowa, Michigan and Michigan State to finish out the season.

The Buckeyes have one of the easier paths to the conference championship game after that week two matchup with Penn State. Ohio State plays Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan State and then close with rival Michigan.

The Wolverines will have a new quarterback in either Joe Milton or Cade McNamara, and are going to have a difficult path to a winning season. The Wolverines open at Minnesota, then play in-state rival Michigan State in week two, take on Wisconsin in week four, Penn State in week six and close out with Ohio State in the final week of the season.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has yet to beat the Buckeyes since taking over as head coach.

The teams competing for that spot in the conference championship game in the West division are likely going to be Minnesota and Wisconsin. Those two teams will have to play each other in week six, which could be a pivotal matchup in deciding which team gets to represent their division in that final game.

The Cornhuskers have one of the more difficult schedules of any Big Ten team, starting with the Buckeyes, followed by Wisconsin, Northwestern and Penn State.