Power Ranking the 2012 Big Ten Football Schedules

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Which Big Ten team has the strongest schedule in 2012, and how much does that matter?

Some argue it matters quite a bit. Due to the BCS rules, the Michigan Wolverines were almost kept out of a BCS bowl game in 2011 because strength of schedule left them struggling to get into the top 14 in the final BCS poll.

This year, with out-of-conference games against Notre Dame and Alabama, Michigan shouldn't have that problem.

What of the other Big Ten teams? Which teams will have the "easiest" road to the conference championship, and which teams really have to earn it?

The reference to "missing" concerns the conference teams that said team will not meet this season.

12. Indiana Hoosiers

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09/01: Indiana State Sycamores

09/08: At Massachusetts Minutemen

09/15: Ball State Cardinals

09/22: OPEN

09/29: At Northwestern Wildcats

10/06: Michigan State Spartans

10/13: Ohio State Buckeyes

10/20: At Navy Midshipmen

10/27: At Illinois Fighting Illini

11/03: Iowa Hawkeyes

11/10: Wisconsin Badgers

11/17: At Penn State Nittany Lions

11/24: At Purdue Boilermakers

 

Missing: Michigan, Nebraska and Minnesota

11. Iowa Hawkeyes

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09/01: Northern Illinois Huskies at Soldier Field, Chicago

09/08: Iowa State Cyclones

09/15: Northern Iowa Panthers (FCS)

09/22: Central Michigan Chippewas

09/29: Minnesota Golden Gophers

10/06: OPEN

10/13: At Michigan State Spartans

10/20: Penn State Nittany Lions

10/27: At Northwestern Wildcats

11/03: At Indiana Hoosiers

11/10: Purdue Boilermakers

11/17: At Michigan Wolverines

11/23: Nebraska Cornhuskers

 

Missing: Wisconsin, Ohio State and Illinois

10. Illinois Fighting Illini

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09/01: Western Michigan Broncos

09/08: At Arizona State Sun Devils

09/15: Charleston Southern Buccaneers (FCS)

09/22: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

09/29: Penn State Nittany Lions

10/06: At Wisconsin Badgers

10/13: At Michigan Wolverines

10/20: OPEN

10/27: Indiana Hoosiers

11/03: At Ohio State Buckeyes

11/10: Minnesota Golden Gophers

11/17: Purdue Boilermakers

11/24: At Northwestern Wildcats

 

Missing: Iowa, Michigan State and Nebraska

9. Penn State Nittany Lions

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09/01: Ohio Bobcats

09/08: At Virginia Cavaliers

09/15: Navy Midshipmen

09/22: Temple Owls

09/29: At Illinois Fighting Illini

10/06: Northwestern Wildcats

10/13: OPEN

10/20: At Iowa Hawkeyes

10/27: Ohio State Buckeyes

11/03: At Purdue Boilermakers

11/10: At Nebraska Cornhuskers

11/17: Indiana Hoosiers

11/24: Wisconsin Badgers

 

Missing: Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota

8. Minnesota Golden Gophers

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08/30: At UNLV Rebels

09/08: New Hampshire Wildcats (FCS)

09/15: Western Michigan Broncos

09/22: Syracuse Orange

09/29: At Iowa Hawkeyes

10/06: OPEN

10/13: Northwestern Wildcats

10/20: At Wisconsin Badgers

10/27: Purdue Boilermakers

11/03: Michigan Wolverines

11/10: At Illinois Fighting Illini

11/17: At Nebraska Cornhuskers

11/24: Michigan State Spartans

 

Missing: Ohio State, Indiana and Penn State

7. Wisconsin Badgers

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09/01: Northern Iowa Panthers

09/08: At Oregon State Beavers

09/15: Utah State Aggies

09/22: Texas-El Paso Miners

09/29: At Nebraska Cornhuskers

10/06: Illinois Fighting Illini

10/13: At Purdue Boilermakers

10/20: Minnesota Golden Gophers

10/27: Michigan State Spartans

11/03: OPEN

11/10: At Indiana Hoosiers

11/17: Ohio State Buckeyes

11/24: At Penn State Nittany Lions

 

Missing: Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa

6. Purdue Boilermakers

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09/01: Eastern Kentucky Colonels (FCS)

09/08: At Notre Dame Fighting Irish

09/15: Eastern Michigan Eagles

09/22: OPEN

09/29: Marshall Thundering Herd

10/06: Michigan Wolverines

10/13: Wisconsin Badgers

10/20: At Ohio State Buckeyes

10/27: At Minnesota Golden Gophers

11/03: Penn State Nittany Lions

11/10: At Iowa Hawkeyes

11/17: At Illinois Fighting Illini

11/24: Indiana Hoosiers

 

Missing: Michigan State, Northwestern and Nebraska

5. Northwestern Wildcats

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09/01: At Syracuse Orange

09/08: Vanderbilt Commodores

09/15: Boston College Eagles

09/22: South Dakota Coyotes (FCS)

09/29: Indiana Hoosiers

10/06: At Penn State Nittany Lions

10/13: At Minnesota Golden Gophers

10/20: Nebraska Cornhuskers

10/27: Iowa Hawkeyes

11/03: OPEN

11/10: At Michigan Wolverines

11/17: At Michigan State Spartans

11/24: Illinois Fighting Illini

 

Missing: Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue

4. Nebraska Cornhuskers

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09/01: Southern Miss Golden Eagles

09/08: At UCLA Bruins

09/15: Arkansas State Red Wolves

09/22: Idaho State Bengals (FCS)

09/29: Wisconsin Badgers

10/03: At Ohio State Buckeyes

10/13: OPEN

10/20: At Northwestern Wildcats

10/27: Michigan Wolverines

11/03: At Michigan State Spartans

11/10: Penn State Nittany Lions

11/17: Minnesota Golden Gophers

11/23: At Iowa Hawkeyes

 

Missing: Illinois, Purdue and Indiana

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

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09/01: Miami (OH) RedHawks

09/08: Central Florida Knights

09/15: California Golden Bears

09/22: Alabama-Birmingham Blazers

09/29: At Michigan State Spartans

10/06: Nebraska Cornhuskers

10/13: At Indiana Hoosiers

10/20: Purdue Boilermakers

10/27: At Penn State Nittany Lions

11/03: Illinois Fighting Illini

11/10: OPEN

11/17: At Wisconsin Badgers

11/24: Michigan Wolverines

 

Missing: Iowa, Northwestern and Minnesota

2. Michigan State Spartans

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08/31: Boise State Broncos

09/08: At Central Michigan Chippewas, Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

09/15: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

09/22: Eastern Michigan Eagles

09/29: Ohio State Buckeyes

10/06: At Indiana Hoosiers

10/13: Iowa Hawkeyes

10/20: At Michigan Wolverines

10/27: At Wisconsin Badgers

11/03: Nebraska Cornhuskers

11/10: OPEN

11/17: Northwestern Wildcats

11/24: At Minnesota Golden Gophers

 

Missing: Purdue, Penn State and Illinois

1. Michigan Wolverines

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09/01: Alabama Crimson Tide at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas

09/08: Air Force Falcons

09/15: Massachusetts Minutemen

09/22: At Notre Dame Fighting Irish

09/29: OPEN

10/06: At Purdue Boilermakers

10/13: Illinois Fighting Illini

10/20: Michigan State Spartans

10/27: At Nebraska Cornhuskers

11/03: At Minnesota Golden Gophers

11/10: Northwestern Wildcats

11/17: Iowa Hawkeyes

11/24: At Ohio State Buckeyes

 

Missing: Wisconsin, Penn State and Indiana