Big Ten Football Matchups to Enjoy in 2012 Before Long Absences

Last week, the Big Ten announced future conference schedules for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Originally, these were to be the final seasons before a nine game conference schedule, but this may not be true if the Pac-12 and Big Ten agreement to play each other every season actually begins in 2017 (replacing the ninth conference game).

To say it is premature to begin discussing these schedules is an understatement. To put it in perspective, freshmen in the upcoming 2012 season will be seniors when this schedule rolls around for the first time in 2015.

There may be glimmers of potential on the field this season, but we haven't seen a minute of actual college football from any player who will play those games in 2015.

If the last two years are any indication, we could also be dealing with half of the current coaches being replaced by 2015 as well.

Bottom line: there's not much we can actually discern about how the new schedules will play out in 2015. But what we can do is look at those matchups that will be taking a four year break as a result of only being able to play two of the five non-protected cross-division teams per two year schedule cycle.

Unless these teams meet in the Big Ten Championship game, those players starting their college careers in 2013 will never actually get a chance to play these opponents on the road or at home. That is the shame with the current setup.

So which games will be sorely missed the next four years, and which will leave the fans relatively indifferent to their absence? Let's rank them, in reverse order of impact/importance:

No. 6: Minnesota vs. Illinois

Illinois is currently in the middle of a six year break from playing Iowa, the longest break any two Big Ten teams will have between games. Although both sides of the neighboring state rivalry seem pretty apathetic about that break, expect even more apathy for this break.

Minnesota has struggled for relevance in the conference race for over a decade, and Illinois has only seen two highly successful years in a similar time period (2001 and 2008). Neither of these teams raise the Richter scale of excitement for fans of the other team.

Minnesota caught Illinois at a perfect time last season in the finale, as the Illini dropped a shocking sixth game in a row after a 6-0 start.

In fact, Minnesota frequently has caught Illinois at a good time since 1999, winning eight out of the past 11 games. According to College Football Reference, Minnesota leads the series 34-28-3, with the advantage being built mostly on Minnesota's home field.

While this is a competitive series, it is not compelling. Neither of these teams will be too sorry to miss the other between 2012 and 2017. For that, this four year break barely registers on the outrage scale.

No. 5: Michigan vs. Purdue

Michigan is a pretty big deal, especially if the resurgence continues under Brade Hoke. Purdue is not that big of a deal, even though the Boilermakers are improving.

Hence the problem: It is hard to give much care about a lopsided series that looks like it will stay that way in the near future. Michigan will almost certainly be competing for conference championships, while Purdue will be struggling to stay afloat against the likes of Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State in the Leaders Division.

Since 1985, Purdue has only defeated Michigan four times, and two of those were in the Rich Rodriguez era. Michigan leads the series 43-14, so it is not like this series has been historically competitive.

Not compelling, not that competitive and headed in the wrong direction. If both these programs were not on the upswing, then this missed game would probably rank last on the list. But the Wolverines' proud history moves this game up the list one spot.

Minor outrage, if any, over this four year break—probably all from the Purdue side.

No. 4: Northwestern vs. Penn State

This series started when Penn State joined the conference in 1993, and the Nittany Lions have dominated the Wildcats to date. Penn State leads 12-3 in the all time series.

One interesting fact about this series is that Penn State is 12-0 when scoring 30 or more points against Northwestern, while the Nittany Lions have not scored more than 10 in any of the three losses. One can usually tell early if Northwestern is going to knock off Penn State.

Although Penn State is going through a transition period, expect the dominance over time to continue. Penn State can still draw better recruits than the better-placed Wildcats can in Chicago. Tough academics do not help NU in this circumstance.

Perhaps Pat Fitzgerald will prove that he can put Northwestern up on the next level, but right now this is just an unexciting game to most Big Ten fans.

A small amount of outrage from both sides for missing this series: Penn State fans will miss the trips to the best big city in the conference, and Northwestern fans will miss another premier game on the schedule.

No. 3: Iowa vs. Indiana

Iowa and Indiana may not be the sexiest teams in the Big Ten football race, but the Hawkeyes are one of the few teams that Indiana has had moderate success against.

The Hawkeyes and Hoosiers have a pretty solid series going, although Iowa holds the recent advantage with four wins in a row and a 42-27-3 record in the overall series. Indiana has not had the same hex on Iowa that Northwestern has, but these games play out in similar fashion most years.

As long as Kevin Wilson stays at Indiana long enough to rebuild the program, then this series could resume as a much larger threat to the Hawkeyes than the current Hoosiers are. Plus, Kirk Ferentz might be gone after five more years, despite his proven desire to stay in Iowa City.

The real outrage for the loss of this series is the loss of going to two of the most fun Big Ten gameday locations. Nothing beats getting a Big-A turkey leg in Iowa City, but the scenery in Bloomington could at least compete. A relatively short trip will be missed by fans of both teams.

About the same level of outrage from fans as Northwestern-Penn State—disappointing, but nothing like the final two games on the list.

No. 2: Michigan State vs. Wisconsin

Oh, how very hard it is not to put this up at the top spot of disappointment after these two teams had put on two great shows in 2011. However, the likelihood of these two remaining the best teams on top of the Legends and Leaders divisions seems slim over the next four seasons.

Despite losing the conference championship game in 2011, Michigan State still leads the overall series 30-21 with a dominant 17-6 record at Spartan Stadium.

Even though Wisconsin has been much better since Barry Alvarez took over as coach, the Spartans have stayed competitive over the past ten years despite the Badger resurgence.

But how long can it last? One or both of these teams may fall off a bit, regardless of having two great coaches in Bret Bielema and Mark Dantonio. If that happens as expected, then this series will not be missed as much over time as it will be in 2013.

Outrage factor is pretty high, as these two teams will want continued revenge for the painful losses for each in 2011.

No. 1: Nebraska vs. Ohio State

Though the series is a short one and a new one, the Cornhuskers and Buckeyes played one of the best games of the conference season in 2011. In a microcosm of the Buckeyes season, OSU dominated with Braxton Miller and held a big third quarter lead before losing Miller to injury a possession after he turned the ball over.

All the momentum went to the Cornhuskers and they rolled to an important victory. These two teams have only played two other times in 1955 and 1956, with Ohio State winning both of those games at home.

These are two of the four big name programs in Big Ten football, and it is simply unjustified for the two teams to take a four year break. Ohio State better hope for a win at home this season, or else Nebraska will have bragging rights on them for a whopping six years.

Nebraska will be on the upswing after figuring out their Big Ten opponents, while Urban Meyer will likely have the Buckeyes back to the dominance next season.

If Michigan falters, this could be the biggest game in the Big Ten every season. Two passionate fan bases, two of the top five winning programs in college football history and two of the best gameday atmospheres are factors that put this game at the top of the heap.

Sorry Buckeye and Husker fans, but the outrage cannot turn over this decision. Enjoy that game in Columbus this year, and then see you again in five years.