Breaking Down the 2012 Big Ten Football Schedule

With college football season less than 40 days away, it's not too early to start looking through your team's schedule and trying to predict their record for the upcoming season. There are games that you can circle as almost certain wins, cross out games that will most likely be losses, and leave question marks to games that could go either way.

In the end, only two teams will make it to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship: one team from the Leaders Division and the other from the Legends Division. It should be noted that both Ohio State and Penn State are ineligible to participate in the title game because of recent sanctions, leaving the Leaders Division with only four eligible teams.

While I have no way of predicting the upcoming season, I have put together an educated guess of each Big Ten team's season records on a game by game basis based on both current projections and past history. I am quite confident that my predictions will be within +/- one to two wins for every team in the Big Ten. Let the debate begin!

12. Indiana Hoosiers

vs. Indiana State-W

@ UMASS-L

vs. Ball State-L

@ Northwestern-L

vs. Michigan State-L

vs. Ohio State-L

@ Navy-L

@ Illinois-L

vs. Iowa-L

vs. Wisconsin-L

@ Penn State-L

@ Purdue-L

2011 Record: 1-11 (0-8 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 1-11 (0-8 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: None

11. Penn State Nittany Lions

vs. Ohio-W

@ Virginia-W

vs. Navy-L

vs. Temple-L

@ Illinois-L

vs. Northwestern-L

@ Iowa-L

vs. Ohio State-L

@ Purdue-L

@ Nebraska-L

vs. Indiana-W

vs. Wisconsin-L

2011 Record: 9-4 (6-2 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 3-9 (1-7 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: None

10. Minnesota Golden Gophers

@ UNLV-L

vs. New Hampshire-W

vs. Western Michigan-L

vs. Syracuse-W

@ Iowa-L

vs. Northwestern-W

@ Wisconsin-L

vs. Purdue-L

vs. Michigan-L

@ Illinois-W

@ Nebraska-L

vs. Michigan State-L

2011 Record: 3-9 (2-6 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 4-8 (2-6 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: None

9. Purdue Boilermakers

vs. Eastern Kentucky-W

@ Notre Dame-L

vs Eastern Michigan-W

vs. Marshall-W

vs. Michigan-L

vs. Wisconsin-L

@ Ohio State-L

@ Minnesota-W

vs. Penn State-W

@ Iowa-L

@ Illinois-L

vs. Indiana-W

2011 Record: 7-6 (4-4 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 6-6 (3-5 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: Little Caesars

8. Northwestern Wildcats

@ Syracuse-W

vs. Vanderbilt-W

vs. Boston College-W

vs. South Dakota-W

vs. Indiana-W

@ Penn State-W

@ Minnesota-L

vs. Nebraska-L

vs. Iowa-W

@ Michigan-L

@ Michigan State-L

vs. Illinois-L

2011 Record: 6-7 (3-5 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 7-5 (3-5 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: TicketCity

7. Illinois Fighting Illini

vs. Western Michigan-W

@ Arizona State-W

vs. Charleston Southern-W

vs. Louisiana Tech-W

vs. Penn State-W

@ Wisconsin-L

@ Michigan-L

vs. Indiana-W

@ Ohio State-L

vs. Minnesota-L

vs. Purdue-W

@ Northwestern-W

2011 Record: 7-6 (2-6 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 8-4 (4-4 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

6. Iowa Hawkeyes

@ Northern Illinois-W

vs. Iowa State-W

vs. Northern Iowa-W

vs. Central Michigan-W

vs. Minnesota-W

@ Michigan State-L

vs. Penn State-W

@ Northwestern-L

@ Indiana-W

vs. Purdue-W

@ Michigan-L

vs. Nebraska-L

2011 Record: 7-6 (4-4 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 8-4 (4-4 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: Insight Bowl

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

vs. Miami (Ohio)-W

vs. UCF-W

vs. Cal-W

vs. UAB-W

@ Michigan State-L

vs. Nebraska-W

@ Indiana-W

vs. Purdue-W

@ Penn State-W

vs. Illinois-W

@ Wisconsin-L

vs. Michigan-L

2011 Record: 6-7 (3-5 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 9-3 (5-3 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: Gator Bowl

4. Nebraska Cornhuskers

vs. Southern Mississippi-W

@ UCLA-W

vs. Arkansas State-W

vs. Idaho State-W

vs. Wisconsin-W

@ Ohio State-L

@ Northwestern-W

vs. Michigan-W

@ Michigan State-L

vs. Penn State-W

vs. Minnesota-W

@ Iowa-W

2011 Record: 9-4 (5-3 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 10-2 (6-2 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: Outback Bowl

3. Michigan State Spartans

vs. Boise State-L

@ Central Michigan-W

vs. Notre Dame-W

@ Eastern Michigan-W

vs. Ohio State-W

@ Indiana-W

vs. Iowa-W

@ Michigan-L

@ Wisconsin-L

vs. Nebraska-W

vs. Northwestern-W

@ Minnesota-W

2011 Record: 11-2 (6-2 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 9-3 (6-2 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: Capital One Bowl

2. Wisconsin Badgers

vs. Northern Iowa-W

@ Oregon State-W

vs. Utah State-W

vs. UTEP-W

@ Nebraska-L

vs. Illinois-W

@ Purdue-W

vs. Minnesota-W

vs. Michigan State-W

@ Indiana-W

vs. Ohio State-W

@ Penn State-W

vs. Michigan (Big Ten Championship)-L

2011 Record: 11-3 (6-2 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 11-2 (7-1 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: Orange Bowl

1. Michigan Wolverines

vs. Alabama-L

vs. Air Force-W

vs. UMASS-W

@ Notre Dame-W

@ Purdue-W

vs. Illinois-W

vs. Michigan State-W

@ Nebraska-L

@ Minnesota-W

vs. Northwestern-W

vs. Iowa-W

@ Ohio State-W

vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten Championship)-W

2011 Record: 11-2 (6-2 Big Ten)

2012 Prediction: 11-2 (7-1 Big Ten)

Bowl Game: Rose Bowl