Big Ten Network Releases Schedule for 2014 Prime-Time Football Games

The Big Ten Network released a six-game prime-time schedule for the upcoming season on Tuesday, including five conference tilts and one in-state nonconference battle between Cincinnati and Ohio State, according to Tom Dienhart of BTN.com.

Here is the full six-game schedule:

Date	Home Team	Road Team	Time (ET)
Sept. 13	Rutgers	Penn State	8 p.m
Sept. 27	Ohio State	Cincinnati	6 p.m.
Sept. 27	Nebraska	Illinois	9 p.m.
Oct. 4	Rutgers	Michigan	7 p.m.
Oct. 18	Northwestern	Nebraska	7:30 p.m.
Nov. 15	Maryland	Michigan State	8 p.m.

Rutgers, entering its first Big Ten season, is the only school that will host two prime-time games on the network, while Nebraska, no longer the league's newest member, is the only other school scheduled to play two prime-time games on the network.

The Scarlet Knights' Oct. 4 game against Michigan will be their annual Blackout of the season:

The timing of the Maryland-Michigan State game is also of note. November night games had long been non grata in the Big Ten, but, as Dienhart writes, "this is a new era." Ohio State will also play a prime-time game against Illinois during November, albeit on ESPN or ABC instead of the Big Ten Network.

The Buckeyes, who will also play Virginia Tech on ESPN or ABC in September and Penn State on ESPN or ABC in October, are tied with Nebraska for most in the conference with four prime-time games scheduled in total. Per Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com, this is the first time Ohio Stadium will host three night games in one season.

The Huskers, in addition to the two Big Ten Network games listed above, will host Miami on ESPN or ABC in September and travel to Michigan State on ESPN or ABC during October.

Senior receiver Kenny Bell, however, was none too happy with the scheduling and went on a Twitter rant against it:

The only schools that won't play a prime-time game this year are Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin.