Big Ten Football: Biggest Trap Game for Every Team in 2016
There are officially fewer than two months to go until the start of the college football season, which will contain no shortage of marquee games in the Big Ten.
From out-of-conference clashes to prime-time rivalries, tentpole-worthy games already fill the 2016 schedule—and that's before even knowing which unlikely contenders will emerge in the coming year.
But what about those games that you find yourself glued to, even though heading into it, the outcome never appeared in question? While the big-time battles help make college football so great, so too do the trap games, which have a way of sneaking up on teams at the most inopportune times.
So with the season right around the corner, let's take a look at the top games that you may not know you should be circling, which could cause unlikely trouble for your favorite team. These are the biggest trap games for each Big Ten team in 2016.
Illinois: Vs. Western Michigan
1 of 14
In his first season as Illinois' head coach, it won't take long for Lovie Smith's Fighting Illini to get put to the test.
And not just in the second week of the season either, when Illinois will welcome a North Carolina team coming off an 11-3 season to Champaign for an early-season clash.
For as talented as the Tar Heels are, the Fighting Illini could find themselves with their hands just as full the following week, when Western Michigan invades Memorial Stadium, following an 8-5 campaign made much more impressive when considering two of the Broncos' losses came to Michigan State and Ohio State. WMU head coach P.J. Fleck is one of college football's up-and-comers, and his team's Week 3 trip to Champaign should provide him with an early opportunity to make a statement in 2016.
Whether Illinois wins or loses its more highly anticipated matchup with UNC, the Broncos find themselves in a prime spot on the schedule to spring an upset, sandwiched between a premier prime-time battle and a bye week before the start of Big Ten play. Based on talent alone, Western Michigan should put up a strong fight, but don't be surprised if the Broncos also find a way to walk away with a win, given where they sit on the Fighting Illini's schedule.
Indiana: @ Florida International
2 of 14
Typically, a trap game comes as a result of either looking ahead to one week or coming off of a highly emotional result from another.
But traps can also be found at the start of a team's schedule too, as Indiana may find out in the coming year.
With its quarterback situation still unsettled following the departure of Nate Sudfeld, there will likely be initial growing pains for the Hoosiers offense, which doesn't make their season opener at Florida International an ideal way to start the 2016 campaign. The Golden Panthers are coming off a 5-7 season in 2015, but return 14 combined starters from a year ago, including nine on the offensive side of the ball.
A year ago, FIU hung tough against Indiana in Bloomington before ultimately falling by a score of 36-22. Now with a new starting quarterback and opening the season on a Thursday night under the lights in Miami, the Hoosiers shouldn't get too comfortable looking ahead, as an one of their more unlikely tougher tests could find itself right in front of them at the season's start.
Iowa: @ Illinois
3 of 14
After last season's 12-0 regular-season record and Big Ten West title, Iowa finds itself no longer the hunter, but now the hunted.
That means more prime-time games on the Hawkeyes' schedule—and more opportunities for trap games to be found between them.
And while talent should keep Iowa in contention for a second straight division crown throughout the 2016 season, there's no getting around the gauntlet that should be the tail end of the Hawkeyes' schedule. The tallest task of Iowa's slate appears to be a Nov. 12 date with Michigan, while two weeks later, the Hawkeyes will end their regular season with a rivalry game against Nebraska in a contest that could ultimately determine their division winner.
That is, of course, assuming Iowa can survive the week in between unscathed, as a road trip to Champaign sandwiched in the middle of battles against the Wolverines and Cornhuskers could create the quintessential trap game. Illinois may still be a a year away from contention in the Big Ten West, but the Illini now possess the coaching and talent necessary to make an upset victory over Iowa possible, thanks primarily to their prime positioning on the Hawkeyes' schedule in 2016.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Maryland: Vs. Purdue
4 of 14
Can a team coming off a 3-9 season in 2015 even find itself in a trap game?
It can if it loses to the only team in the Big Ten to possess a worse record than it did a year ago.
That's the situation Maryland could find itself in come its conference opener, where the Terrapins will welcome Purdue to College Park for its homecoming game, coming off a bye week and a week prior to a trip to University Park to take on Penn State. Depending on how the Nittany Lions look at that point in the season in what could very well be a rebuilding year of their own, Maryland could be eyeing an upset, although it'd be wise to not look past the Boilermakers first.
Despite having won just two games in 2015—and six in three years under head coach Darrell Hazell—Purdue possesses enough playmakers, such as running back Markell Jones, that it can't totally be overlooked, especially not by a team that won just one more game than it did a season ago.
The bye week should give the Terrapins an opportunity to refocus their efforts heading into Big Ten play, but if there's one opponent capable of unexpectedly tripping up Maryland, there may not be an option to choose from other than the Boilermakers.
Michigan: Vs. Indiana
5 of 14
After enduring its heartbreaking loss to Michigan State, which came by way of an unlikely blocked punt return for a touchdown as time expired, Michigan appeared to get itself back on track with wins over Minnesota and Rutgers, keeping the Wolverines in contention in the Big Ten East.
But then came a game against Indiana that unexpectedly pushed Jim Harbaugh's squad to the limit, and while Michigan would ultimately survive, it took the Wolverines two overtimes to do so.
This year, Michigan will enjoy the benefit of hosting the Hoosiers in Ann Arbor, but that may not make Indiana any easier of an out. At least not with the matchup coming on Nov. 19—one week after the Wolverines will travel to Iowa and seven days before their annual rivalry game at Ohio State.
Coming off one potentially emotional road game and looking ahead to another, if Michigan is going to overlook a team in 2016, you won't find a stronger candidate than the Hoosiers. Add in that IU running back Devine Redding is one of the Big Ten's best and the playmaking ability of wideout Simmie Cobbs Jr., and the Wolverines should once again have their hands full against the Hoosiers, just as they unexpectedly did a year ago.
Michigan State: @ Illinois
6 of 14
A year ago, Michigan State continuously found itself in so many close calls that the Spartans' good fortune was bound to run out. And against Nebraska, it finally did, with a late touchdown pass from quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. causing the lone blemish on MSU's regular-season record.
If a similar pattern begins to develop in East Lansing in the coming year, don't be surprised if it's Illinois who winds up benefiting most.
Coming one week after what's sure to be a draining matchup with Michigan and two weeks prior to a hosting of Ohio State, the Spartans' first meeting with Lovie Smith's Illini will serve as their lone road matchup in a four-week span. Given that it will also host the Wolverines and Buckeyes at Spartan Stadium, Michigan State's trip to Champaign could very well be the toughest road trip on the Big Ten slate for a relatively inexperienced MSU team.
Whether the Spartans wind up victorious once again against U-M or find themselves on the wrong side of a heartbreaking defeat, it's hard to imagine they'd be able to summon enough energy to match what Illinois will have welcoming a premier opponent into Memorial Stadium.
With another highly anticipated matchup with Ohio State right around the corner, Michigan State's showdown with the Illini seems to already possess all of the ingredients necessary for a trap game, which, like last year's battle with Nebraska, the Spartans may not ultimately overcome.
Minnesota: @ Maryland
7 of 14
In what it hopes will be a bounce-back year following last season's 5-7 regular-season record, Minnesota won't have to wait long to find a statement game on its schedule. The Golden Gophers will open their Big Ten season on the road at Penn State, a week before hosting reigning division champ Iowa at TCF Bank Stadium.
After that, however, experiencing a letdown of sorts may only be natural. And if that turns out to be true, Maryland could quickly find itself taking advantage.
With a trip to College Park sandwiched between its hosting of the Hawkeyes and Rutgers after that, Minnesota should be wary of the Terrapins, who possess enough playmaking ability to keep themselves in any game. Defensive back/wideout William Likely can affect the score on either side of the ball while also serving as one of college football's elite returners, be it on punts or kickoffs.
If Likely can get loose for a score or two while the Golden Gophers bounce back from a strong start to their conference slate, an upset could quickly be in the works. Having faced Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner as Michigan's defensive coordinator a year ago, Maryland head coach D.J. Durkin is no stranger to the senior signal-caller, which could ultimately work in his favor when it comes to landing a signature win for his new squad in 2016.
Nebraska: @ Northwestern
8 of 14
With a Week 3 game against Oregon, Nebraska finds itself with one of the Big Ten's premier out-of-conference games on its slate.
But win or lose, the Cornhuskers will need a quick turnaround, with a trip to Evanston to take on Northwestern coming the following week.
In the Wildcats, Nebraska will take on one of the top teams in the Big Ten West, one which possesses arguably the division's top offensive player in running back Justin Jackson and defensive player in linebacker Anthony Walker. A year ago, Northwestern enjoyed a breakout 10-2 regular-season record—including a 30-28 victory over the Huskers—and the progress of quarterback Clayton Thorson should only make it a more dangerous team in the coming year.
It's rare that such an important game to the landscape of a division could also double as a trap game to one of the teams involved. But after facing the Ducks a week prior, that's exactly the situation the Cornhuskers find themselves in as their Big Ten opener and the team they're facing in it could not have come at a worse time.
Northwestern: Vs. Indiana
9 of 14
If Northwestern is going to replicate last year's regular-season success, the Wildcats are going to have to get off to a strong start to the season. Northwestern not only closes its out-of-conference schedule with Duke, but opens its Big Ten slate with quality foes in Nebraska, Iowa and Michigan State.
But a week before they head to Columbus to take on Ohio State, the Wildcats will host Indiana for their homecoming. And while the Hoosiers will be a step down in relative competition compared to what Northwestern will have become accustomed to playing at that point, taking on Indiana will be no walk in the park.
At least not with an offense as explosive of Kevin Wilson's, which will feature two of the conference's top playmakers in Redding and Cobbs. Even with the Wildcats' stout defense, preparing for a hurry-up offense like the Hoosiers' takes some time—time Northwestern may not necessarily have at that point in the season.
With where it falls on the Wildcats' schedule, their game against Indiana is somewhat of a must-win if Northwestern is going to take another step forward as a program. But if the Wildcats look past the Hoosiers, beating Indiana will hardly be a given, making Indiana the premier trap game on its schedule.
Ohio State: Vs. Northwestern
10 of 14
When you're one of the nation's top programs, you find yourself with no shortage of prime-time games on your schedule.
As a result, Ohio State will play four consecutive games under the lights in 2016, making the Buckeyes almost immune to the novelty of night games.
The same, however, can't be said for Ohio State's opponents, who often view their battles with the Buckeyes as the biggest games on their schedules. That could make OSU's Oct. 29 hosting of Northwestern one to keep an eye on in the coming year, as the 5:30 p.m. kickoff is sandwiched between a pair of more highly touted nighttime 8 p.m. kickoffs against Penn State and Nebraska.
If Ohio State finds itself worn out by the constant late-night starts, the Wildcats' ground-and-pound style could be enough to keep things close. From there, anything can happen, as that 5:30 p.m. start might as well drag like an early-September noon game for a Buckeyes team so accustomed to the bright lights.
Penn State: Vs. Temple
11 of 14
Can a trap game come against a team that beat you a year prior?
Penn State may be about to find out.
After losing their season opener to Temple in 2015, the Nittany Lions will get another shot at the Owls in the coming year, although the timing isn't ideal. Rather than facing Temple in the first week of the season, Penn State will close its out-of-conference slate with the in-state foe, one week after taking on Pitt on the road and a week before heading to Ann Arbor to face Michigan.
So, in order to be at their best, the Nittany Lions can neither afford a letdown coming off their trip to the Steel City or to get caught looking ahead to the Wolverines. Another loss to the Owls could prove to be costly for Penn State, especially coming on its own home turf of Beaver Stadium.
Purdue: Vs. Nevada
12 of 14
How does a team coming off a 2-10 season get trapped?
By looking ahead to its conference schedule, which opens with what may be its best opportunity at winning a Big Ten game.
That's the predicament Purdue will find itself in during the fourth week of the season, coming off a bye to close its out-of-conference schedule with Nevada. A week later, the Boilermakers will battle a Maryland team coming off a 3-9 year, who could serve as Purdue's best shot at claiming an early-season conference victory.
But Purdue would be wise to not look past a Wolfpack team that won seven games a year ago, including a NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl win over Colorado State. When you're so used to being the underdog, you're often the one doing the trapping and not the one being trapped, but in the Boilermakers' battle with Nevada, the shoe could find itself on the other foot.
Rutgers: Vs. New Mexico
13 of 14
In his first season as a head coach, Chris Ash could be in for a rough start when it comes to Big Ten play. Rutgers opens its conference slate with reigning Big Ten West champ Iowa, before facing Ash's old team, Ohio State, and former rival, Michigan.
Thus, it will only be all the more important for the Scarlet Knights to get off to a strong start in out-of-conference play, although it'd be tough to blame them for looking ahead. That could make Rutgers' Sept. 17 date with New Mexico all the more intriguing coming off the Lobos' 7-6 2015 campaign.
In what will likely be a rebuilding year in Piscataway, the reality remains that wins may be tough to come by for a team just a season removed from a 4-8 record. But a four-game losing streak would still be devastating, and it may take a win over New Mexico to avoid enduring just that so early in the year.
Perhaps knowing what they have ahead, the Scarlet Knights will up the ante against the Lobos and treat the game as a must-win. But what's more likely is Rutgers getting caught being overwhelmed by its coming Big Ten slate and ultimately being tripped up a week earlier than expected.
Wisconsin: Vs. Nebraska
14 of 14
There may not be a team that will be harder to trap in 2016 than Wisconsin.
After all, there isn't a tougher four-game stretch to be found in the conference than what the Badgers will open their Big Ten schedule with, taking on Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa in four straight games.
But even after facing four teams that combined for a 46-8 record in 2015 in four consecutive games, Wisconsin will hardly be able to breathe easy. The Badgers will follow up their showdown with the Hawkeyes with a hosting of Nebraska in a game that could still play a significant role in shaping the Big Ten West title race.
Of course, that will depend on how Wisconsin performs in those first four conference games and whether or not it escapes still in contention. But regardless of what its record looks like to that point, it'd be easy to understand the Badgers not being able to muster the energy necessary for knocking off a quality opponent for a fifth straight game.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. Recruiting and class ratings courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
