Big Ten Releases Revised 2021 Football Schedule with Usual Rivalry Matchups
February 5, 2021
The Big Ten released a revised 2021 football schedule for each of its 14 teams Friday.
Most notably, the final week of the 2021 regular season to be played on Nov. 27 features many of the Big Ten's top rivalries, including Ohio State vs. Michigan, Wisconsin vs. Minnesota, Indiana vs. Purdue and Northwestern vs. Illinois.
According to ESPN's Harry Lyles Jr., the Big Ten altered the schedule in a way that ensures no conference game will feature the same home team three years in a row.
Due to the condensed schedule and potential conflicts that arose in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some games had the same home team in both 2019 and 2020.
The schedule features some high-end nonconference games as well, including Ohio State vs. Oregon and Michigan vs. Washington in Week 2, Penn State vs. Auburn and Michigan State vs. Miami in Week 3, and Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame in Week 4.
Wisconsin and Notre Dame are scheduled to play Sept. 25 at Soldier Field in Chicago. That game could feature quarterback Jack Coan against his former team, as he transferred from Wisconsin to Notre Dame.
Some of the most notable opening games in Big Ten play include Ohio State vs. Minnesota, Wisconsin vs. Penn State and Iowa vs. Indiana.
The first Big Ten game of the season will occur in Week 0 on Aug. 28. That game will pit Nebraska against Illinois in Dublin, Ireland.
The 2021 Big Ten Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 4 at the Indianapolis Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium.
Ohio State beat Northwestern in last season's Big Ten Championship Game, and the Buckeyes have won the conference title in each of the past four seasons.