College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Toughest Schedules in the Big Ten

Are you getting excited for your college football team's season-opener against Cream Puff State? Or is your school actually taking on someone its own size?

It has become an unfortunate tradition of sorts for traditionally strong teams to avoid each other for the most part in the early parts of the college football season and fall back on their conference schedule as the resume builder.

Some Big Ten teams are venturing from the typical cake walk scheduling at the beginning of the year. Some of them got a tough draw in conference with road games against the best teams.

So who has the hardest scheduled among Big Ten teams? Here are the rankings.

12. Illinois Fighting Illini

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 20: Mikel Leshoure #5 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs past Bryce McNaul #51 of the Northwestern Wildcats on his way to a 339 yard rushing performance during a game played at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.

Senior running back Mikel Leshoure, who ran for more than 1600 yards last season, should get off to a hot start. Taking on the Sun Belt's Arkansas State, FCS opponent South Dakota State and the MAC's Western Michigan in their first four games isn't exactly putting yourself through the gauntlet.

Squeezed in there is a home date with Arizona State.

Illinois avoids Michigan State and Nebraska in the Big Ten. Ohio State and Wisconsin visit Champaign, Ill., with Penn State providing the toughest road game all season.

11. Indiana Hoosiers

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COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 9: Kofi Hughes #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs with the ball after making a catch against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The out-of-conference doozy for the Hoosiers is a home date with Virginia. How Ball State and North Texas both got a Big Ten team to visit them is a head-scratcher. That home game with the FCS's South Carolina State should be a nice win toward the bowl eligibility tally.

The Big Ten schedule is a bit stout. Indiana visits Iowa, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

But that kind of works out, doesn't it? Indiana gets its easiest conference opponents at home, compounding their chances of winning and getting to a bowl.

10. Purdue Boilermakers

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 04: Robert Marve #9 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates in the end zone after scoring a touchdown against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on September 4, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defated Purd

Purdue's toughest game out of the Big Ten is against Notre Dame—at home, after a bye week. The Boilermakers will probably need a bye week after hosting the Sun Belt's Middle Tennessee and FCS opponent Southeast Missouri State and visiting C-USA's Rice.

Purdue has to visit Penn State and Wisconsin. They get Ohio State and Iowa at home.

Even with that pillow fight for an out-of-conference schedule, those are the only 3 predictable wins for the Boilers.

9. Michigan State Spartans

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ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Michigan State Spartans passes the ball during the Capitol One Bowl against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Florida Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

After getting thumped by Alabama in the Capital One Bowl last season, Michigan State gets a break in competition to start the 2011 season.

FCS team Youngstown State and Sunbelt bottom dweller Florida Atlantic should get the Spartans' confidence back up in time for a visit to Notre Dame. Then Michigan State squeezes in a home game game with Central Michigan before visiting Ohio State.

The Spartans do additionally visit Nebraska and Iowa and host Wisconsin. The conference schedule is rough on Michigan State. I guess it's good they only put one BCS opponent on the out-of-conference slate.

8. Wisconsin Badgers

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Running back Montee Ball #28 of the Wisconsin Badgers rushes with the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs during the 97th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

UNLV was one of the worst teams in the FBS in 2010. South Dakota plays in the FCS. Northern Illinois is in the MAC and stands to drop off after losing coach Jerry Kill. Oregon State comes to Madison, Wisconsin.

Scheduling a BCS opponent early is appreciated, especially one like Oregon State that actually competes year in and year out for a conference title.

Wisconsin has to go to Michigan State and Ohio State. The Badgers avoid Iowa and Michigan.

7. Michigan Wolverines

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Denard Robinson #16 of the Michigan Wolverines rushes against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the Gator Bowl at EverBank Field on January 1, 2011 in Jacksonville, Florida (Photo by Rick Dole/Getty Images)

Notre Dame keeps saving Big Ten teams from having complete laughers for out-of-conference schedules.

Michigan once again went the home state directional route, putting Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan on the schedule. San Diego State should make for an interesting matchup, being coach Brady Hoke's former team.

The Wolverines will likely get off to a 5-1 start or better. Visiting Michigan State is the toughest away game. Ohio State and Nebraska visit Ann Arbor, Michigan.

6. Iowa Hawkeyes

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TEMPE, AZ - DECEMBER 28: Runningback Marcus Coker #34 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates with teammates with Marvin McNutt #1 and Colin Sandeman #22 after scoring on a 64 yard rushing touchdown against the Missouri Tigers during the second quarter of the In

Iowa gets respect for putting two BCS teams on the out-of-conference schedule. Neither is a gimme game—a visit to Iowa State and a home game against Pittsburgh.

But the Hawkeyes also dip into the FCS to take on Tennessee Tech and the Sun Belt Conference to play UL-Monroe. They avoid Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Road games at Penn State and at Nebraska should prove to be Iowa's toughest games.

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers

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MINNEAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 13: Running back DeLeon Eskridge #23 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers carries the ball in the third quarter against the Montana State Bobcats at the Metrodome on September 13, 2008 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minnesota defeated Mont

Minnesota has struggled recently against South Dakota State, winning 16-13 in 2008 and losing to the FCS team in 2010. So the Golden Gophers have changed things up by scheduling...North Dakota State.

That game comes two other home games against the WAC's New Mexico State and the MAC's Miami (OH).

Minnesota does open the season on the road against USC, making up a lot of ground in the scheduling department.

The Big Ten schedule is favorable, with the toughest road game against Michigan State and no match-up with Ohio State.

4. Northwestern Wildcats

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EVANSTON, IL - OCTOBER 23: Dan Persa #7 of the Northwestern Wildcats runs against the Michigan State Spartans at Ryan Field on October 23, 2010 in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan State defeated Northwestern 35-27. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Northwestern has a chance for a couple of nice out-of-conference wins with visits to Boston College and no-longer-a-joke Army.

FCS opponent Eastern Illinois, however, is a joke.

Visiting Iowa and Nebraska will be tough games, but the Wildcats will have a decent chance to win every other game on the schedule.

3. Nebraska Cornhuskers

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 04: Quarterback Taylor Martinez #3 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers drops back to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Big 12 Championship at Cowboys Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/

It's just tough to fully respect a schedule with an FCS opponent on it. Nebraska opens the year with Chattanooga.

Welcoming Fresno State and Washington to Lincoln, Neb., are two strong games. At least they are playing at Wyoming.

The Huskers have back-to-back games at Wisconsin and hosting Ohio State. The rest of the big Big Ten names are on the schedule—Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa.

Welcome to the Big Ten.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Robert Bolden #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 11, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Penn State hopes to pull a big upset when it hosts Alabama on Sept. 10. The rest of the out-of-conference schedule—home dates with Indiana State and Eastern Michigan, at Temple—is weak, but that Alabama game is a premier match-up.

The Nittany Lions end the season with visits to Wisconsin and Ohio State. If Penn State has Big Ten title hopes heading into those two games, they may dissipate.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

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COLUMBUS, OH - NOVEMBER 27: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes hands off to Brandon Saine #3 of the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium on November 27, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/

The Buckeyes have a more-than-respectable out-of-conference schedule with a visit to Miami (Fla.) and a home game with Colorado. That comes after the Bucks run through their customary MAC schedule, hosting Akron and Toledo.

The Big Ten schedule is maybe the toughest of all Big Ten teams. It starts off with Ohio State hosting Michigan State and visiting Nebraska. Later, they host Wisconsin and Penn State before going to Michigan.