The toughest/easiest Big Ten schedules in 2016

[NUance]

Which teams have the toughest, easiest Big Ten schedules in 2016?

By Jesse Temple, ESPN Staff Writer Jan. 4, 2016

<snip>

Here's a rundown of each teams' Big Ten slate, including the 2015 combined conference records of their opponents in parentheses:

Wisconsin (42-30)

Illinois (40-32)

Rutgers (39-33)

Michigan (38-34)

Northwestern (38-34)

Indiana (36-36)

Ohio State (36-36)

Michigan State (35-37)

Nebraska (35-37)

Penn State (35-37)

Purdue (34-38)

Maryland (33-39)

Minnesota (32-40)

Iowa (31-41)

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I'm not convinced that looking at the previous year's record is the best way to predict how tough a team will be. But I guess that's pretty indepth analysis for espn. Anyway, just looking over our sched I guess I agree that it just looks to be an average SOS. We do play tOSU in Columbus, and it's our year to visit Madison again. So those could be pretty tough games.

I see once again it seems like Iowa gets a creampuff schedule. Who puts these things together anyway, Kirk Ferentz' nephew?

 

[Coqui]

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

 

[jaws]

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

Plus they are going to break in a bunch of new starters next year. It will be interesting what the team will look like when they travel to Oklahoma.

 

[NUance]

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

Plus they are going to break in a bunch of new starters next year. It will be interesting what the team will look like when they travel to Oklahoma.

Not sure anyone else in FBS has a tougher out of conference sched. tOSU's 2016 SOS must be through the roof.

 

[StPaulHusker]

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

Plus they are going to break in a bunch of new starters next year. It will be interesting what the team will look like when they travel to Oklahoma.

Not sure anyone else in FBS has a tougher out of conference sched. tOSU's 2016 SOS must be through the roof.

They now have a record 9 underclassmen declared for the draft

 

[NUance]

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

Plus they are going to break in a bunch of new starters next year. It will be interesting what the team will look like when they travel to Oklahoma.

Not sure anyone else in FBS has a tougher out of conference sched. tOSU's 2016 SOS must be through the roof.

They now have a record 9 underclassmen declared for the draft

Some of those guys are getting bad advice. There's just no way all nine will go in the first two rounds. In fact, I'd bet that not all of them are drafted on the first day.

Oh well. It sucks for tOSU. But such is life.

 

[Mavric]

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

Plus they are going to break in a bunch of new starters next year. It will be interesting what the team will look like when they travel to Oklahoma.

Not sure anyone else in FBS has a tougher out of conference sched. tOSU's 2016 SOS must be through the roof.

They now have a record 9 underclassmen declared for the draft

Some of those guys are getting bad advice. There's just no way all nine will go in the first two rounds. In fact, I'd bet that not all of them are drafted on the first day.

Oh well. It sucks for tOSU. But such is life.

Considering the first day is now only Round 1, I like your odds.

 

[NUance]

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

Plus they are going to break in a bunch of new starters next year. It will be interesting what the team will look like when they travel to Oklahoma.

Not sure anyone else in FBS has a tougher out of conference sched. tOSU's 2016 SOS must be through the roof.

They now have a record 9 underclassmen declared for the draft

Some of those guys are getting bad advice. There's just no way all nine will go in the first two rounds. In fact, I'd bet that not all of them are drafted on the first day.

Oh well. It sucks for tOSU. But such is life.

Considering the first day is now only Round 1, I like your odds.

Ha ha! I was thinking it was rounds 1-3 on day one. But they changed it. Like, five years ago they changed it.

 

[StPaulHusker]

Minimum rookie salary is $435-$450K per season. That's a pretty good reason to declare early regardless of what round.

 

[Kiyoat Husker]

I didn't get to watch the Oregon bowl game. Just saw they were up big early and gave it away late. Anyone who watched it have a new opinion of them now? (Our marquis OOC game 2016)

 

[NUinID]

I didn't get to watch the Oregon bowl game. Just saw they were up big early and gave it away late. Anyone who watched it have a new opinion of them now? (Our marquis OOC game 2016)

I watch a lot of Oregon football and watched most of the bowl game. They are hoping to get lightning in a bottle a second time with a grad transfer otherwise their starting quarterback will be nothing special and that offense doesn't go without a special qb. Their defense was basically terrible this year.

I wouldn't expect them to be any better next year. Not terrible bet they aren't going 12-0.

 

[Mierin]

Minimum rookie salary is $435-$450K per season. That's a pretty good reason to declare early regardless of what round.

It might seem that way to a 21 year old but that $ will only get you so far after your NFL career. Especially if they try to live lavishly, and most of them do. Unless they're a 1st or 2nd rounder they should have a back up plan (i.e. graduating).

 

[Coqui]

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

Plus they are going to break in a bunch of new starters next year. It will be interesting what the team will look like when they travel to Oklahoma.

Fortunately the "captains" on both sides of the ball (JT Barrett and Raekwon McMillan - MLB) return so the leadership will hopefully be there to keep things in check. OSU will have the talent, but will they gel in time will be the question.

 

[jaws]

Minimum rookie salary is $435-$450K per season. That's a pretty good reason to declare early regardless of what round.

It might seem that way to a 21 year old but that $ will only get you so far after your NFL career. Especially if they try to live lavishly, and most of them do. Unless they're a 1st or 2nd rounder they should have a back up plan (i.e. graduating).

Maybe so, but, if they can get to the second contract, that is where the money is made. I remember when Brian Hartline left early from Ohio State and everyone said he was making a huge mistake. Well, he has made around 18.5 million in the NFL. He was drafted in the 4th round and his first year he made $310k with a 500k signing bonus. If you look at the way rookie contracts are now, you will see that first round guys don't make what they used to. The last pick of the first round last year had a base salary this year of 435k with a signing 949k.

Not sure what attrition will be like for the teams, but Ohio State plays 2 of the 4 teams in this year's playoffs next season. Both of those are away games for OSU.

Plus they are going to break in a bunch of new starters next year. It will be interesting what the team will look like when they travel to Oklahoma.

Fortunately the "captains" on both sides of the ball (JT Barrett and Raekwon McMillan - MLB) return so the leadership will hopefully be there to keep things in check. OSU will have the talent, but will they gel in time will be the question.

Solid QB play can carry a team. They have some good talent in other areas that need to step up next year.

 

[beorach]

Based on the current z-scores for all teams on the B1G team schedules for 2016, only considering games against FBS teams (such that there's no penalty for playing lower division teams), and applying no adjustment for home/away...here's the order I came up with - the numbers given are the average z-scores for the 2015 teams' stats:

Wisconsin 0.255
Northwestern 0.217
Rutgers 0.213
Illinois 0.203
Ohio State 0.197
Michigan State 0.167
Purdue 0.088
Penn State 0.073
Nebraska -0.015
Maryland -0.073
Michigan -0.099
Iowa -0.119
Indiana -0.126
Minnesota -0.131


Maryland only has ten games scheduled against FBS teams so far - I think they need to add another game yet (as they're only at 11 when you count Howard). I think it bears mentioning that Michigan's 2016 out-of-conference slate features three of the worst-performing teams of this season in Hawai'i, UCF, and Colorado...though the Buffaloes' numbers are respectable next to those of the Rainbow Warriors and Golden Knights.

p.s. - A z-score close to zero, like Nebraska's, means the average 2015 z-score of all the teams on Nebraska's 2016 schedule is...pretty much average.