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2016 and 2017 Big Ten Schedules Released

They are the first dealing with the conference's nine-game schedule.

By Dan Vecellio
USA TODAY Sports

Conference slates for the 2016 and 2017 seasons were announced this morning. Let's take a look at them.

2016 2017
10/1 MINNESOTA 9/30 INDIANA
10/8 MARYLAND 10/7 at Northwestern
10/15 at Michigan 10/14 at Iowa
10/22 OHIO STATE 10/21 MICHIGAN
10/29 at Purdue 10/28 at Ohio State
11/5 IOWA 11/4 at Michigan State
11/12 at Indiana 11/11 RUTGERS
11/19 at Rutgers 11/18 NEBRASKA
11/26 MICHIGAN STATE 11/25 at Maryland
*CAPS denote home games

Some notes:

  • When the 2014 and 2015 schedules were announced, we thought the battle for the Land-Grant Trophy would be the close to every season from here on out. Well, that assumption meets its match come 2017 when Penn State heads to Maryland to end the season. That opening matchup with Rutgers is sticking either as Penn State takes on Minnesota and Indiana to start conference play in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
  • After a three-year hiatus, Nebraska makes its return to the Nittany Lions' schedule in 2017 with a home game in mid-November.
  • Five home games in 2016 and four in 2017. While there's one less game in Beaver Stadium in 2017, the quality of matchups looks much better for spectators than in the previous year.
  • Playing Michigan and Ohio State in back-to-back years for two years straight? Woof.
  • 2016 marks the return to bowl eligibility for the Nittany Lions and their schedule sets up pretty nicely for them to make a splash in the postseason. The away games aren't too much of an uphill climb and the non-conference slate that year consists of Kent State, at Pitt and Temple. 2016 is still four seasons off and a lot can change in that time, but the future looks bright when it comes to getting off sanctions and back into the bowl mix.
  • 2017 sees the Lions face four away games in five weeks playing at Northwestern, Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan State with the Wolverines sandwiched in between. Gotta draw the short end of the stick sometimes, I guess.
  • Penn State still needs to schedule one conference opponent in 2017 as Akron and Pitt are already on the schedule.

Any comments on the schedule? Let us know below!


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