Big Ten 2010 Football Out of Conference Scheduling

We're now onto Day 4 of our look at the out of conference scheduling of the BCS conferences. The Big Ten has 44 out of conference games.

ILLINOIS: Missouri, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, at Fresno State

INDIANA: Towson State, at Western Kentucky, Akron, Arkansas State

IOWA: Eastern Illinois, Iowa State, at Arizona, Ball State

MICHIGAN: Connecticut, at Notre Dame, Massachusetts, Bowling Green

MICHIGAN STATE: Western Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Notre Dame, Northern Colorado

MINNESOTA: at Middle Tennessee State, South Dakota, USC, Northern Illinois

NORTHWESTERN: at Vanderbilt, Illinois State, at Rice, Central Michigan

OHIO STATE: Marshall, Miami (FL), Ohio, Eastern Michigan

PENN STATE: Youngstown State, at Alabama, Kent State, Temple

PURDUE: Southeast Missouri State, at Rice, Kent State, Notre Dame

WISCONSIN: at UNLV, San Jose State, Arizona State, Austin Peay

Quick gleanings:

• All teams except for Ohio State play an FCS team
• Every team but Michigan State and Ohio State are playing a road game (though Michigan State does play FAU in Detroit.)
• 11 of 44 games (25%) are against BCS competition.
• 10 of 44 games (23%) are road games.
• Only Michigan plays more than one BCS school.

Breakdown of opponents by conference (excluding the 10 FCS teams):

• MAC (12): Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State (x2), Northern Illinois (x2), Ohio, Temple, Western Michigan
• Sun Belt (4): Arkansas State, Floria Atlantic, Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky
• C-USA (3): Marshall, Rice (x2)
• Independent (3): Notre Dame (x3)
• Pac-10 (3): Arizona, Arizona State, USC
• Big XII (2): Iowa State, Missouri
• SEC (2): Alabama, Vanderbilt
• WAC (2): Fresno State, San Jose State
• ACC (1): Miami
• Big East (1): Connecticut
• Mountain West (1): UNLV

My top 3 games out of this schedule are:

1. Penn State at Alabama
2. Miami at Ohio State
3. Iowa at Arizona

Previous schedule lists:
ACC
Big East
SEC