Big Ten rankings · National FBS rankings · All teams
| Date | H/A | Opponent | Tier:Conf | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/1 | H | Youngstown St (7-4) | [FCS:MVFC] | W | 38-6 | |
| 9/8 | H | Akron (4-8) | [G5:MAC] | W | 20-2 | |
| 9/15 | A | Washington (4-9) | [P4:Pac-12] | W | 33-14 | |
| 9/22 | H | Northwestern (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 58-7 | |
| 9/29 | A | Minnesota (1-11) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 30-7 | |
| 10/6 | A | Purdue (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 23-7 | |
| 10/13 | H | Kent State (3-9) | [G5:MAC] | W | 48-3 | |
| 10/20 | H | Michigan St (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 24-17 | |
| 10/27 | A | Penn State (8-4) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 37-17 | |
| 11/3 | H | Wisconsin (9-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 38-17 | |
| 11/10 | H | Illinois (9-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 21-28 | |
| 11/17 | A | Michigan (8-4) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 14-3 | |
| 1/7 | H | LSU (11-2) | [P4:SEC] | L | 24-38 | ALLSTATE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AT NEW ORLEANS LA * |
* game does not count in Harbin ratings