Big Ten rankings · National FBS rankings · All teams
| Date | H/A | Opponent | Tier:Conf | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/3 | H | Chattanooga (5-6) | [FCS:SOUTH] | W | 40-7 | |
| 9/10 | H | Fresno St (4-9) | [G5:WAC] | W | 42-29 | |
| 9/17 | H | Washington (7-5) | [P4:Pac-12] | W | 51-38 | |
| 9/24 | A | Wyoming (8-4) | [G5:MWC] | W | 38-14 | |
| 10/1 | A | Wisconsin (11-2) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 17-48 | |
| 10/8 | H | Ohio State (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 34-27 | |
| 10/22 | A | Minnesota (3-9) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 41-14 | |
| 10/29 | H | Michigan St (10-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 24-3 | |
| 11/5 | H | Northwestern (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 25-28 | |
| 11/12 | A | Penn State (9-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 17-14 | |
| 11/19 | A | Michigan (10-2) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 17-45 | |
| 11/25 | H | Iowa (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 20-7 | |
| 1/2 | N | South Carolina (10-2) | [P4:SEC] | L | 13-30 | CAPITAL ONE BOWL * |
* game does not count in Harbin ratings