Big Ten rankings · National FBS rankings · All teams
| Date | H/A | Opponent | Tier:Conf | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/1 | N | Alabama (12-1) | [P4:SEC] | L | 14-41 | AT Arlington TX |
| 9/8 | H | Air Force (6-6) | [G5:MWC] | W | 31-25 | |
| 9/15 | H | UMass (1-11) | [G5:MAC] | W | 63-13 | |
| 9/22 | A | Notre Dame (12-0) | [P4:Ind] | L | 6-13 | |
| 10/6 | A | Purdue (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 44-13 | |
| 10/13 | H | Illinois (2-10) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 45-0 | |
| 10/20 | H | Michigan St (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 12-10 | |
| 10/27 | A | Nebraska (10-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 9-23 | |
| 11/3 | A | Minnesota (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 35-13 | |
| 11/10 | H | Northwestern (9-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 38-31 | |
| 11/17 | H | Iowa (4-8) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 42-17 | |
| 11/24 | A | Ohio State (12-0) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 21-26 | |
| 1/1 | N | South Carolina (10-2) | [P4:SEC] | L | 28-33 | OUTBACK BOWL * |
* game does not count in Harbin ratings