Big Ten rankings · National FBS rankings · All teams
| Date | H/A | Opponent | Tier:Conf | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | H | FAU (3-9) | [G5:CUSA] | W | 55-7 | |
| 9/6 | H | McNeese (6-5) | [FCS:LAND] | W | 31-24 | |
| 9/13 | A | Fresno St (6-7) | [G5:MWC] | W | 55-19 | |
| 9/20 | H | Miami (6-6) | [P4:ACC] | W | 41-31 | |
| 9/27 | H | Illinois (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 45-14 | |
| 10/4 | A | Michigan St (10-2) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 22-27 | |
| 10/18 | A | Northwestern (5-7) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 38-17 | |
| 10/25 | H | Rutgers (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 42-24 | |
| 11/1 | H | Purdue (3-9) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 35-14 | |
| 11/15 | A | Wisconsin (10-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 24-59 | |
| 11/22 | H | Minnesota (8-4) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 24-28 | |
| 11/28 | A | Iowa (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 37-34 | |
| 12/27 | N | USC (8-4) | [P4:Pac-12] | L | 42-45 | NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOLIDAY BOWL * |
* game does not count in Harbin ratings