Big Ten rankings · National FBS rankings · All teams
| Date | H/A | Opponent | Tier:Conf | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | H | Northern Iowa (8-4) | [FCS:MVFC] | W | 31-23 | |
| 9/6 | H | Ball State (5-7) | [G5:MAC] | W | 17-13 | |
| 9/13 | H | Iowa State (2-10) | [P4:Big 12] | L | 17-20 | |
| 9/20 | A | Pitt (6-6) | [P4:ACC] | W | 24-20 | |
| 9/27 | A | Purdue (3-9) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 24-10 | |
| 10/11 | H | Indiana (4-8) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 45-29 | |
| 10/18 | A | Maryland (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 31-38 | |
| 11/1 | H | Northwestern (5-7) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 48-7 | |
| 11/8 | A | Minnesota (8-4) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 14-51 | |
| 11/15 | A | Illinois (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 30-14 | |
| 11/22 | H | Wisconsin (10-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 24-26 | |
| 11/28 | H | Nebraska (9-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 34-37 | |
| 1/2 | N | Tennessee (6-6) | [P4:SEC] | L | 28-45 | TAXSLAYER BOWL * |
* game does not count in Harbin ratings