Big Ten rankings · National FBS rankings · All teams
| Date | H/A | Opponent | Tier:Conf | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/30 | N | LSU (8-4) | [P4:SEC] | L | 24-28 | |
| 9/6 | H | W Illinois (5-7) | [FCS:MVFC] | W | 37-3 | |
| 9/20 | H | Bowling Green (7-6) | [G5:MAC] | W | 68-17 | |
| 9/27 | H | South Florida (4-8) | [G5:AAC] | W | 27-10 | |
| 10/4 | A | Northwestern (5-7) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 14-20 | |
| 10/11 | H | Illinois (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 38-28 | |
| 10/25 | H | Maryland (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 52-7 | |
| 11/1 | A | Rutgers (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 37-0 | |
| 11/8 | A | Purdue (3-9) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 34-16 | |
| 11/15 | H | Nebraska (9-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 59-24 | |
| 11/22 | A | Iowa (7-5) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 26-24 | |
| 11/29 | H | Minnesota (8-4) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 34-24 | |
| 12/6 | N | Ohio State (12-1) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 0-59 | Big Ten Championship Game |
| 1/1 | N | Auburn (8-4) | [P4:SEC] | W | 34-31 | OUTBACK BOWL * |
* game does not count in Harbin ratings