Big Ten rankings · National FBS rankings · All teams
| Date | H/A | Opponent | Tier:Conf | Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/3 | H | Hawai'i (6-7) | [G5:MWC] | W | 63-3 | |
| 9/10 | H | UCF (6-6) | [G5:AAC] | W | 51-14 | |
| 9/17 | H | Colorado (10-3) | [P4:Pac-12] | W | 45-28 | |
| 9/24 | H | Penn State (11-2) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 49-10 | |
| 10/1 | H | Wisconsin (10-3) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 14-7 | |
| 10/8 | A | Rutgers (2-10) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 78-0 | |
| 10/22 | H | Illinois (3-9) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 41-8 | |
| 10/29 | A | Michigan St (3-9) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 32-23 | |
| 11/5 | H | Maryland (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 59-3 | |
| 11/12 | A | Iowa (8-4) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 13-14 | |
| 11/19 | H | Indiana (6-6) | [P4:Big Ten] | W | 20-10 | |
| 11/26 | A | Ohio State (11-1) | [P4:Big Ten] | L | 27-30 | |
| 12/30 | N | Florida St (9-3) | [P4:ACC] | L | 32-33 | Capital One Orange Bowl * |
* game does not count in Harbin ratings